Donkey Sanctuary in Cork says they are at maximum capacity and cannot accept any more donkeys
The Donkey Sanctuary in Cork says they are at maximum capacity and cannot accept any more donkeys.
The charity based in Liscarroll are currently caring for 1,700 donkeys at a number of centres across the country and say they will not be able to take on any new animals for the foreseeable future.
Management at the sanctuary say donkey ownership remains popular in Ireland, however not all owners realise the full extent of what is required to care for them.
The sanctuary has only been taking in the most severe cases over the past two years and say they have been warning of an increase in the number of neglected donkeys for years.
Speaking to RedFM News, Laura Foster from the Donkey Sanctuary outlines why some donkeys end up needing their care:
“Some of the problems might be financial. It might be due to ill health. Obviously over the last couple of years we’ve seen people really suffering as a result of covid, we’ve now got the cost of living. Animals generally tend to suffer when human beings suffer, but there are in general there are very low levels of awareness about how to look after donkeys across the country. So people don’t realise for example that donkeys coats aren’t waterproof. So across the wintertime we see huge numbers of donkeys that have just been left outside in cold, wet conditions.”
