A Shetland pony has been put to sleep after being found tied to a fence in a car park in Sidcup with a deep wound caused by a tight-fitting headcollar.
The RSPCA is appealing for more information about the chestnut mare, who is thought to be an older pony in her teenage years. Investigators believe she was deliberately abandoned in the south-east London car park.
The pony was discovered by members of the public on Monday (9 June).
“It was incredibly sad to find this poor pony in such a bad way,” said RSPCA animal rescue officer Adam Tasker.
“When I arrived, officers from Kent Police had untied the pony and provided her with some water, but it was clear that the wound to her head caused by the tight-fitting headcollar was very severe.
“We had no doubt she was in a lot of pain. It was also clear she was very underweight too.”
‘She couldn’t be saved’
The pony was examined on site by an equine vet, who confirmed the neck wound was very deep and infected with maggots.
They also discovered further wounds to her legs and hooves, which were causing the mare pain.
She had an abnormally high heart rate, likely due to the infection, and the vet found that the pony had prominent mobility issues concerning her back legs.
As a result, the vet concluded that the pony was suffering and she was put to sleep.
“It’s really sad that this pony’s wounds and condition were so severe that she couldn’t be saved,” added Adam.
“We fear someone deliberately left her tied to the fence in the car park, which is such a sad thing to do to an already suffering pony.”
‘It’s never okay to abandon an animal’
Last year, the RSPCA attended 22,503 incidents involving an abandoned animal across England and Wales.
The cost of veterinary care as well as disposing of a horse’s body means those that are seriously ill or dead are abandoned.
“It’s never okay to abandon an animal, and I am keen to hear from anyone with more information about how this pony ended up like this,” said Adam.
Anyone with information can contact the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line in confidence by calling 0300 123 8018.
