A yearling with a broken leg was found dumped in rubbish at a fly tipping hotspot in Essex. The RSPCA is appealing for witnesses to find the owner.
A member of public spotted the piebald — tied up with blue twine and surrounded by rubbish — on Bramble Lane, Upminster early on Monday morning (7 July). It is thought she was dumped between 8 and 8.30am.
When the yearling was examined by a vet it was discovered that she had broken a front leg so she was euthanised to avoid further suffering.
RSPCA inspector Adam Jones said: “This was an appalling and cowardly act, to throw away a badly injured horse like she was a piece of rubbish.
“This poor horse had an obvious injury, her leg was swollen and she wasn’t putting any weight on it.
“We need to find her heartless owner who simply dumped her rather than getting her to a vet for treatment.”
The youngster was microchipped, but investigations have revealed it was not registered to an owner.
Inspector Jones added: “Hopefully someone knows this horse or where she came from.
“I’d also like to hear from anybody who saw any horseboxes in the area around this time who may also be able to give us a lead.
“It is shocking to think someone could be so heartless to just leave a clearly injured animal for someone else to find and deal with.”
Anyone who has any further information is urged to call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018 and leave a message for inspector Adam Jones.