Nine of the stolen donkeys now recovered
Hertfordshire Police has recovered eight of the 11 donkeys stolen from a field in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire on 18-19 September.
Another of the donkeys, a stallion called Darrell, was found on 23 September, thanks to World Horse Welfare field officer Nick White.
Hertfordshire equine liaison officer Karen Broad said she was called to some dumped donkeys in Watford on Tuesday (29 September) and realised they were the same animals.
World Horse Welfare was also called to the scene, along with Thames Valley Horsewatch and police.
“A caller was after advice as a gate and padlock had been damaged and donkeys and ponies dumped in a field,” said Ms Broad.
“I knew immediately this had to be the stolen ones to checked everything out and found eight donkeys that matched the descriptions of the stolen ones.
“They have now been returned to their elderly owner.”
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All of the donkeys were microchipped.
Ms Broad added that she was unable to identify whether the ponies in the field had also been stolen and reiterated the benefits of having your horse or pony freezemarked or microchipped if it is stolen.
The two donkeys that are still missing are two yearling fillies.
Ruby is approximately 11hh and dark chestnut with black to the front of all legs and bilateral stifle whorls and Jill is also 11hh and brown, paler belly, chest and inside tops of legs. She is described as very shaggy-coated.
Neither donkey has characteristic dorsal stripe and shoulder cross.
For crime prevention information go to http://www.ukhorsewatch.org.uk/
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.