Stolen pony recovers from bad infections

A pony found barely able to walk has been reunited with her owner, after being stolen last July.

The pony, named Star by RSPCA staff, was found abandoned wandering in a country lane with severe fly strike affecting her hind legs. She was immediately taken to an animal centre for intensive care treatment.

Star, whose real name is Daisy, had been stolen from a field in Hadlow, Kent, along with a mare named Lady and a foal named May. Their owner, Shirley Phillips, realised her pony had been found when she read the story in the paper.

The fly infestations had caused swelling, cuts and grazes to Daisy's hind legs, which were crawling with maggots, making it painful for her to walk. It is thought that the infection had gone untreated for well over a month, and if left much longer would have lead to her death.

Daisy has now been retuned to Ms Phillips with a clean bill of health.

RSPCA Inspector, Lucy Chillery, who helped Daisy's road to recovery, said: "Daisy has done so well given the agonising condition she was found in. She was suffering from untreated wounds… and a bad case of the highly contagious horse disease, strangles, which meant she had to be kept in isolation for a month.

"We couldn't be happier with her recovery given that when she was found she was in such an appalling state we didn't think she would survive."