Two rescue ponies have gone missing after they were sent to a foster home as part of an equine therapy programme for children.
False identity
Tyson and Bam Bam were residents at Holly’s Horse Haven inOmeath, County Louth inIreland, where they had been rehabilitated and trained to help children with special needs.
Over the summer the ponies were placed in a foster home in Cootehill, County Caven, to supposedly work with children from families dealing with suicide.
“We were led to believe they were a recognised charity,” Elaine Duffy, co-founder of Holly’s, told H&C. “The man came to us with all his credentials and paper work, and when we inspected the place there was a lovely barn with 30 acres of grazing.”
However, following a concerned call from one of their welfare inspectors, the charity discovered the Shetlands had gone.
‘Horrible circumstances’
“We went to visit the ponies, but when we got there we were told they had been stolen a number of weeks ago,” Elaine said. “It hadn’t been reported to the garda [Irish police] or to us, though it states in the contract we must be informed at all times of where they are.”
Both were rescued fives years ago by Holly’s from “horrible circumstances”.Tyson was so hungry he was eating wood pallets, while Bam Bam, who was a stallion at the time, had been dumped in a field of mares and had been repeatedly kicked.
His eye was hanging out when Elaine found him. Luckily her daughter is a veterinary nurse and was able to put it back into the socket, just in time. Their vet then sewed it in, and incredibly the pony kept his sight.
Lesson learnt
Elaine is concerned that the ponies might have been sold without her permission.
“We never put up them up for fostering before as they were both in such a bad way when they came in, and it took so long to nurse them back to heath,” says Elaine. “They are part of our own disability programme here, but we have other ponies so thought we’d share them.
“We gave them with trust and compassion, so in a way it’s our fault because we didn’t check the man’s criteria. There’s a lesson to be learnt from this – you have to check and double check again.”
Get in touch
Both Shetlands are seven years old – Tyson is chestnut and Bam Bam is a grey. They are microchipped and have passports. If you have any information you canemailthe charity or call Elaine on 00353 (0) 86 865 0360.
“If you did buy one or both of them please get in touch,” said Elaine.”We do not blame you in any way, but we need to know their whereabouts.”