Sussex horse sanctuary donkeys test positive for equine flu
A rescue sanctuary remains closed to the public after a dead donkey and one other tested positive for equine flu yesterday.
Sussex Horse Rescue in Uckfield took in three-year-old donkeys Mouse and Rabbit in early April, but within days both were showing signs of respiratory illness. Mouse died on 8 April.
The sanctuary has been in self-imposed quarantine since 17 April and vets confirmed the donkeys had equine flu yesterday, 24 April. The pair were believed to have come from Belgium.
Sanctuary manager Linda McDonald said it has contained the illness and has had its 81 other equines vaccinated.
She said it plans to reopen on Sunday, 4 May.
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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.