Donkey Rescue UK Latest News

WE ARE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - ONLY BY PRIOR APPOINTMENT.

Our Open day has been cancelled until further notice due to waterlogged ground. We are sorry for any inconvienience.

ZULU the Zorse is now going into training with Jive Pony, check back for regular updates.

Meet our lovely stripey animals as seen on DAYBREAK, Loose women and LIVE WITH GABBY and featured in the Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118901/The-strangest-zoo-Britain-See-zedonk-zorse-Zonkey-cross-bred-horses-show.html

Can you offer a home to a pair of donkeys? Please get in touch if you would like to adopt a loving pair of donkeys, you will need a stable or barn, minimum one acre of land and lots of love to give. Please only apply if you are within an hours drive of the sanctuary. Donkeys can be fostered short or long term.

The Amazing Dr Karl Shuker, Zoologist, media consultant, and science writer, Dr Karl Shuker is also one of the best known cryptozoologists in the world. Read his blog here about meeting our unusual zebra hybrids
http://karlshuker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/zebra-crossings-day-i-met-zorse-zonkey.html

Donkey Rescue UK welcomes the arrival of some Irish Donkeys saved from slaughter with the help of dedicated supporters.
 
The charity, based at Billingsley near Bridgnorth, appealed for help to raise money to rescue ten donkeys from Ireland after thier owner could no longer care for them ,  and was overwhelmed by the response.
 
Amanda Ball, founder of the rescue centre said “ We had a lot of support from members of the public who read about our plight in the newspaper, and its true what they say, every little helps! We managed to raise enough money to save 6 of the donkeys, and the others have been successfully rehomed elsewhere.”
 
The donkeys are said to be in a poor condition, underweight and infested with lice, but the charity is confident that they will regain their health and be happy healthy animals again soon.
 
“We would like to say a huge thank-you to everyone who supported this appeal, and we hope people will come and visit the donkeys when we open to the public in April this year”.
 
 
 

 

SAD NEWS -  The Loss of Bertie our Giant Donkey




Donkey Rescue UK has to announce the very sudden and sad loss of Bertie, the largest Poitou Donkey in the UK.

Donkey Rescue UK took the decision to return Bertie to his birth place, Lymington in Hampshire to be examined by an expert Baudet du Poitou Breeder coming over from France as Bertie was having problems with the tendons in his front legs. Liverpool University had been in talks with Donkey Rescue UK’s veterinary surgeon in Shropshire, and had suggested possible surgery to help strengthen his legs.

Amanda Ball, founder of the charity said “Before putting Bertie through any sort of sugery we wanted to make sure that there was not another option. Baudet du Poitous are so rare – only 60 in the UK -  that many vets have never even seen one in real life, so we wanted the expert from France to take a look incase this was a common problem in the breed.”

Unfortunately the decision for surgery was taken out of the rescue centres hands when Berties temporary carer in Hampshire took it upon themselves to have Bertie destroyed on Sunday 15th May 2011.

Bertie came to Donkey Rescue UK in February 2010, he was brought from a breeder claiming to be the only UK registered breeder of Poitous based in Hampshire to the rescue centre in Shropshire to promote this extremely rare and magnificent breed of Donkey.

At just a year old he was over 14hh, and in May 2011, at just 3 years old, Bertie was a whopping 16hh.  He had always suffered for his size, his bones appeared to grow too quickly for his muscle and he needed help from staff members to get to his feet every day, but once up, Bertie would trot and canter around the field with the other donkeys. We always worked closely with our Vets and were confident that Bertie would grow out of this problem when he became a fully fledged adult, and as no longer a gangly teenager.

Amanda Ball said “We are all finding it very hard to come to terms with here. If we had any idea that this could have happened, we would have kept Bertie safe at home, where he belonged. We put our trust in someone, and are deeply saddened that this trust was broken. We would like all of our supporters to know that at NO time did we authorise the euthanasia of Bertie, and we would not have allowed this to happen. It was carried out without our knowledge, without our permission and without a practising vet being present.”

All of the staff at Donkey Rescue UK had worked very closely with Bertie, and are very upset at the sudden loss. One staff member said “It is such a shock. We spent the last 14 months improving him and getting him better – he was stronger than he had ever been. For someone to do this to Bertie is just devastating. I can’t believe it could happen”

On the morning of the 15th May, Bertie was struggling to stand as usual, so the local animal rescue team were called out to help him. The Animal Rescue team leader explained that getting Bertie on to his feet was more difficult because of the barn he was in. Had Bertie have been in a field, they could have hoisted Bertie up in a sling to get him back on his feet. The person caring for Bertie was given the option to get a vet out to sedate Bertie so he could be moved on specialist animal rescue skids to the field outside so he could be lifted – but his carer declined. The fire brigade animal rescue team had been under the impression that Bertie’s owner had been contacted.

“We have been told it was his back legs failing him, but Bertie has never had a problem with his back legs. It is so frustrating that you can come so far with an animal, and spend over a year making him better, for someone to do this after just 10 days of caring for him”

Berties body was also taken away and incinerated before Donkey Rescue UK were informed of his death, meaning the centre was unable to carry out a post mortem to ascertain what had happened.

The RSPCA have so far declined to comment as to whether an equine can legally be destroyed and disposed of, without the owners consent and without a practising vet present. UPDATE - The RSPCA have confirmed that the law was broken and advised we report the matter to the police.
We are still very sad and missing Bertie.


Can you raise £500 for us?

Donkey Rescue UK is calling on business', groups or individuals to raise £500 towards the move to new premises.
You can do this via donations, sponsored events, non uniform days, anyway that you can.
In return you will recieve a framed photograph of One Eyed Jack, Donkey Rescue UK's first rescue donkey, a personalised certificate, as well as the chance to come for a personal tour of the centre to meet the residents and staff, or a visit from the donkey's to your workplace or school.
Anyone raising over £1000 will also have thier name and /or details on a plaque on the centre "Hall of Fame" as a special thank-you for helping Donkey Rescue UK grow.
The move will enable the centre to rescue more donkeys and expand the work carried out with disabled and disadvantaged children.
Anyone wishing to participate in the challenge should register with Donkey Rescue UK first to recieve sponsor forms. You can do this by calling 07975 516219 or emailing info@donkeyrescueuk.org

REGISTERED CHARITY !

Donkey Rescue UK are pleased and extremely proud to announce that we are now a UK registered charity, number 1138874.
Amanda Ball, 31, founder of the charity said "I am so over the moon that we have reached charity status, it is a credit to all the hard work that our helpers and volunteers have inputted over the last 2 years. Hopefully now we can go from strength to strength and rescue many more donkeys and animals in distress"
Shropshire donkey rescue also plans to open more facilities for disabled and disadvantaged children. "we are still in the early planning stages, but we are hoping it will become a reality very soon!"

Picture - Amanda Ball and Jessie in the charity calendar 2011