A Gloucestershire man who kept a donkey in a flooded field with no shelter has been banned from keeping equines for 7 years.
Paul Mitchell, 65, was also ordered by Stroud Magistrates Court to do 120 hours of unpaid work and to pay £3,600 in costs at the hearing on 2 December.
The donkey, Thistle, was found in early December 2012 in a flooded field with no shelter by the RSPCA and The Donkey Sanctuary.
RSPCA inspector Adrian Langley said: “Thistle was in entirely unsuitable conditions. The rain was persistent and he had nowhere to go to shelter from the weather or escape the mud.”
Both charities gave the owner advice, but when nothing changed a vet was called out. He found Thistle’s welfare needs had not been met as he was not kept in a suitable environment or provided with adequate hoof care.
Anna Harrison, a vet from The Donkey Sanctuary said: “We are very pleased that Thistle now has the shelter, care and protection he deserves.
“He has found the companionship he desperately needed with his new friend Mathilda and can look forward to a safe and secure future at The Donkey Sanctuary.”
Mitchell is appealing against his conviction and sentence.
