The bodies of eleven greyhounds were found last Monday in the back of a van being transported onboard the Oscar Wilde vessel.
The ship, owned and operated by Irish Ferries, was enroute from Rosslare to Cherbourg, France. The grim discovery was made when the vessel was about to dock at its destination.
It is believed that the animals had first travelled from somewhere in Co. Tipperary and that they subsequently suffocated during the 14-hour cruising.
Irish Ferries said through a spokesperson that the incident is a ‘very sad affair’ and that the company regrets the fact that the animals’ presence was not highlighted to them before the sailing.
The driver of the vehicle where the animals perished was questioned by French police but subsequently released.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding this dreadful event is underway.