A £1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to a conviction after an elderly mule was stabbed in the face with a serrated blade.
The stab wound went right through Tommy’s cheek. Photo: Undercliff Pony Rescue
Tommy, who was rescued from a life of neglect two years ago and now lives at the Undercliff Pony Rescue in Rye, East Sussex, was attacked overnight on Sunday 8 August.
The injury caused a serious wound through his cheek and shattered several teeth, which have since been extracted. A vet attended and spent two hours treating the mule.
After the attack, Tommy was moved to a friend’s yard where he could be stabled, closely monitored and given time to recover.
Tommy has lived at the rescue for two years. When he was taken in he was nervous and fearful of people.
“Sharon has been working hard with him every day to help build his trust I humans,” said a statement. “The visible wounds are extreme and we fear the damage we can’t see — in his mind — will be even more in the long term.”
Sharon Baker, who runs the rescue, confirmed that all equines have since been removed from the field in order for work to be carried out to make the premises more secure, including building stables and installing CCTV.
“He’s perking up — his ears are forward, which is a good sign,” said Sharon of Tommy.
“The wound itself is oozing, but that’s how we want it to be because it means it’s not getting infected. His stable has become his safety net and he’s nervous about coming outside, which is sad when he’s always spent his time outside.”
This isn’t the first time the rescued ponies have been attacked. People were once found to be throwing rocks at them and were apprehended by police.
A Just Giving page has been set up to help the rescue pay for Tommy’s vet bills.
Anyone with information about the attack should contact Sussex police, quoting crime reference SXP-20210809-0620.
