Specialist hospital to treat rescued donkeys

The sanctuary is home to more than 100 rescue donkeys, horses and ponies

A specialist equine hospital will improve medical care for donkeys, ponies and horses rescued from traumatic situations, a Cornish donkey sanctuary has said.

The Flicka Foundation Donkey Sanctuary in Penryn is building a purpose-built veterinary hospital on site.

At the moment, animals that need medical care have to be treated in a barn or driven 35 miles (56km) to an equine vet in north Cornwall or more than 130 miles (209km) to Taunton, which is stressful for the animals, it said.

Judy Giles, director of the sanctuary, said: "Many of the donkeys we rescue have suffered serious abuse or neglect and come into us in extremely poor condition."

The sanctuary, which includes Dame Judi Dench and Felicity Kendal among it patrons, is home to more than 100 donkeys, horses and ponies rescued from abuse, neglect and abandonment.

Ms Giles said the animals "often require emergency veterinary treatment and extensive ongoing care for countless medical issues".

"A purpose-built facility will allow us to carry out essential veterinary procedures in a more appropriate, safe and sterile environment and help to reduce the amount of stress for sick donkeys in need of special veterinary care," she said.

Building work has started on the £600,000 building

Building work has started on the £600,000 building and the sanctuary is fundraising to cover the final costs.

The hospital will be named after Lonely and Primrose, two of the first donkeys to arrive at the sanctuary in 2008.

Lonely was rescued after being dumped on a rubbish tip, while Primrose was abandoned by the side of the road after being exploited as a working donkey, the sanctuary said.

Both recovered and spent their final years together as "inseparable friends", added Ms Giles.