Nice Animals For Free photos

A few nice animals for free images I found:

Polar Bear (Ursos maritimus), Diergaarde Blijdorp

Image by spencer77
This picture is available to use for free, under the creative commons licence. All I ask is that I'm given a photo credit & a courtesy email to let me know how it's being used.

Abandoned donkey Bobby now has a sanctuary for life

Image by Donkey Sanctuary Press Images
A donkey thought to be in his thirties called Bobby who was found abandoned in a field in Northern Ireland now has a sanctuary for life after being rescued by international animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary.

Welfare officers in County Antrim were alerted to the plight of the abandoned animal when a farmer called concerned about an elderly, underweight donkey with hooves in need of a trim that had been left in his field. Unusually, the donkey had a note attached to his head collar saying that his name was Bobby.

Luckily for Bobby, the farmer who owned the field had previously kept horses, and so had sufficient equine experience to be able to care for Bobby until welfare officers from The Donkey Sanctuary came to collect him. Under the expert care of staff from The Donkey Sanctuary he now has a roof over his head, trimmed hooves and a secure supply of food and water.

Allen Andrews, The Donkey Sanctuary’s regional welfare officer for Northern Ireland, was involved in Bobby’s rescue: “When I first heard about Bobby I was saddened to learn of another donkey adding to the numbers that are being reported as abandoned in Northern Ireland at the moment. The unusual thing with this case, and something that I have never come across before, is that Bobby had been left with a name tag on his collar. The fact that Bobby had also been left on the land of someone with equine experience suggests to me that this may have been a reluctant abandonment.

“In these difficult financial times, the cost of keeping donkeys means that for some they have become an unaffordable luxury. We may never know the reasons why Bobby was abandoned, but luckily for him, his story ends happily. He can now enjoy his later years safe in the knowledge that he has a sanctuary for life and need never be hungry or homeless again.”

To report neglect or mistreatment of donkeys, or for free, expert advice for anyone experiencing difficulties in caring for their donkeys, the Sanctuary’s regional welfare officer for Northern Ireland, Allen Andrews, can be contacted on 07717 814946.

All of the donkeys taken in, including Bobby, now have a sanctuary for life with The Donkey Sanctuary. The charity is funded entirely by donations and takes in an average of eight donkeys each week throughout the UK and Ireland. Please visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk for more information.

ENDS

Notes to Editor
For an interview, further information or images, please contact The Donkey Sanctuary press office on 01395 573097/573014 or mobile 07970 927778

About The Donkey Sanctuary
International animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary was founded by Dr Elisabeth Svendsen M.B.E. in 1969 and aims to protect donkeys and mules and promote their welfare worldwide.

The Donkey Sanctuary supports projects to relieve the suffering of donkeys in 29 countries worldwide, including sanctuaries across Europe, where more than 14,500 donkeys and mules have been cared for, and major projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Mexico, where donkey welfare is improved through community education and veterinary work.

Any donation, no matter how small, is gratefully received by The Donkey Sanctuary and one of the best ways to support the charity into the future is to give regularly by direct debit.

For further information telephone: 01395 578222, view www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk or visit the charity’s headquarters near Sidmouth in Devon (open 365 days/free admission).