New life ahead for rescued foal

The weekend before Valentine’s Day, we received a call from a donkey owner looking for urgent welfare advice. The owner had recently brought home a foal after seeing an advertisement online, but quickly realised his mistake as he was unable to provide suitable shelter and feed.

When we arrived, we were concerned to find Valentine standing in a small garden, continuously braying for his mother. He was clearly stressed as he repeatedly tried to gain entry to the house through the back door to find company.

With inadequate shelter and food, and with the temperature about to drop, we knew it was important to transport Valentine to safety as soon as possible.

On that same night, we conducted a health assessment and decided that he was in a stable enough condition to travel to our New Arrivals unit in Mallow.

After arriving, Valentine spent the night in his new stable, eating plenty of food and staying warm under a heat lamp.

He was immediately welcomed by Mick and Ronan who live in the stable next door, and it was heart-warming to see the three donkeys greeting one another from across the gate.

Our veterinary team gave him a full medical, treated his lice infestation and trimmed his hooves.

As Valentine was not microchipped and had no valid passport, tracing was very difficult. Due to this, finding his mother will be extremely difficult without being able to identify his previous owner.

Nevertheless, Valentine continues to grow stronger every day, and he is often seen playing with Mick and Ronan at our New Arrivals unit.

We will continue to keep you updated on his progress.