One dead and four abandoned donkeys were pulled from a bog in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, last week.
Two mares, a stallion and a young foal were rescued from the bog in Coalisland last week (Thursday 5 July). The owner of the land they were found on contacted The Donkey Sanctuary, concerned for their welfare.
A fifth donkey was found dead and is suspected to have drowned after falling in a drainage ditch.
The Donkey Sanctuary’s regional welfare officer Allen Andrews said: “It was a harrowing sight. Not only had one donkey died in what must have been a terrifying death, but all the surviving donkeys have painfully long hooves and are terribly thin.
“The only food available was the boggy grass, which hid the drainage ditches full of water in which their companion had drowned.”
All four surviving donkeys are in the care of The Donkey Sanctuary, where they are being assessed by a vet.
