“We hear them day and night, we didn’t expect this at all on a normal street”
The animals are living in the back garden which has been turned into a ‘farm’ (Picture: Jason Roberts / Manchester Evening News)
Neighbours in Salford have been left baffled after a family turned their garden into a petting zoo with donkeys and goats.
The property in Kersal is owned by couple Tony, 34, and Ilana, 35, who live there with their six children.
They decided to make a home for the animals in their back garden for the benefit of their kids, but some neighbours complained about loud noises from the animals, and others raised concerns about the animals’ welfare.
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The garden is home to two donkeys as well as a miniature Shetland pony and some goats.
One neighbour said: “We hear them day and night, we didn’t expect this at all on a normal street.
“It’s a little bit annoying and they didn’t tell us what was happening.”
There are goats in the garden too (Picture: Jason Roberts / Manchester Evening News)
Another added: “I think donkeys are great on Blackpool beach but not here.”
A Salford council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the property and are looking into this matter.”
Tony and Ilana insisted the animals are ‘very well looked after’, and explained they have a county parish holding (CPH) number to keep livestock.
Tony, from Prestwich, said: “They roam in the back and front garden, I take them out for walks on the street and we always get a good response from people.”
Ilana, 35, said getting the animals has been ‘wholesome’ for the family and their children.
“We don’t understand why any neighbours would be concerned by this.”
Some residents were worried about if the animals are being looked after (Picture: Jason Roberts / Manchester Evening News)
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The couple said the donkeys have around 400m of space to enjoy, with more room on the way when another part of the back garden is turned into an area for them, as well as the front garden area.
A sign on the gate was seen advertising ‘opening hours’ to visit the ‘farm’, but Tony and Ilana said this was simply a bit of fun for their children’s friends, and that there are no plans to commercialise the space.
Salford council said it is investigating the situation (Picture Jason Roberts / Manchester Evening News)
“Our children are not on devices or anything like that anymore, they have not watched anything or been on the Xbox since the animals arrived,” he added.
“Two people have been in touch with concerns about it, but we’ve dealt with anything they’ve raised through dialogue.”
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