SIX DONKEYS who were severely underweight and suffering from overgrown hooves have been rescued from a field in Malvern.
The Donkey Sanctuary intervened after receiving a call from a member of the public.
The charity’s donkey welfare adviser Georgia McCormick found one stallion and five mares in the field and, in their shelter, their bedding was covered in mud and faeces and the hay was long past its best.
It was also clear to the adviser the donkeys were not used to human contact so she needed patience and compassionate handling so they could be fitted with head collars and the vet could examine them to ensure they were fit to travel.
Georgia said: “They clearly needed urgent farrier attention to trim their feet and alleviate any suffering their overgrown hooves were causing them.”
The charity and other agencies it worked with decided it would be in the best interest of the animals if they were placed into the Donkey Sanctuary’s permanent care.
Blood and dung samples were collected from each of the donkeys and within hours they were removed from the site and transported to a local holding base as the vet deemed they were unfit to travel to The Donkey Sanctuary’s international headquarters in Sidmouth, Devon.
At the base the group received further veterinary care, and were put on an appropriate diet as the majority were underweight. The state of their feet was also a major concern, and using x-rays as a guide, the farrier was able to provide remedial care and begin trimming their hooves.
All of the rescued donkeys will now be given a safe and loving home for life, either in one of the charity’s sanctuaries or in one of its Guardian Homes through The Donkey Sanctuary’s Rehoming scheme.
The Donkey Sanctuary is a global leader for equine welfare, research and veterinary care.
The charity operates programmes worldwide for animals working in agriculture, industry and transportation.
