SIXTEEN neglected donkeys were seized from South Mayo and taken to The Donkey Sanctuary in Liscarroll. The donkeys were found abandoned in a field with no food and no access to water. Recent harsh winter weather conditions meant the field they were in was waterlogged. The carcass of a dead donkey was also discovered.

David Walsh is the donkey welfare adviser with The Donkey Sanctuary for the Connacht area and was contacted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Mayo seeking assistance with donkey welfare case in South Mayo.

According to Walsh: “These donkeys were abandoned with no food or water. They had resorted to drinking water from puddles and were trying to eat tree branches because they were so hungry. To see these lovely animals huddled together in misery with a dead donkey in plain sight is horrific.”

All the donkeys rescued were between the ages of two and 22. The majority had very long hooves which caused them great difficulty and pain to walk. Many of the group are severely underweight and it will take time and care to return them to their correct weight and health. All of the donkeys’ coats were matted and filthy and they were a sorry sight to behold.

Ashling O’Sullivan, PRO of The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “It is clear these poor donkeys at one point in their lives were in some way cared about as they are quiet to handle but are currently in poor body condition and their hooves needed immediate attention.

“Two of the donkeys have laminitis so we are taking that into consideration when treating them and they both have had X-rays on their hooves to show the extent of the damage caused by the illness. All of the 16 donkeys are currently in isolation units and are now getting the best care possible.”

The Donkey Sanctuary is hopeful that some of the donkeys will go on to be rehomed to loving homes.

O’Sullivan said: “Some of the donkeys will go into our rehoming scheme. We currently have 550 of our donkeys placed in loving adoptive homes around the country. But for the moment our focus is on getting each donkey back to full health.”

Education is key when it comes to animal welfare and The Donkey Sanctuary currently run Donkey Care Days which are open to everyone to come and learn about caring for a donkey.

To ensure courses are accessible to everyone, there is no charge for these training courses, however, as a charity the Sanctuary are grateful to accept donations to help continue their work, which you can make on the day of your course.

If you are interested in attending one of the courses, please call: (0) 22 48398 or visit the website: www.thedonkeysanctuary.ie

LIMERICK CASE

Another horrific cruelty case was highlighted in Limerick this week by Ireland’s Animal Cruelty Exposed – ICE Facebook page. After taking a call from a concerned member of the public, ICE discovered a dead bay pony on wasteland, near a housing estate. The animal was approximately a year old.