Whitby donkeys: Owner gets life ban for causing animal suffering

Margarite Geraldine Gibson had been operating donkey rides on Whitby Beach for 30 years

A woman who ran seaside donkey rides for 30 years has been banned from keeping the animals after inspectors found hers were suffering from neglect.

The RSPCA said Margarite Gibson, 76, kept donkeys, ponies and a mule in crowded stables "with little or no access to forage or water".

Inspectors said some of the animals struggled to walk because their hooves were so overgrown.

Gibson, from Sleights, near Whitby, admitted four animal welfare offences.

Gibson, who had operated on Whitby Beach for three decades, kept 25 animals in paddocks near her home.

The charity said it went to the site with staff from the Donkey Sanctuary in February 2021 following concerns about the animals.

RSPCA inspector Claire Little said: "It was apparent when looking at the various stables and sheds being used that there was no hay available and no water available to the animals that were inside the buildings.

"There was a water butt outside that appeared to be collecting rain water [but] this water was not available to the animals, and they were seen straining to access it."

She said some of the animals were underweight while others had poor coats, with lice and scabs visible on their bodies.

Some animals were suffering with lameness and dental issues, she added.

Ms Little said Gibson told inspectors she had struggled with money to pay for veterinary care and farriers due to the impact of Covid-19.

She said Gibson had declined an offer to reduce the number of animals in her care and when inspectors returned there had been no improvements made.

Gibson, of Netherby Close, Whitby, pleaded guilty at Scarborough Magistrates' Court on 12 January to three offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and one offence of failing to ensure the needs of animals.

As well as a lifetime ban on keeping equines, she was also given a 14-week suspended prison sentence.

The RSPCA said all the animals were now recovering either at its Fell Edge Animal Centre or in the care of The Donkey Sanctuary.