One-week-old orphan foal cuddles up to giant teddy bear

An orphan foal now sleeps safe and sound in the lap of his surrogate mother: a large teddy bear named Buttons.

Breeze, a week-old Dartmoor Hill Pony, was found abandoned at Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England, just a few hours after his birth.

After stumbling around aimlessly in search of his mother, the foal collapsed from shock and dehydration. A concerned farmer spotted the distressed animal and contacted the Mare and Foal Sanctuary. Rescuers brought the weak foal back to the sanctuary's Honeysuckle Farm where they've been nursing him back to health this week.

The sanctuary appealed to the public with an odd request: a large stuffed animal for Breeze to cuddle with.

"Sadly, little Breeze has not got his mum around to keep him company and although his carers here at the Sanctuary work around the clock to look after him, it’s not quite the same," said Syra Bowden, executive director at the sanctuary.

"As a result, we always give our orphaned foals a giant cuddly toy as a companion; they’re just like human babies in the way it provides them with comfort."

She added, "We would really, really appreciate it if anyone has any large cuddly toys they could donate to help little Breeze find a friend."

The charity was almost immediately "inundated with gifts and messages of love and support."

"I would like to sincerely thank everyone who responded to our appeal for toys for Breeze; we've been blown away by the kindness that people have shown," Bowden said.

"It's been wonderful to see Breeze interacting with his new teddies and cuddling up to them when he goes to sleep. They are great company for him and provide comfort during the brief periods when his carers are not present."

Breeze isn't the only animal to benefit from strangers' generosity.

"Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we also have plenty of teddy bears for our future orphaned foals too. We have already rescued two foals in the past 6 weeks, and, sadly, there may be more that need our help over the coming months," Bowden added.

"Once again, I would like to say a very big thank you from all the staff at the sanctuary to those who have helped us. Your support really does mean so much."

As for Breeze, he's now suckling well and feeding hourly.

"He's not out of the woods yet, though. We’ll keep a very close eye on him and care for him around the clock to ensure we do everything possible to help him pull through," Bowden told SWNS.

"We all have our fingers crossed that Breeze will continue to grow strong."