FORMER X Factor singer Mary Byrne has joined a long list of celebrities speaking out against animal cruelty in Ireland.
Holding her rescued mixed-breed dog, Sheba, in her arms, the performer currently appears in a brand-new ARAN ad campaign that reads ‘Only Cowards Abuse Animals’.
Byrne joins a growing list of Irish personalities who are backing the fight against animal abuse including Sharon Shannon, Jedward, Saoirse Ronan and others.
Speaking at the launch of the ad on Dublin’s Grafton Street, Mary issued an appeal against animal cruelty.
"The animal does not want to fight you," she said. "It's like beating on a baby. They are defenceless and cannot cry or surrender. Just pick on somebody your own size and leave the animals alone."
ARAN, Ireland’s national animal rights organisation, says it has recently seen a rise in ‘extreme acts’ of animal abuse.
A spokesperson said: “Dogs left to fend for themselves at the end of a chain often go without food or shelter and are totally vulnerable to other animals and cruel people. We also had a recent case of a dog’s throat being slashed.”
