Dog attack leaves New Forest donkey with bite wounds to face and neck

A DONKEY suffered horrific injuries after being attacked by a dog in the New Forest.

The animal was bitten badly on the face and neck during the incident which reportedly happened between 9.30am and 3pm on Sunday 14th April on Penn Common, Bramshaw.

The injuries and stress meant the donkey had to be sedated and undergo a two-hour operation.

An appeal for help tracking down the owner of the dog has been made on social media.

The attack is the latest in a series of incidents in the area following sheep being badly mauled by a suspected Rottweiler at the same place.

In a Facebook post Robyn Loveless said: “Well cared for and much-loved Forest donkey came home distressed and bleeding from injuries to the head.

“Vet had to sedate and it took two hours to clean and stitch wounds to neck, face and mouth.

“Donkey is still very stressed and not eating properly, the vet has been twice today. The wounds are from a dog’s teeth. This happened between 9.30am and 3pm on Sunday (14th) in Bramshaw.

“The owner is asking if anyone witnessed this incident or if perhaps the dog owner would like to come forward.”

The verderers' head agister, Jonathan Gerrelli, said dog owners “must take responsibility for their pets” while walking in the New Forest.

He said: “You are sharing the forest with other animals. It is their home, you must use it with due respect.

“Thousands of dogs are walked in the forest every day with no incident but people must act with responsibility. If you can avoid areas where livestock are, do so. If you can’t and have any worries about keeping your dog under control, then keep them on a lead.

“Attacks such as these are awful but even an animal just being chased by a dog can cause them a lot of distress.

"When walking your dog in the New Forest you must be in close control of it.

“Animals are easily scared and spooked by dogs running loose and they can be driven onto the road putting them in danger.”