Police are investigating after a dead donkey was found with its legs tied together on a beach in Anglesey.
Members of the coastguard called out the North Wales Police after finding the donkey caught in a shipwreck on the Dulas estuary on 17 December.
The force’s rural crime team has launched an investigation into how the donkey ended up on the beach.
“There is clearly an offence here as the hooves were so overgrown and the animal had been severely neglected,” PC Dewi Evans told H&H.
Police said the donkey’s legs had been bound together with twine. (Warning, graphic image)
“We don’t know if it had been washed in with the tide and caught in the wreck or whether someone had taken it down to the beach for some reason,” said PC Evans.
The local council has now removed the donkey’s body and the police are trying to find out who is responsible.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact North Wales Police’s rural crime team and quote reference number U189056.
“It is incredibly sad to hear of a donkey suffering and this sounds like a very distressing situation. From the reports it appears that this poor animal was dreadfully neglected and I echo North Wales Police’s call for anyone who has information about this situation to get in touch with them,” said Suzi Cretney of the Donkey Sanctuary.
“Our welfare advisers work across the UK and are available to give advice and support to donkey owners and respond to welfare complaints or concerns,” she added.
Last week (15 December) the Sidmouth-based charity had to put down Teddy, who was one of its most popular adoption donkeys, after he developed an infection.
The 27-year-old donkey had been at the sanctuary since he was three.
Born blind, the donkey was guided by his best friend Lucky, who is around the same age.
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“This amazing donkey actually had the life we would wish for every donkey on the planet,” said Anna Harrison, a vet at the Donkey Sanctuary.
“He was loved from day one and for more than a quarter of a century, probably did not know of his own disability instead enjoying a happy and fulfilled life.”
