Donkeys rescued from slaughter arrive on Isle of Wight

Ten donkeys have arrived in the UK from France after being rescued from the meat trade.

Jiva, Javette, Jenny, Jumpy, Josephine, Hope and Charity, along with foals Kitchi and Koko, were saved by Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary in November.

The charity initially hoped they would arrive by Christmas but its plans were hampered by Covid and Brexit.

The "chilled and unfazed" animals finally completed their journey to the island on Saturday.

The sanctuary said it was first contacted in early November by a French animal rescue centre which was trying to save eight donkeys which had "hours to spare".

Since then, the animals and two others have remained at the centre in Brittany because the sanctuary's "nice steady plan" to bring them to the UK fell into disarray.

In a Facebook post, the charity said: "We were hit by Covid-19, two sets of lockdowns in England and France, closure of French borders, lorry backlogs across the channel, new Brexit regulations, additional Brexit blood tests and quarantine required - and then heavy snow in Brittany."

The sanctuary said the donkeys were eventually permitted to travel "after weeks of delays, worries, frustration and even a few tears" and they would be given the "best life possible".

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