'Huge relief' for Cornish sanctuary as people club together to save Freddy the donkey

Thousands of pounds have been raised to save the life of a little donkey in Cornwall.

Freddy, four, has been diagnosed with penile sarcoids, a type of aggressive tumour, and needs an operation and chemotherapy to survive.

The treatment is expected to cost around £6,000 at Cornwall's only equine hospital, Penmellyn Vets, in St Columb.

Freddy arrived at the Flicka Foundation, a donkey sanctuary in Penryn, last month, after his previous owner passed away.

She had rescued him, aged one, from a "terrible' home of neglect and abuse. When she died, her family looked after Freddy and helped him overcome his first bout of sarcoids.

• Watch Freddy bond with his friend Mark, at the sanctuary in Penryn.

However, after a relatively short time they returned more aggressively and his prognosis was not looking good.

Freddy's worried family reached out to the Flicka Foundation for help. They took him into their sanctuary and started a Just Giving page for his treatment.

Mark Schofield, charity manager, said: "It’s a huge relief to know Freddy is able to have the operation and treatment he needs.

"He is just the loveliest animal, he is very affectionate, and because he has always lived around humans he really bonds with them."

Now the money has been raised, Freddy will travel to St Columb for surgery on 2 May at 2.30pm. After the operation, he will need chemotherapy to ensure the tumours are completely gone.