‘I can’t sleep at night from worrying’ says Little Massingham woman, 69, faced with hefty bills to keep her therapy donkeys

A 69-year-old woman says she “can’t even sleep at night from worrying” after West Norfolk Council gave her a 28-day notice to get planning permission for her therapy animals in Little Massingham.

Karen Rust has owned donkeys for 13 years and says not only do they provide comfort to her, but she also takes them to care homes, schools and hospices for activities to help others too.

Now, after a letter from the council, she fears she may lose them forever.

It all started when Karen’s father died, leaving her grandchildren heartbroken, so she got her first donkey, which made her realise how healing they can be.

Soon enough, Karen had four donkeys, and her love for them only blossomed from there as she now has six.

She said: “If you’re feeling down, you can hug a donkey and it makes you feel amazing”

Over the years, Karen has done work for charities including Norfolk Hospice Tapping House, where she brings the animals over to visit those on end-of-life care.

“People just can’t believe how friendly they are,” she said.

Recently, Karen came across a Facebook post which was aimed at those who work with donkeys for charitable purposes. The post urged charities to check that the owners have the proper licencing for these animals.

Karen said: “In the 12 years of doing charity work like this, I never knew a licence had to come out for animal activity, even though I had activity insurance cover and public insurance.”

For fear of having her donkeys taken from her, she paid £230 for her licence, which took more than a month to come.

After some paperwork and an inspection, the care of her animals was deemed ‘perfect’ and the licence came through on October 25.

However, the relief did not last for long as she received a letter from West Norfolk Council on October 27 which informed her that she needed planning permission to keep the donkeys on the land in Little Massingham that she has been using for many years.

The application will now cost her an extra £500 which she believes she may not be able to afford.

Karen said: “I can’t even sleep at night from worrying, I always put them first.

“I don’t have any help and I never ask for any money for the activities I run – it all comes out of my pension. I love doing charity work, but I must admit I do struggle now”.

A spokesperson for West Norfolk Council said: “We became aware of the donkeys when an application for an animal welfare licence (for the purposes of exhibiting them) was submitted and this was, as a matter of course, notified to the planning and noise teams.

“We advised that an application for change of use would be required, as donkeys are not covered by agricultural use, and possibly a retrospective application for the construction of outbuildings.”

The 69-year-old and her husband, 71, have their share of health issues as Karen recently had cancer and her husband has problems with his heart.

So she is now pleading for volunteers to help out on the field so she can continue to give the donkeys the care she always has.

She said: “We have six donkeys, two ponies and four sheep, who at different times have all helped people, now we need some help to keep these wonderful animals so they can continue to bring happiness in the future”

Karen is working with the organisers of Fakenham Christmas Lights Switch On, and will be bringing the donkeys to the town for the event.

For more information, to book, or volunteer, you can call 07901 096075 or email donkeysfortherapyandfun@gmail.com