‘No distress’ for opera donkey Pog

Pog the six-year-old male donkey was in the spotlight in Carmen on February 22, led on stage by owner Jane Shirley, who lives near Marsworth.

Some audience members expressed their concerns on Facebook that the donkey was “clearly terrified” and had an “open wound above his tail”.

Jane said: “Pog is my pet and he is very much loved. I certainly wouldn’t put him through anything that I thought was going to distress him. He had rubbed his tail on the tail board on the way to the show so he had a bit of a sore patch, which showed up more under the stage lights. By Act Two he was back at home with his friend munching carrots.

“There was no cruelty. The comments have really quite upset me because everybody that knows me knows my life revolves around my animals. I take these things to heart.”

Pog and Jane have raised £360 so far for animal welfare charity The Brooke with post-show collections.