Bakers rescue donkey from death

"Chocolate Muffin" has been given his own stable

A donkey has been rescued from the butcher's knife by the staff of a bakery and an animal charity.

The owners of the animal could no longer care for it and decided to send it to an abattoir.

St Francis Animal Welfare, a small registered charity animal shelter in Fair Oak, Hampshire, appealed for help.

The £200 needed to purchase the donkey was raised by staff and customers of The Oven Door Bakery - with the bakery owner naming it "Chocolate Muffin".

The donkey now has its own stable at St Francis, and will share the paddock with resident ponies, September and Bugsy, both of whom were also saved from a premature death by the charity.

The animal charity said more funds were needed for a veterinary check-up and for a visit from the farrier, as the donkey's hooves were overgrown.