Help meet Olivia vet bills and recovery costs

 

 

Olivia is unfortunately one of the worst rescue cases we have come across since Donkey Dreamland was formed some 18 months ago. We don't know much about her past, but she was found in a field with no grazing, surrounded by dogs. The dogs don't appear to be wild dogs, but "owned" by the same person that had responsibility for Olivia. The dogs were fed (insufficient) basic dry dog food and that is all Olivia had to eat too. We know the dogs regularly attacked her (just look at the wounds she had when she was rescued on Tuesday) but we think it is because they were trying to protect their food - basically there just wasn't enough food.

 

The bigger problem however is with her legs. Her tendons have contracted and she found walking very difficult and painful. According to the vet, this was brought about because her hooves had been incorrectly cut, forcing her to walk at a wrong angle - imagine the damage we would do to our legs if we permanently walked on tip toes or on our heels - with no respite whatsoever! This is what has happened to Olivia and she will need surgery to get the "fixing" process started. Fortunately she is not currently in pain, as she has been prescribed a course of strong pain kills, but walking remains difficult and she spends much of her time lying down.

 

That said, each day since she arrived, she has been standing and walking a bit more, and we expect this to continue with the hard work and dedication of the team of volunteers at Donkey Dreamland. Her initial recovery will involve ongoing treatment for her pain and to help her wounds heal, plus gentle short walks throughout each day, until such time as she is deemed strong enough for preliminary surgery.

 

It is likely to be a long process, with no guarantee of success, but she deserves our best efforts, which is what we want to give - and with your help we can give her the best chance of a full recovery. She is so sweet and loving. Rest assured, we will always put her needs first and foremost. If we cannot manage her pain and we see little or no improvement, we will not hesitate to put her out of her misery. We will do whatever is best for Olivia. Hopefully with your help we will win and she can recuperate at Donkey Dreamland for as long as it takes and with a fair wind and a lot of luck, eventually be rehomed to live a life of contentment and happiness. If generous donations mean that we surpass the amount we are targeting for Olivia's specific requirements, any surplus will be applied to help with the day to day running costs of the sanctuary. Thank you so much for your support.