Wicklow owners in dispute over two rescue donkeys are now at risk of losing a third donkey
Gerry and Sandra Kinsella became the guardians of Wags and Trey 13 years ago, having fostered them from Donkey Sanctuary Ireland.
Gerry and Sandra say that hey included Wags and Trey, as they were legally obligated to do so, in Ireland's first National Equine Census in 2021.
They said that the Department of Agriculture requested an update on their passports nine months later as both Wags and Trey were both originally from the UK.
Gerry and Sandra became Wags and Trey's official keeper carers after legally removing the two donkeys from the UK database and changing their passports to Irish passports in order to complete the census.
The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland stated that 'all our guardians must commit to following strict guidelines on matters such as passports routine healthcare and regular meetings with our welfare advisors' and issued legal proceedings 'in the hope of settling on a resolution that is in the best interests of the donkeys involved.'
Now a third donkey, Stan, who was adopted from a different charity, is also at risk of being removed from Brickfield Sidings Farm beside Burke's Hardware in Rathnew, which he shares with Wags and Trey.
Sandra said: 'We were served with court papers on Thursday and Donkey Sanctuary Ireland have formally invited us to mediation with an independent mediator to separate Wags and Trey from our other rescue Stan, a rescue we got from a different organisation who we have had for almost three years, as they are concerned about the integration and amalgamation of our donkeys.
'Apparently, under our fostering agreement regarding Wags and Trey, if we amalgamate another donkey outside of Wags and Trey, then Donkey Sanctuary Ireland has the right to take all three donkeys.
'We weren't aware of this aspect of the agreement didn't have a copy of the agreement so we had to get our solicitor on the case.
'If we do not respond within seven days of the papers being served, and in the event that we do not agree to the proposed terms regarding mediation, the Donkey Sanctuary Ireland reserves its right to amend proceedings, if necessary, to include a claim against our other rescue and to fix us with the costs of such proceedings.'
She added: 'It's a very worrying and stressful time for both myself and Gerry. Wags, Trey and Stan are all part of the family and it would be heartbreaking to have to separate them.
'Stan is so well settled in now and has been living with Wags and Trey for close to three years now. It would be incredibly unfair to separate them.'
In a bid to stop this happening, Gerry and Sandra have started a change.org petition titled 'Save the donkeys from being taken from their home', which has already amassed over 1,736 signatures.
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