The Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary has launched an appeal to help raise more than £15,000 towards the cost of life-changing treatment for Lulu, an 11-year-old donkey recovering from major surgery after years of living with an undiagnosed shoulder injury.
Lulu arrived at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary from the New Forest back in March, as part of a group of 6 donkeys.
Soon after her arrival, the sanctuary’s animal welfare team noticed she was repeatedly shaking her head, swishing her tail and withdrawing from the rest of the herd to spend time alone in her shelter.
After treatment and pain relief at the sanctuary failed to improve her condition, Lulu was transferred to Liphook Equine Hospital in mid-June, accompanied by fellow donkey Dilly to provide companionship.
A CT scan revealed extensive damage to one of Lulu’s shoulders, including bone fragments and disease within the joint. The severity of the injury has led the veterinary team to believe it may have been caused by a collision with a vehicle during Lulu’s years as a free-roaming donkey in the New Forest.
Lulu has since undergone complex surgery to fuse the damaged shoulder joint using 2 metal plates. She remains at the hospital recovering, where she is expected to stay for at least 8 weeks until vets are satisfied the plates are secure enough for her to return to the Isle of Wight.
While the operation offers Lulu the best chance of living a longer, pain-free life, the recovery is expected to be lengthy and carries significant risks.
The surgery alone cost almost £10,000, with the sanctuary expecting Lulu’s overall treatment and hospital stay to exceed £15,000. She will also require further rehabilitation once she returns to the sanctuary before rejoining the rest of the herd.
Stephen Tobitt, General Manager at the charity, has said:
“The scale and catastrophic nature of Lulu’s injury were completely unexpected. Lulu is a young donkey with potentially 30 years ahead of her – we wanted to give her every chance to lead a happy, comfortable life with her herd on the Island.
“Although Lulu only joined us in March, our commitment to her is unwavering, as it is for all our residents, no matter how long they have lived with us.
“Much like her significant injuries, we weren’t expecting the cost of relieving her suffering to be so high. This has placed a heavy burden on our resources.
“We’d be incredibly grateful for any support towards Lulu’s ongoing care, whether it’s by making a donation, adopting her or simply sharing her story more widely.”
The Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, which cares for more than 120 donkeys and other equines, is an independent charity that relies on donations and fundraising to continue its work.
Those wishing to support Lulu’s recovery can donate via the sanctuary’s JustGiving appeal at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/luluthedonkey.
