A pony named Sonny was found in dire conditions, prompting legal action against his owner for neglect and animal cruelty.
Hull: So, there’s this pony named Sonny who was found in a pretty rough spot. He was knee-deep in mud on a junky piece of land, and he had a nasty neck wound. It’s just heartbreaking.
The owner, Paul Hunter, 61, got himself banned from having ponies for five years. He didn’t even bother to take Sonny to the vet when he clearly needed help. Can you believe that?
In court, he admitted he didn’t meet Sonny’s needs. The poor pony was discovered by RSPCA inspectors who got a tip-off from someone who cared enough to call. They found him in that awful state back in February last year.
Inspector Natalie Hill said they saw Sonny standing there, all muddy, with a makeshift bandage on his neck. When they took it off, they found a huge wound—about 25cm long and 5cm deep. Just awful!
Hunter claimed the wound was from a rug and that he had been treating it with iodine. He insisted Sonny was well-fed and not suffering, but he hadn’t called a vet. That’s just not right.
A vet was called, and they gave Sonny some pain relief and a tetanus shot. They later took him away to recover at an RSPCA place. The vet said using iodine for such a serious wound was just not enough.
Sonny also needed serious hoof care. His feet were overgrown, and he was missing three shoes. A responsible owner would have sought help for such an injury, no doubt about it.
In court, Hunter said he was trying his best, but the magistrates weren’t having it. They took Sonny away from him and made him pay some court costs. At least Sonny is doing better now and will be rehomed by the RSPCA.
