Whether you’re a steadfast animal lover or prefer to keep our furry friends at bay, the sad story of poorly Shetland pony, Timmy Tiptoes, is enough to make even the stoniest of hearts crumble.
Standing at just 90cm high, this wee pony was rescued by the RSPCA in terrible conditions and brought to the Blue Cross centre in Oxfordshire. He was emaciated, riddled with lice and his hooves were overgrown and curled up.
With no food or water and mud up to his belly, the team were amazed he was still alive. When the team carried out further examinations they discovered that Timmy was suffering from Strangles, a highly contagious respiratory infection.
Due to the nature of the illness, Timmy had to be placed into quarantine and the Burford Centre’s horse unit put on lockdown. The cost of maintaining the outbreak and caring for Timmy is high, with some tests costing almost £40 a time.
However, these kind of measures are vital if the Shetland pony’s recovery is to continue. Vicki Alford, Horse manager at Blue Cross Burford said: ‘Timmy is much brighter but he’s not out of the woods yet. He is still in isolation, but we hope our stringent bio-security will have stopped an outbreak in its tracks and that the Horse Unit will be up and running again soon.’
The charity are seeking donations from the public in order to continue to manage everything safely and make sure ponies like Timmy receive the best possible care.
To donate click HERE.
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