Eight donkeys rescued from a smallholding in north Pembrokeshire have settled into a new home together in Devon, the RSPCA has said.

The Cambrian News reported last week that Elizabeth Palmer, of The Retreat, Llethyr-Uchaf, who ran an animal sanctuary neglected donkeys and a pony in her care for a year and a half before one had to be put down.

In a witness statement, provided to the court from the investigating RSPCA Inspector, he said he was requested by a Donkey Welfare Adviser from The Donkey Sanctuary to attend the small holding in the Crymych area.

He said: “I was shown two donkeys in a field and it was obvious that both donkeys' hooves were very overgrown and one of the donkeys had hair loss on its right hand side.”

They were also shown to an open fronted barn that contained nine donkeys and a pony.

The Inspector said: “Conditions in the barn were very poor with no clean dry laying area, no mental stimulation, very deep soiled bedding which was wet and the equines were struggling to walk through it.

“Many of the donkeys and the pony had overgrown hooves and several seemed to be in a poor body condition.”

He noted that the pony was partially in a poor condition and the Inspector was informed that the pony had been dumped on the owners land before Christmas 2023.

He was also told that none of the equines had seen a vet recently.

The equine vet said that all of the donkeys needed to be removed as all had caused unnecessary suffering due to overgrown hooves, lice, dermatitis, poor body condition.

Eight of the rescued donkeys – Angel, Coco, Jack, Jane, Jenny, Toffee, Rosie and Paris – are living in a group at The Donkey Sanctuary in Devon where they are said to have settled in very well.

Two of the donkeys had to be euthanised due to ill health and another was not fit to travel so is living in a group with similar needs at another of the charity’s facilities.

Kia Thomas, Donkey Welfare Adviser at The Donkey Sanctuary, who attended the original visit in March to the Crymych smallholding said: “When I saw the donkeys recently, I was absolutely delighted to see how different they looked from when we picked them up.

“I had not seen the group since March – and it was wonderful to see them in much better health after receiving the medical care they needed and deserved.”

An RSPCA Cymru spokesperson said: “We would very much like to thank The Donkey Sanctuary along with the equine vet and local horse expert who attended for their expertise and assistance.

“This was a very sad case where if veterinary care and the appropriate farrier care had been given these equines would not have suffered.”

Magistrates sentenced Palmer to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

Palmer was also disqualified from owning, keeping or trading in, animals, except for dogs and cats, for a period of 10 years.