By Dionne Meehan
THIS week Donegal Donkey Sanctuary opened their doors to three more neglected donkeys.
This brings the overall number of rescued donkeys in their care up to 97.
Lizzie, Martha and Jack were rescued on Monday night after being neglected beyond belief.
Describing them as “three tragic souls”, a spokesperson from the donkey sanctuary said their survival is far from certain.
“All three donkeys have great difficulty walking as their hooves have obviously been poorly managed to the point of damage.
“They are weak, exhausted and utterly crushed.
“There is no light in their eyes.”
But unfortunately, this is a sight seen by the volunteers all too often.
With three donkeys now adding to the ever-increasing input costs, Donegal Donkey Sanctuary are beginning to feel the financial strain as winter approaches.
Speaking to the Donegal News this week, Manager of the sanctuary, Danny ‘Donkey’ Curran spoke of just how expensive it is to get a donkey back to full health.
Between farrier and vet visits, dental work and blood and stool tests, care for the newest arrivals will cost approximately €2,500.
And that is without including feed.
Now looking ahead to the winter, Danny is planning on stockpiling hay and straw.
But, by the time Christmas hits, he expects the cost of hay to be well over double of what he had to pay last year.
“Straw has to be bought in for bedding and hay has to be bought in for feeding.
“From September 1, those bills start to hit us hard.
“This time last year we were paying €80 for a giant square bale of hay, in May we were paying €140 and it is starting off at €150 now.
“Because of the bad summer and the scarcity, we are thinking that will jump to €200 a bale by Christmas,” he said.
Expecting to go through a few lorry loads in the coming year, Donegal Donkey Sanctuary need your help now more than ever.
If you wish to make a donation you can do so through the following link: https://gofund.me/45613995
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