Jump to Navigation
Home

Secondary menu

  • Teachers
  • Jobs
  • Sign up
  • Contact
  • Help a donkey +44 (0) 1395 578222
  • Donate
  • About us
    • Our mission
    • How it started
    • Annual review
    • Report and accounts
    • Our farms
    • Trustee and Directors
      • Pathology Lab
      • Press and Media
      • Research
      • Vets
    • Work for us
    • Contact us
  • What we do
    • Donkey assisted therapy
    • Donkey health and welfare
    • Practical research
    • Wild Sanctuary
    • Education
      • Packsaddle resources
      • Download resources
      • Book a talk/visit
    • Working worldwide
      • Donkeys in the community
      • A voice for donkeys
      • Global issues
      • Sharing expertise
      • Collaboration
      • Sanctuary support
    • Donkey Sanctuary, Cyprus
    • El Refugio del Burrito, Spain
    • Il Rifugio degli Asinelli, Italy
    • The Donkey Sanctuary, Ireland
  • Ways to help
    • Donate now
    • Campaigns
    • Regular donation
    • About Gift Aid
    • Payroll giving
    • Adopt a donkey
    • Rehoming scheme
      • Rehoming scheme - thank you
    • Get involved
      • Bake it for donkeys
      • Collection tins and boxes
      • Create a JustGiving page
      • Fundraise for us
      • Get crafty
      • Give as you live
      • Give a car
    • Volunteer
    • Work experience
    • Legacies
      • How to leave a legacy
      • Legacy FAQs
      • Tax benefits
      • Sample wording
    • Remember someone
    • Shop online
    • Join us
    • Corporate partners
  • Visit us
    • Visit us
      • Sidmouth
      • Get here
      • Explore here
      • Eat here
      • Shop here
    • Accessibility statement
    • Other locations
      • Belfast
      • Birmingham
      • Derbyshire
      • Ivybridge
      • Leeds
      • Manchester
    • Charity shops
    • Europe
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Spain
    • Webcams
      • Inside Main Barn
      • Outside Main Barn
      • Beach Boxes
      • Buffalo Barn
      • Shelter 1
      • Shelter 4
      • Shelter 6
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Health and care
    • Donkey health and welfare
      • Working donkeys
      • Code of Practice
      • Responsible Tourism
    • Welfare reports
    • Donkey care handbook
    • Ragwort kills
    • Sycamore poisoning
    • Feeding and nutrition advice
    • Veterinary care
    • Donkey breeds
    • Mares and foals
    • Having difficulty managing or caring for your donkeys?
    • Training Centre
      • Training courses
      • Book a training course
    • Report donkey welfare concern
    • For vets
    • Diagnostic services
  • Research Centre
    • Our research aims
    • Success stories
    • Funded projects
    • Sarcoid project
    • Student opportunities
      • Apply for grant
    • Collaborators
    • Research projects
    • Search our research
  • News and events
    • Latest news
    • Newsletters
      • Newsletter articles
    • Press releases
    • Work for us
    • Join us
    • Events
      • Belfast
      • Birmingham
      • Derbyshire
      • Ivybridge
      • Leeds
      • Manchester
      • Sidmouth
    • Weddings
    • Conference venue
    • Blog
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • YouTube
    • Flickr

You are here

Home > News and events > Press releases

The Donkey Sanctuary rescues three abandoned donkeys from swamp

Posted on 14 December 2012.

Three abandoned and starving donkeys have this week 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 on Friday 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.

Head of operations for The Donkey Sanctuary in Ireland, Noel Carton, says: “We were shocked to find these starving, freezing and terrified donkeys in such desperate conditions. They would have endured temperatures as low as -5 in the preceding few weeks and although these three donkeys have somehow managed to survive on the sparse vegetation from the swamp, the two stallions died tragically from sheer exposure to the elements.”

The Donkeys were taken to a holding base to receive the emergency veterinary treatment they need and build some strength while they wait for space to become available at The Donkey Sanctuary’s Irish headquarters at Liscarroll. With unprecedented numbers of donkeys being abandoned during 2012, the Sanctuary desperately needs support to enable them to continue their work across Ireland.

Share

Share

Latest news

  • A bray of thanks to our Marathon magnificent seven
    24 April 2018
  • New collaboration to develop equine welfare in China
    24 April 2018
  • Visit to China to launch new professional textbook
    19 April 2018
  • Donkeys rescued from Spanish 'farm of horrors'
    5 April 2018
  • Mules with long feet given fighting chance of recovery
    4 April 2018
  • How donkey ‘therapy’ helps autistic young adults
    28 March 2018
  • Buzz and friends get a fresh start
    21 March 2018
  • Fond farewell to Charlie C
    20 March 2018
  • Branching out for donkeys in Tanzania
    20 March 2018
  • Ensuring the safeguarding of animal welfare post-Brexit
    14 March 2018

Key facts

  • The Donkey Sanctuary was founded in 1969 by Dr Elisabeth Svendsen. Sadly, she passed away in 2011 but her memory lives on in our work, as does her eternal motto that, in everything we do, donkeys will always come first, second and third.
  • The Donkey Sanctuary’s vision is a world where donkeys live free from suffering and their contribution to humanity is fully valued.
  • There is estimated to be 50 million donkeys in the world. By 2018 we aim to double our reach to two million donkeys in 40 countries.
  • Our aims include: never to turn away from donkey and mules in need and to provide lifelong care for them in the UK and Ireland; to reduce the suffering of domestic and working donkeys due to neglect, ill-treatment, illness, ignorance and injury; and to improve the lives of both donkeys and people through positive human donkey interactions.
  • We currently work in 34 countries worldwide through major projects and collaborations. These projects mean we were in reach of 1.6million donkeys, and we directly treated almost a quarter of a million donkeys and mules in 2015.
  • Since commencement of the charity in 1969 over 18,800 donkeys and mules have been provided with a sanctuary for life. 6,600 donkeys and mules are currently in our care at our sanctuaries, holding bases and through our Rehoming Scheme in the UK, Ireland and Europe. This includes the 960 donkeys and mules we rescued in 2015.
  • We seek to analyse, understand and respond to emerging donkey welfare problems and to advocate on behalf of donkeys and bring their welfare issues to the forefront - at local, national and international levels.
  • In our efforts to reach the world’s population of donkeys and mules, we work hard to impart our knowledge on the care and welfare of donkeys through training and education programmes.
  • The Donkey Sanctuary is a registered charity and we rely entirely on donations and legacy gifts to fulfil our worldwide work with donkeys and mules. You can help the Sanctuary today by donating, fundraising, volunteering, adopting and rehoming.
  • Our Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, is our international headquarters and is open to the public 365 days a year.

Donate now

83p out of every £1 goes directly on donkey welfare and care

Our work worldwide

Working to reduce the suffering of sick and injured donkeys and mules

Media enquiries

For an interview, further information or images, please contact our press team.

By email

If you would like to send a message, please send an email

By telephone

+44 (0) 1395 573097

By mobile

+44 (0) 7970 927778

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY
Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU
Telephone +44 (0) 1395 578222

Office hours:
Mon - Fri 8.30am to 4.30pm

BLOG
WEBCAMS

FacebookYouTubeTwitter

Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme logoGreen Tourism Silver logoNatural England logoFood Drink Devon logo

© The Donkey Sanctuary 2018

Footer Menu

  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility
  • Complaints
  • Sitemap
  • Login
Charity Number 264818