The Irish Times is reporting that news stories about the plight of horses in Ireland during the recent drastic downturn in the country's economy have spurred donations from the United States to help authorities care for the animals.

Stories on the phenomenon of abandoned horses in Ireland were  appearing in the British press early this fall.  However, this week, an article by John Burns in the New York Times has been picked up by other newspapers in the US as well as appearing on websites in Australia.  The New York Times article has triggered the donations.

The economic crisis in Ireland began two years ago with a crash in the real estate market.  The financial downturn reached a new low this fall as the EU stepped in with a rescue package of €85 billion.  At the same time, the Irish government has instituted drastic spending cuts along with tax increases which will only increase hardship for many people who were already struggling.  One of the byproducts of this situation is abandoned animals.

The Irish Times article quotes Orla Aungier of the Dublin SPCA who said the badly needed funds have just started to come in and that the organization will do all it can to help the animals.