Race against time to save abandoned pregnant pony from being shot in Milton Keynes

The little black and white mare, who appears to be heavily in foal, has been left to her own devices in the field for months.

Suspected to have been left behind by travellers, she is currently covered in car oil after what is believed to be a sick attempt to set her on fire.

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A member of the public, who has called her Maisie, has been feeding her daily and filling her water bowl. She has phoned dozens of rescue charities but all say they are full.

"She's a sweet little thing. She knows me now and trots over when I arrive with her carrots. There must be somebody who can give her a home," said the woman.

Maisie's field, which is tucked away out of sight beside factories, is owned by Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP).

Last week officials placed a notice in the field giving the owner seven days to claim the pony.

The notice states: "If after this time no information is forthcoming, the equine will be re-homed, sold or humanely destroyed."

The seven days expires this Thursday, February 21.

Her feeder is now frantically appealing for somebody to offer a home.

"I've already established that the charities can't help. Realistically, nobody is going to want to buy her, as nobody seems to want abandoned travellers' ponies.

"So that just leaves the third option. And I could not bear for her to be humanely destroyed after all she has gone through."

Maisie has already escaped death or injury twice over the past months. Originally tethered by a harness, from which it is believed she broke free, she once escaped from the field and was found wandering on a busy grid road. She was returned by a member of the public.

Her feeder said; "Then a few weeks ago all this car oil was tipped in the field and the grass was burned as though someone had tried to set fire to it . I noticed Maisie's harness was hanging on the fence nearby and her coat was covered in oil.

"It looked as though someone had tried to tie her to the fence, pour oil over her and