Four donkeys saved from a life of neglect

Our Welfare team recently received a call about four donkeys that were abandoned in the Cooley Mountains in Louth. The donkeys were seized by the County Council and taken to Louth pound. The Donkey Sanctuary lorry hit the road in order to bring these four donkeys to the safety and protection of The Sanctuary.

All four donkeys’ feet needed attention, especially Scamper, who had approximately 4 inches of growth as a result of not being treated by a farrier and Scamper also has a Sarcoid (tumour) under his eye which is under examination.

Despite Scamper’s visible neglect the most worrying discovery was the smallest donkey in the group, called Oreo. Oreo was emaciated, his bones protruding from his weak body and all he wanted was human attention and love. He got TLC, nutritional food and Veterinary care in abundance. He was treated by the farrier and Equine Dental Technician (EDT), the EDT determined his age and told us that Oreo was 30 years old and his teeth were in very poor condition due to neglect.

The three other donkeys Pacino, Oakley and Scamper were younger and slightly stronger than poor Oreo although they had a high worm burden and overgrown feet, these health issues have since been addressed by our Veterinary team. The greatest obstacle with these three frightened donkeys is trying to teach them that they are safe now and can trust us. This is the beginning of their new life and their days of solitude and hunger are behind them. They can look forward to a lifetime of love and protection and hopefully they will get to experience the ultimate fairy-tale ending in finding a home of their own with loving Guardians as part of our rehoming scheme.

To donate towards the lifelong care of these four donkeys please donate below: