Our team in Ireland found Patricia and Lilybee with long hooves and no shelter in late 2020. They now have a promising future under our care. Find out more about their story here.
Ciara O’Kelly, Donkey Welfare Adviser, was alerted to four donkeys living with severely overgrown hooves. Sadly, their owner had passed away a year previously, leaving the donkeys to wander in a vast land area with no one looking after their welfare.
With co-operation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, our team moved the four donkeys to a local veterinary practice for treatment. Two donkeys were young stallions who required routine veterinary treatments and castration before being rehomed with a loving new family.
The two stallions lived alongside a young mare and foal, who our team named Patricia and Lilybee. These two required specialist care before being rehomed, so we moved them to our sanctuary in Liscarroll. Patricia’s hooves were very long, so every step she took was difficult and painful.
The pair were nervous as they stepped into their stable, but our grooms at New Arrivals quickly set about making them comfortable and secure.
When the time came to trim their feet, both donkeys were nervous, and they needed sedation. Our grooms quietly reassured them as the farrier carefully trimmed their feet.
Patricia’s hooves were tender at first, but she then began to walk with more ease. Over the next few months, Patricia will continue to receive corrective farriery.
Patricia and Lilybee are on their way to full recovery and hopefully a new home in the future.
