Donkeys and fireworks - Top tips

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.

What is a miniature donkey?

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).

Este and Leanna at our sanctuary paddocks.

Coloured collars explained - What they tell about our donkeys

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.

Red for castrated boys or geldings.
Yellow for girls or mares.

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.

3 Activities to improve mental stimulation

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:

1 – CHANGE OF SCENE

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.

Latest news from your adoption donkey - Summer 22

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.

Lifeline for Peru’s donkey-owning families

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.

Julia Condori with donkeys Filemón and Valentina in a shelter built with support from the project.

León is retiring

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.

Office manager

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.

New Inhabitants of El Refugio del Burrito

With the arrival of spring, our sanctuaries come alive. We are not only home to donkeys and mules, but also to many other species.

Some of the species El Refugio del Burrito is home to

Donkey care course

At El Refugio del Burrito we understand the only way to change the world for the better for donkeys and mules is through education and raising awareness. Our Donkey Welfare Team has organised an online Basic Donkey Care course on 20 December 2021.

The course will start from 9:00 to 14:00 (+1 GTM) and the only thing you need to follow it is a device with access to internet.

The course aims at sharing all the essential knowledge regarding behaviour, stable and paddock needs, handling, health and much more.

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