Dolly and Daphne face a hopeful future following Carlisle rescue

Dolly was pregnant at the time of her rescue and was part of a group of 14 donkeys discovered living in appalling conditions at a site in Carlisle in August 2019.

Their hay feeders were difficult to access as a swamp of thick mud surrounded them, and fresh hay had been dumped on a muckheap.

Some donkeys were shut in both shelters, one containing no water, while the other contained contaminated water.

Sally Bamforth, who helped orchestrate the donkeys’ rescue alongside the RSPCA, said it was heartbreaking to witness how much Dolly was struggling.

“I could see Dolly had given up all hope. She was caked in mud,” Sally recalls.

“Her feet were twisted and overgrown. It was painful for her to move, and she could barely walk. You couldn’t see any hope in her eyes at all. She was just numb to life. I remember stroking her and telling her to hold on because her life was about to change.

“When I stood with her, I felt overwhelmed with emotion just imagining what she was going through.”

Sally knew she had to act fast to rescue Dolly and transport her to safety. But the abject conditions that Dolly had been exposed to, compounded by her skinny frame and overgrown, twisted hooves, meant that leading her to a donkey transporter was only possible with the help of pain relief.

The true extent of what Dolly had endured became apparent after we took her to a dry, warm barn under our care.

“She was riddled with lice,” Sally says.

“You could see them crawling all through her coat, and she had hair missing from her face where they were covering it. She also had rain scald, and her spine was visible. Her feet were incredibly twisted and misshapen.

“Most importantly, Dolly wasn’t comfortable with people. She looked worried all the time and felt anxious about being handled. She wasn’t used to experiencing kindness.”

Dolly required plenty of patience to melt away the barriers of mistrust and fear, but with a steady and gentle approach, her grooms began to see the sparkle come back into her eyes.

And it turns out Dolly was hiding a secret – she was pregnant at the time of rescue, which was a huge surprise for Sally.

“No one would have thought that the skinny, bedraggled donkey we found in the field that day was pregnant,” she says.

“But it turns out she was in foal when we rescued her. I often think that if we hadn’t rescued the donkeys when we did, Dolly wouldn’t have survived. Daphne is the most wonderful foal, full of confidence, and she never knew hardship like Dolly.

“Knowing not only Dolly survived but Daphne too was saved that day is just the best feeling.”

Today, the pair are living better lives in our care.

Despite her turnaround, the damage sustained by Dolly’s hooves means she requires ongoing support and will remain at the sanctuary.

Although they are related, the pair are no longer bonded, which means that Dolly can stay in our care while Daphne can be rehomed with a loving Donkey Guardian family.

Before this happens, she will need to undergo special training to help her adjust to life outside the sanctuary.

In the meantime, Daphne enjoys playing with a small group of other young donkeys in our care.

Dolly is also enjoying a new lease of life, albeit at a slower pace, having bonded with another donkey from the group rescued in Carlisle.

Senior Donkey Welfare Adviser Sarah Kenward says: “We would never look to separate a bonded pair of donkeys, as that would be detrimental to their welfare.

“However, although they are related, Dolly and Daphne prefer to spend their time with companions who have more similar personalities.”

Reflecting on the case, Sally says she feels so relieved she was able to rescue Dolly – and she thinks it was just in the nick of time.

“I find it really hard to think about what would have happened if it was not for our supporters and the help we were able to provide for these donkeys and Dolly,” she says.

“I genuinely don’t think Dolly would have pulled through, and in turn we wouldn’t have had the beautiful Daphne.

“Looking at the donkeys here now, and seeing how their lives have changed forever, is all down to the support we receive.”