Big fine could face horse-dumper

"Somebody obviously loved it at some stage.”

HEARTBREAKING: Gavin Kovacs was shocked to find a young well-looked after dead horse dumped in the forestry at Glastonbury on Thursday. Picture: Contributed

UPDATE Monday 3pm:

LAST week's gruesome find of a bleeding and a barely-dead horse dumped in Glastonbury forestry has triggered a response from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

"This is an upsetting incident from an animal welfare point of view, and is also potentially an offence under two acts that relate to dumping,” a QPWS spokeswoman told The Gympie Times.

The young horse was described as "loved by somebody at some stage” by Gavin Kovacs who came across it when he was walking with his five-year-old daughter last Thursday.

The offence could attract a fine ranging between $487 for an individual and $6095 for a corporation under the Forestry Act and Waste Reduction and Recycling Act, she said.

"However, if the matter goes to court, the maximum penalty is $48,760,” she added.

The size of an animal could alter the fine, depending whether the volume of waste is under 200 litres, between 200 and 2500 litres or more than 2500 litres.

The QPWS said the dumping of animals, along with vehicles, household waste, white goods and garden waste was a problem in forestries, with eight active illegal dumping investigations underway in co-operation with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.

Although these current investigations did not not relate to the dumping of animals, she said.

The spokeswoman said no formal complaint had been made about the young horse dumped on a common 4WD track, but the department had referred the matter to Queensland Police Service Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad.

She said animals being of disposed of in the forestry can not only be unsightly and upsetting, but can bring health issues when they are located close to where people congregate such as campgrounds and day-use areas.

Anyone who witnesses littering or illegal dumping can report this directly to the EHP website.

Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident, or dumped waste that may cause pollution, should contact EHP on 1300 130 372.

People should contact their local council regarding proper disposal of deceased domestic animals.

In addition to dead animals being unsightly and upsetting, there are associated health issues when they are located close to where people congregate such as campgrounds and day-use areas.

EARLIER:

A SHOCKING sight that met Gavin Kovacs and his five-year-old daughter when they went for a late afternoon walk in the Glastonbury forestry yesterday.

A freshly dead horse, lying bleeding and splay-legged, confronted the two horse-lovers on an often-enough used 4WD track about 250m into the forest.

The animal had a deep flesh wound in its right rear leg and had been shot in the head, Mr Kovacs said, but with little blood to match the wound, the Glastonbury resident believes it must have been shot elsewhere before being dumped.

Gavin Kovacs was shocked to find a young well-looked after dead horse dumped in the forestry at Glastonbury on Thursday. Picture: Contributed

"It had been dragged four or five into an open area, it wasn't concealed very well,” he told The Gympie Times.

He said the unkind position of the horse looked like it had been dragged by its two front legs,. possibly off a ute or truck, and its back legs "had just followed.”

Guessing by the look of its teeth, coat and hooves, the experienced horse-owner said the horse looked like it was barely a year old and had been well-looked after.

"It's too well-fed to be a brumby,” he said.

"Somebody obviously loved it at some stage.”

He said it was disheartening the horse had not been given the respect of a decent burial.

"We're in an area where someone always knows someone with a tractor, you can get someone to come and dig a hole.”

"If you go to all the trouble of owning a horse the least you can do is give it a decent burial when it does go.”

A frequent user of the forestry, Mr Kovacs said he often sees sheep carcasses dumped and a large volume of rubbish, but this is the first horse.