My Lovely Horse Rescue (MLHR)

My Lovely Horse Rescue (MLHR) was founded by singer-songwriter Cathy Davey, Martina Kenny and their fellow co-founder Deborah to give unwanted, neglected and abused equines what it calls "a life worth living". It works across Leinster and Munster, and alongside horses, ponies, donkeys and mules it now takes in pigs, goats, sheep, dogs and cats.

Its main centre is a 40-acre former dairy farm in Co. Kildare, where volunteers look after the animals and rescued dogs have the run of the farmhouse. A second Kildare farm is home to My Lovely Pig Rescue and to equines too unwell to be rehomed. MLHR Cork, opened in 2018 on a family farm, usually has about 25 equines in its care, attends call-outs across Munster and takes horses from the pound. MLHR has no powers to seize animals, but it helps Gardaí, Department of Agriculture inspectors and local authorities move horses to safety, and works to improve enforcement of Ireland's animal welfare laws.

Caring for so many large animals is costly: the charity says its running costs, including vet treatment, medication, feed, farriers and rehabilitation, could reach up to €2 million in 2026, and it received a €90,000 Animal Welfare Grant from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2025. Fundraisers such as the Agria Horse Ride in September 2026 help cover the bills.

Animals are adopted or fostered after health checks, neutering, microchipping and passporting; apply through the adoption and foster forms on its website. You can also volunteer at the farms, sponsor an animal, give monthly or leave a gift in your will. My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue Company Ltd. by Guarantee is a registered charity (Registered Charity Number 20204871, CRO 539058) and publishes its audited accounts on its website. To report a horse in distress, contact the Department of Agriculture's animal welfare helpline or your local authority.