Abandoned donkeys with overgrown hooves rescued

Two donkeys have been rescued after being found abandoned on a towpath in Northern Ireland.

They had long, twisted and overgrown hooves – known as Turkish slippers – and were found last week (10 October) near a main road in Moy.

The two stallions – since named Rafferty and Carrick – and have now been rescued by The Donkey Sanctuary and taken to a holding base.

Both donkeys are thought to be around five years old and were reported to have been abandoned in March. They have been fending for themselves since then.

“Given the amount of time these donkeys were neglected, we made it our priority to give them shelter and arrange for them to be checked over by a vet and a farrier as soon as possible,” said Marie McCormack, welfare officer for The Donkey Sanctuary.

“We suspect that they were abandoned for even longer than seven months, as their hooves are showing a good year’s growth. They are so twisted that it must be very painful for them to walk.

“It will take a prolonged programme of farriery to return their neglected hooves to normal. Thankfully the donkeys are both in reasonable body condition and we understand that the owner of the land on which they were abandoned kindly made sure that they did not go hungry. However their long period of neglect has left them very nervous and wary of people.”

For more information visit: www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk.

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