A donkey rescued after being trapped by a body of water near a motorway in County Clare, Ireland, has received much-needed care and now has a bright future.
A commuter noticed the abandoned stallion in March 2022. Emily Collins, Donkey Welfare Adviser at The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland, travelled to the site to investigate and learn more about the donkey's condition.
Emily says: "As I approached the location from the motorway, I could see the donkey on a muddy patch of council land. A water-filled drain had created a huge pool of water surrounding the animal, and he was afraid to move from where he was standing.
"Due to the lack of food, several trees around him were stripped of bark, suggesting he had been eating it out of necessity. It was also clear that he was an older donkey, approximately 20 years of age or older.
"Although his feet were covered in mud, I could see his hooves were extremely overgrown, which would have caused him significant pain."
As Emily approached the stallion, she saw he was very friendly, but it was proving difficult to encourage him over the drain, so she contacted Welfare Assistant Dave Harte for help.
With a bit of encouragement and the help of a rope, Emily and Dave finally convinced the donkey to jump over the water-filled drain.
On the move
No owner came forward to claim the donkey, and he hadn't been microchipped. After a five-day mandatory period, he was moved to the animal welfare charity Hungry Horse Outside.
The severity of donkey welfare issues in Ireland means that The Donkey Sanctuary facilities are full, and we partner with other agencies when responding to welfare emergencies.
Emily says: "Thankfully, Hungry Horse Outside was able to take him in, so the next step was to arrange transport. As there was no vehicle access to the patch of land, so it was a long walk back to the donkey transporter, but it was clear that he was pleased to be on the move."
Extensive aftercare
After arriving at Hungry Horse Outside, we continued to support them with the donkey's extensive aftercare.
Emily says: "Since his feet had been overgrown for some time, it was essential to x-ray his hooves to ensure there was no permanent damage.
"Thankfully, there were no signs of long-lasting damage, but he will require continued farriery care to correct his overgrown hooves."
He also needed treatment for a very high worm burden and desperately needed dental care. Additionally, he needed to be castrated so that he could not breed with mares in the future. It can be a higher risk castrating older stallions, so the team ensured he did not have any other health issues that would have made the castration too risky.
The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland will continue to offer full support for further care and rehoming to Hungry Horse Outside. We look forward to the day this donkey finds his forever home.
