Arsenal Football Club have donated 40 pairs of their socks to donkeys to help protect their legs from infection this summer.
The socks were delivered to the home of Redwings Horse Sanctuary, which has been described as "one of the more unusual donations" it has been offered over the years.
"But professional football socks, which these days are often footless by design, can be invaluable – they're a game changer you might say", the sanctuary's Nicola Knight said. "Only the best for our donkeys".
Knight said that these socks have also been used to hold vet bandages in place, in order to protect the animals from headcollar rubs and to hold back hair on their legs while they get their feet trimmed.
Elsewhere, Jenny Herod from the charity revealed that the Premier League champions contacted them of their own accord.
"In the summer, flies take a fancy to our donkeys' legs and can cause a lot of pain and scabs," she said. "The socks help to protect them and keep them healthy".
Nicola Knight also speculated that Arsenal's Kai Havertz may have played a key role in this initiative from The Gunners, as he had previously "rescued donkeys in the past".
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Back in 2023, a foal from the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth was named after Havertz, after the charity saw a newspaper article where the player revealed that teammates had called him "donkey" due to his love of animals.
The German international, who scored for Arsenal in their Champions League final defeat to PSG last week, had grown up spending time with rescued donkeys at a sanctuary near his home town of Aachen in Germany.
"I have followed the work of The Donkey Sanctuary for some time so when they got in touch to say they'd like to name a foal after me, I was delighted", Havertz said back in 2023. "Donkeys are such incredible animals, and I am very happy to give my name so this little donkey can help raise awareness of the importance of good donkey welfare, here and all around the world".
At the time, The Donkey Sanctuary CEO, Marianne Steele said: "Kai has proved to be a real champion of donkeys in every sense of the word".
"We are so pleased to have the opportunity to name our new foal after him and hope he will continue to inspire people to think about donkeys differently".
