After a bleak start, a pony found abandoned on wasteland is now enjoying some festive comfort - including the company of a toy horse which has become his favourite companion.
The little piebald colt, just four months old, was discovered on land in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, back in October and was rescued by RSPCA inspector Heidi Cleaver who describes how he has been left among rubbish and bins. But this Christmas now sees him well on the road to recovery at a rescue centre in Chester-le-Street where he has made a very special friend.
The pony initially had to be kept in isolation so staff, who named him Aston, gave him a stuffed toy horse for company. And, although he has since gone on to make real horse friends, Aston loves his toy so much that he still sleeps with it at night.
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He is reportedly doing well in the care of workers at Felledge Equine Centre but, talking about his sad start - and the bond he has now made - Heidi said: “He was literally thrown out with the rubbish and nappies at the side of some bins. It was very sad to see and a really callous act.
“But I am pleased to say, with lots of love and attention from staff at Felledge, he has come on leaps and bounds and will soon be looking for a new home." She said Aston "loved" his toy horse, adding: "He was too young to have been away from his mum so he really bonded with the toy.
"He now has a real pony friend in the day called Hamish who he plays with but at night he still likes to snuggle up to his toy - it is so cute to see. He won’t eat without his toy in the stable and loves to snuggle up to the cuddly companion before bedtime."
Equine centre manager Emma Tallentire added: “He was so young when he came to us and was lonely and frightened so the toy which we had as a donation was placed in his stable so he had company.
“It worked a treat and Aston loves his new friend. We hope to find him a new home in the coming months but we think his friend may have to go with him too!”
Heidi said the person responsible for dumping Aston has not been found. The RSPCA says that abandoning animals is on the increase, with a shocking 25% rise in the number of incidents and rescue teams also seeing a 13% rise in the neglect cases they deal with.
Recent figures show that up to October, RSPCA rescuers dealt with 13,159 incidents of abandonment, a rise from 10,519 for the same period the previous year, and cases of neglect were up to 30,500 by the end of October, compared to 27,521 over the same time in 2021.
The animal rescue charity believes the cost of living crisis is leading to more people dumping or neglecting their pets and it fears this will become much worse. In response, it is running a Christmas campaign to help raise funds to help if continue its vital work.
Heidi said: “We need the public's support more than ever. Animal lovers can donate to our Christmas rescue so our call staff, frontline rescuers, centres and branches can work together to help all those animals in need.” For pet owners who are worried about the cost of living crisis, the RSPCA has also opened a telephone helpline and has an online Cost of Living Hub to offer support, practical help and advice.
Anyone able to help support the RSPCA's Winter Rescue Christmas campaign can find more information here.
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