Three abandoned and starving donkeys have been rescued from a swamp in County Cork by The Donkey Sanctuary.
Two female donkeys and a six month-old foal were found near the bodies of two stallion donkeys who had died from a combination of starvation and exposure to the freezing temperatures.
The donkeys were rescued in December after a hill walker reported them to The Donkey Sanctuary who, with the help of Gardai and a local vet, have brought the three donkeys to safety.
The Donkey Sanctuary has welcomed the life long ban on owning animals handed down to Mr Seamus Dolan of Ahascragh, Co. Galway at Ballinasloe District Court on Thursday 22nd March 2012. Mr Dolan was also fined €1,000 with €350 of this to go to The Donkey Sanctuary for veterinary fees incurred. Our Area Welfare Officer Stephanie Forde was called to take the stand and her evidence combined with compelling photographs and the attending veterinary surgeon’s report helped secure the conviction.
It is with deep sorrow that international animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary, and its sister charity the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys, today announces the death of its founder, Dr Elisabeth Svendsen MBE.
Dr Svendsen founded the charity in 1969 out of her deep love and compassion for abused, neglected and abandoned donkeys everywhere, after finding seven donkeys in a terribly poor state crammed in a small pen at Exeter market. She tried to buy the donkey in the worst condition, without success, and from that moment on, decided that she would dedicate her life to saving donkeys in distress.
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Since that day over 40 years ago, through her tireless devotion and endeavour, The Donkey Sanctuary has given over 14,500 donkeys and mules in need lifelong care and love in UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. Dr Svendsen’s passionate leadership also led to the development of the charity’s work overseas, helping donkeys working in desperate conditions in some of the most impoverished communities on the planet.
The County Cork site of international animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary has been inundated with more than 240 donkey rescues in the last year.
The Donkey Sanctuary, County Cork, has recently been awarded a €50,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in recognition of their animal welfare activities. This money will be used to help fund school education programmes to promote good practice in animal welfare, hopefully lessening the number of distressing animal welfare cases in the future.
This week, the Liscarroll-based Donkey Sanctuary has launched an appeal for new fosterers across Ireland to give a home to rescued donkeys.
The animal charity which is seeing record numbers of abandoned, neglected and unwanted donkeys in its care has significantly increased intake figures and has seen both of its farms fill to near capacity because of the current global economic problems.
The Donkey Sanctuary in Liscarroll is appealing for volunteers to run the Evening Echo’s Woman’s Mini Marathon in Cork, held on Sunday 27th September, to raise funds for its cause.
