The joint efforts of El Refugio del Burrito, Utrera’s Town Hall and its adopter have given a new life to an abandoned geriatric donkey.
Wandering around the countryside, without food or water and with overgrown hooves. This is how the local police found a donkey, about 30 years old, abandoned in Utrera.
Vaccinations are a safe and effective way of preventing disease in donkeys. In the past vaccinations have often been overlooked or disregarded in donkeys, making them much more vulnerable to diseases.
A ‘primary course’ of injections must be given followed by ‘booster’ vaccinations to keep the protection topped up. The intervals between the injections of the primary course and boosters varies according to the type of vaccine and the disease that they protect against.
Why should vaccinate your donkey?
El Refugio del Burrito is reminding donkey owners to keep their pets safe during fairs and festivals. Donkeys can become frightened at this time of year and occasionally bolt from firework noise and can become injured.
We advise you to closely monitor your donkey - taking a look at our Top 10 Tips - and never let fireworks off near any animals. Please be respectful and responsible towards neighbouring pets and animals.
Top 10 tips
1. Make an assessment of your donkey’s behaviour, and their reactions to other unexpected noises.
Miniature Mediterranean donkeys, more commonly known as miniature donkeys, are a separate breed in their own right, originally hailing from the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.
Donkeys arrive here at El Refugio del Burrito in all shapes and sizes, but one particular requirement of this breed standard is that the miniature Mediterranean donkey must reach no more than 91 cm at the withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades, the tallest point of the body).
One thing we are always asked about while grooming the donkeys is about the plastic collars they wear and what the different colours mean.
The two main colours are red and yellow.
On these collars will be the name of the donkey, their current age and The Donkey Sanctuary admission number. The staff also like to customise them with lots of decorative hearts.
With the arrival of summer, the grass is getting scarce, making it very likely that your donkey will get bored and need a bit of extra mental stimulation.
Now that days are longer and the holidays are here, there is no excuse: here are 3 activities to spend quality time with your donkey and improve their mental stimulation:
Description of activity
Making simple changes to the environment in order to cause your donkeys to have to think and prevent routine boredom setting in.
Alicia, Apache, Artemisa, Manolo, Paco and Toto all have new stories to tell. Here is their latest news:
Alicia is making great progress in the diet paddock. She has lost weight thanks to her new food and it is much more common to see her running and playing with the rest of the donkeys all over the paddock now.
Apache is fit as a fiddle after being dewormed by the vet. He has made a new friend, Alfredo, and they spend their days sharing food and morning walks in the main paddock.
Donkey-owning communities in remote areas of Peru have received vital training and equipment thanks to a collaborative project launched by The Donkey Sanctuary and partner organisation Innovar y Compatir (Innovate and Share).
The project helped ease the pressures imposed on families in the Maras District of Cusco, following the sudden lockdown caused by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
After his 20th birthday, is time for León to retire. As you know, his health has been a bit delicate recently and we also want to give other donkeys the opportunity to receive your affection.
His place in the adoption programme will be taken by Artemisa, but don't worry: León's adopters will still be able to continue adopting him. The only change is that he will not be available for new adoptions.
The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys and mules worldwide. We are working for a world where donkeys and mules live free from suffering, and their contribution to humanity is fully valued. We are achieving this by transforming the quality of life for donkeys, mules and people worldwide through greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.
