[bird4416]

My daughter and I went to visit Sunkissed Acres this morning thinking we would help feed and muck stalls and visit for a while. We had some stuff to drop off for the store and were looking forward to a nice day at the farm. When we drove up, SKissed was waiting and said hop in the truck we are going to see a welsh pony that someone abandoned in a park.

We jumped in and headed to the animal control officer's home where the "pony " had been taken. When we got there we looked for a pony but instead we saw the most heart wrenchingly pitiful burro. She was just skin and bones with a horribly swollen hind leg that was covered in maggots. She was standing on foundered feet and was pretty listless. This was the "welsh pony".

Some asshat had left her in the park to die and when she was found dogs had been harrassing her and trying to chew on her. SKissed loaded her up and she was driven to the Sunkissed rescue. There we unloaded her and gave her some food while SKissed called the vet who had already seen her the previous night after she had been found. The burro has a grade 6 out of 6 heart murmur along with the founder and leg injury. The vet recommended euthanasia. With heavy hearts, we got some shampoo and brushes and cleaned the old girl up. She had matted hair and the maggots were all over her bad leg and also on her other hind leg as well as on her belly. It was like the maggots were just waiting on her to die. It was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen.

Anyway, long story short, her name is Heart and we left SKissed waiting on the vet to come out to see if there is any hope for the old girl. I hated to leave but we had to get back to our horses. Please keep Heart in your prayers. She is a sweet old girl who deserved so much more. At least, for whatever time she has left, she will be taken care of like a princess.

[snkstacres]

What a sad sad story. Bird, Heart is resting comfortable. She ate rather well and finally laid down. She is comfy I hope. The vets biggest concern is whether her heart can take this. Not sure if they injury caused the heart problem or if it has existed for a time.

for someone to abandon and animal in such distress is heartwrenching. Abandoned in this heat, unable to walk and so badly injured, the maggots arent waiting for you to die even. The dogs are already eating your carcass alive. The newspaper guy came out and took pics of Miss Heart. She will get a nice plug out of this and hopefully, someone will tell us who she belonged too. How many chocolate donkeys are in summerville ya think. You know she didnt come from far for sure.

You all just keep jingliing for Heart. If there is a will, we will find a way. And Bird and Brittney, thankyou for the hard work. Gross was a huge understatement to having maggots crawling all over us. The stench was enough to wake the dead.

Bless you hearts for sticking it through.

[Rider in Training]

This is a heart-wrenching story. Jingling hard and loud for Heart- may she know a few or better many days of good care at Sunkissed.
DGRH, this is calling for a curse on the previous owners, don't you think?!

[Wild Oaks Farm]

Jingling like mad for Heart!!

[MistyBlue]

Good Lord...I can't understand how sopme people can do this.
I'm hoping for the best for this girl...but a grade 6 out of 6 murmur is damned bad. My mare just passed away end of March from the same grade murmur. Granted it had been that bad for over a year...but *any* stress could kill her and this little donk has to have had some major stress...not to mention more during the recovery time. Tranquilizing can't be done...not with a murmur that high.
But...there's still some small hope. The pain and infection haven't killed her or stopped that heart yet...heat is a major issue with bad heart murmurs...compromised breathing. Fans and frequent hosing her down and keeping her out of the sun on hot days. Nowhere hot and stuffy.
My best thoughts for the little donk...please keep us updated.

[Walk_N_Gal88]

Oh poor baby! People that do this to animals ought to be skinned alive! Massive amounts of jingles from North Carolina! I hope Heart gets better soon.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

This is a heart-wrenching story. Jingling hard and loud for Heart- may she know a few or better many days of good care at Sunkissed.
DGRH, this is calling for a curse on the previous owners, don't you think?!

I just don't see how explosive diahreaa for the rest of your life is enough. We need more than that.

Lori, bless you, and bless the Bird family!!! for helping out. No wonder you didn't answer the phone when I called - you had enough on your plate.

[amdfarm]

How awful. Poor Heart!! Jingling like mad for her.

[lcw579]

Poor little donkey - the cruelty of people never ceases to amaze me!

Major jingles for Heart from PA - she sounds like a fighter to have made it this long - please keep us updated.

[Thomas_1]

I just don't see how explosive diahreaa for the rest of your life is enough. We need more than that.

A chronic plague of painful pustulent festering boils on the private parts and a lifetime of misery and lonliness does it for me.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

Ah, Thomas, I knew you'd come through for us!

[CHF]

Yep Thomas has it right... that and more...

Jingles from Indiana for Heart.... Love the name....

all of us here at Castle Heart Farms are pulling for you!!

[Rider in Training]

A chronic plague of painful pustulent festering boils on the private parts and a lifetime of misery and lonliness does it for me.

AMEN and more!

[Sue from Auckland]

Jingles for a painless outcome for Heart. AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! may the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits (and their fingers drop off so they can't scratch)

[tullyleague]

What Thomas said. And then some.

[Tiempo]

That poor, poor sweet girl

If she IS able to pull through her other problems, you may find that she is not actually foundered, donkeys easily grow a very long, distorted foot when they are neglected that can look like founder, but in fact trims up very well.

I hope you can get her far enough to find out..poor baby

[snkstacres]

Updates on this little gal will be day by day. That will be her lot but let me tell you this. She finally drank some water, she ate all her hay and feed, and when I came in to the barn tonight, she nickered at me. She ASKED me for more feed. What harm can it do now. I gave it to her and she thanked me. She has had a normal bowel movement, there are gutteral sounds and she is both lying down and getting up.

The infection is more my worry than the heart. The heart will take her quickly, the infection, slowly. So, I am going to tell the vet tomorrow that Heart does not want to die just yet. Need meds. Hearts time may not be long but rest assured, this little donkey will know a kind hand, the last hand. She had her feeties trimmed today if you call it that and then my farrier looked at her. Decided nothing needed to be done today.

She seems to be comfy or as comfy as can be. I am still picking maggots out of her hair though but at least they are looking to leave now, not dine.

All I can do now if pray that I am not seeing something that isnt there. I havent been wrong yet about those who choose to fight and dont think I am now but still, always pray I am reading it right. Just keep jingling for this little gal. I will try and get pics to post. We got lots of pics today before anything was done, hope the maggots actually show through. The newspaper guy came and did a story on her. I hope whomever owned her is found through this. Charges can be and will be filed. They left this little darling for dog food.
'And on a good note, the temps are supposed to be down by 10 degrees for the next week or so. that will help tremendously in her recovery.
Hooray for Heart, she;s a fighter.

[Ambrey]

I'm glad, I would hate for the majority of her final days to be spent in that way. I hope she can hold on long enough to have a memory full of love.

[JohnDeere]

I like Sues curse the best. If Heart is nickering for food she is still afighter.

Am I up the wrong tree on this or did "doctors" in the really old days use maggots to get rid of rotting/infected flesh so the body could heal properly?

Peole never cease to amaze me...

[asb_own_me]

Huge jingles for Heart from Iowa.