Shocked farmer finds donkey stallions among cattle
Two donkeys have been rescued after being found among a herd of cattle.
A farmer in the Scottish Highlands discovered the donkey stallions when checking on his herd.
He believed they may have escaped from a nearby field, but found no owner locally.
The farmer contacted the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and two officers were sent to the farm, as well as a World Horse Welfare officer.
SSPCA arranged for the pair to be rehomed by the Donkey Sanctuary.
“The donkeys were not keen to be caught, but with a little help the farmer was able to load them on to his trailer and arrangements were made to meet at the local livestock market to transfer them safely on to the sanctuary trailer,” said a spokesman from the Donkey Sanctuary.
“Both donkeys are now happily settled in the holding base in north Scotland where they will receive farrier and veterinary treatment.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
The donkeys have been named after the SSPCA officers who came to their assistance, Andy and Ross.
“It’s a nice touch that the donkeys been called Andy and Ross, although it’s not a first for me as over the years I’ve had a sheep and a Shetland pony named after me,” said senior inspector Andy Brown.
“We weren’t able to establish how the donkeys got there but we think it’s possible they had been abandoned.
“Their feet weren’t in the best condition but otherwise they were okay.”
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.