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A four-month-old foal which suffered horrific burns in a suspected arson attack has died.
Phoenix the colt was left fighting for his life after a blaze at his stables in Ash near West Kingsdown.
WARNING: Graphic image below
Firefighters were called to Barnfield Park on August 3 where the young foal managed to escape but a pony sadly died at the scene. A man has since been arrested on suspicion of arson.
Phoenix was taken into the care of a sanctuary in Norfolk where he was heavily bandaged to help aid his recovery from a mix of serious first, second and third degree burns.
Since his arrival, he had been receiving round-the-clock care from Redwings' vet team.
Under his dressings his skin had fallen away leaving a very painful, red raw surface open to infection.
His wounds were covered with colourful bandages to mask the true nature of his horrific injuries but in recent weeks vets said his burns had not sufficiently recovered to allow him to live a good quality of life.
Without intervention they say he would have been left in bandages for months, even years, without being able to spend time outdoors with other horses.
After lengthy consultation with burns experts it was decided that the best option was to give Phoenix a skin graft.
This would involve removing a thin layer of healthy skin from his abdomen and using that to create grafts which would be applied to his severe burns.
Yesterday, a leading veterinary surgeon from the Netherlands, who specialises in animal wounds and healing, joined the Redwings vet team to perform the vital procedure at the Horse Hospital.
However, it sadly announced Phoenix did not recover from the general anaesthetic, which was an essential part of the procedure.
Lynn Cutress, chief executive at the horse sanctuary, said: “It’s hard to describe how devastating Phoenix’s loss has been for everyone at Redwings.
"Since he arrived, our vet team, in particular, had dedicated themselves 24-hours a day to his care and in the process discovered an affectionate little pony with one of the biggest hearts we had ever seen.
"Simply put, we all fell in love with him, and we all miss him dreadfully.
“It was obvious that he was desperate to live the life of a normal pony his age and we felt he deserved that chance.
She added: "We know Phoenix touched the hearts of so many people across the world and we’re so sorry to have to break such terribly sad news to everyone.”
The sanctuary thanked its members for its kind donations, without which Phoenix would not have been able to undergo the intensive care he needed.
Earlier today police investigating the fire at the stables arrested a 30-year-old man in Eltham, London on suspicion of arson.
The suspect was later bailed pending further inquiries until November 17.
Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.
