Dispute over therapy donkeys divides village

The donkeys make visits to care homes, schools and a local hospice

The owner of a herd of "therapy donkeys" has said complaints about the animals are motivated by "sour grapes".

Karen Rust, 71, has 11 miniature donkeys, a Shetland pony and a sheep on land at Little Massingham, near King's Lynn, Norfolk.

The parish council said a potential breach of a planning licence concerning the number of donkeys on the site had been passed to the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Mrs Rust said she had plans to reduce the number of animals on the site.

Little Massingham Parish Council had complained previously about the animals, which led Mrs Rust to getting planning permission to keep them.

But she is meant to have only six donkeys and two ponies on site.

Parish clerk Robert Fox told the BBC that "the issue of a suspected breach of planning licence was raised – notably the number of donkeys on site" – at a parish council meeting on 16 April.

It was referred to the borough council, which said: "The council is satisfied that the relatively small increase in the number of donkeys being kept does not materially change the planning approval, and no further action is required."

Donkeys make good therapy animals as they are calm, have a gentle nature and can form strong bonds with people

Mrs Rust runs Miniature Donkeys for Therapy and Fun, which takes the animals into care homes, hospitals and schools.

Visitors to the site in Little Massingham get the chance to learn to care for donkeys and develop other new skills.

Many of them were rescued and have been rehabilitated by Mrs Rust.

"You have to spend lots and lots of time with the animals and you have to give them lots of attention and love," she said.

"I sit in the field with them, which people often laugh at when they go by, when [they] see a lady of my age sitting in a field with a load of donkeys round her.

"They just love people."

Mrs Rust said she ended up with more donkeys than planned because she had rescued two that were pregnant.

She confirmed she had plans to move some of them to grazing sites in Fakenham.

"The trouble is they are herd animals," she said.

"This is now a herd of 11 which don't want to be separated."

The complaint against the therapy donkey group has led to support online, and borough council leader Alistair Beales has been urged by some to intervene.

Mr Beales told the BBC: "There is no danger of Mrs Rust and the donkeys having to move.

"I am very supportive of the donkeys, as I have been from the start, and will work with the parish council and Mrs Rust to resolve the issues that have been raised."