Thieves leave therapy donkey and pony without transport
A trailer used to transport a therapy horse and donkey has been stolen along with equipment worth £1,000.
The dark blue Ifor Williams was kept behind locked gates at Exotic Zoo in Telford.
It was full of equipment for the zoo including tanks for its vet room and exhibits.
Thieves cut through the gate lock, forced the hitch lock from the trailer and towed it away last Thursday (25 January).
A member of the public notified police at around 9.30pm and officers are investigating the crime.
“It was a double whammy taking the equipment as well as the trailer,” zoo director Scott Adams told H&H.
“They’ll probably just take the tanks out and throw them down a bank.
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“We have our other vehicles insured but not the trailer.”
Miniature donkey Small and American miniature horse Dodger provide animal-assisted therapy to those local to the zoo.
Two-and-a-half-year-old Small and nine-year-old former show pony Dodger are “inseparable”, and popular among staff and visitors alike.
The trailer was bought 12 months ago for £2,500 to transport the pair.
“Everything is on hold at the moment,” said Mr Adams. “It’s disheartening with all we do in the community.
“Police are looking for it but it’s probably not going to turn up.”
Mr Adams added that he has been heartened by the response to the zoo’s social media appeal to trace the trailer.
“I’ve lost count of the number of likes and share’s it’s had,” he said. “It’s really nice.”
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Sergeant Andy Garrett said: “We are asking members of the public to look out for the trailer.
“If anybody has any information about the theft or the whereabouts of the trailer, contact West Mercia Police on 101 using reference 608S 250118.”
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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.