A donkey thought to be about ten years old has been rescued by a donkey sanctuary in Northern Ireland.
Found at a run-down cottage in the Mourne Mountains by a photographer who reported the situation to the police, the donkey had misshapen hooves that had not been trimmed for at least two years, causing his legs to twist and crippling the donkey.
According to a welfare officer for the Donkey Sanctuary, all four hooves were curled and cracked and overgrown to the point that the donkey "must have been in great pain."
"I cannot imagine how painful this must be for him, and yet he still had a lovely temperament and did not seem to be scared of people.
"Johnny's feet have been x-rayed by the vet to check for internal damage and his hooves have been trimmed back to help him walk normally again."
The local police could not find his owner and Johnny will now stay with the sanctuary for life either assisting with donkey riding therapy with The Elizabeth Svendsen Trust at Templepatrick, near Belfast, or as a resident in Devon.