A pony badly burnt in a suspected acid attack has been named as rescue animal of the year.
Cinders was eight months old when she was found wandering in agony in Chesterfield with horrific burns to her face that made her unable to open her eyes.
Her new owner said: “She so deserves this award. She is an absolute hero and a wonderful part of our family.”
Her owner, who wants to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t know how anyone could have done something so awful to such a trusting and gentle little creature.
Jamie Peyton, who had developed a process of using fish skin grafts to treat animals burned in wildfires, flew in from California to perform the surgery in May 2018.
They cleaned them before applying a dressing made from the skin of a tilapia fish to Cinders’ face to aid the growth of fresh tissue.
That and her ongoing treatment was made possible after more than £17,000 was raised in donations.
