West Country rescue pony found abandoned is now star of RSPCA's Christmas advert
A rescue pony from the West Country who was found abandoned in a muddy field is now the star of an RSPCA Christmas video, as the charity warns it expects to rescue more than 10,000 vulnerable animals this winter.
'Tink' was rescued by an RSPCA inspector after she was found stomach deep in mud in a field in Dorset.
The Shetland pony was underweight, starving and neglected.
Now she stars in the RSPCA's annual Christmas video, as the charity warns it's expecting to take in more than 10,000 animals in need this winter.
On Christmas Day 2019 the charity received almost 1,000 calls to its cruelty line - the highest number for five years and a 28% increase on the previous year.
This year's Christmas advert, called 'Santa's Littlest Helper', sees Tink starring as a little pony who dreams of being a reindeer at Christmas.
In the video she escapes from her stable to deliver gifts to fellow rescue animals.
RSPCA inspector Jo Story was called out to see Tink and said: "She was stomach deep in mud and it was impossible to walk through the sticky, wet conditions.
"It was most noticeable along the fence-line which divided her paddock from the main field, suggesting she had been pacing up and down the boundary line."
Tink is now "thriving", and according to RSPCA staff, "loves her food!"
You can watch the video here.