Rescued donkeys start new chapter in Sidmouth

River, Fire, Ruby, Sooty and Rosie were rescued by the RSPCA and were later relinquished into our care.

Following their arrival at our New Arrivals Unit in March, it’s been a labour of love and patience to help transform some of the donkeys’ lives, as they arrived fearful of humans and their new environment.

For one donkey in particular, 10-year-old Fire, there has been many hours of patience and specialist behaviour support provided by Groom Beci Brown to help him overcome his nerves.

Though there is still more work to be done, Fire and his donkey companions are now living fulfilled and contented lives at our headquarters in Sidmouth, Devon.

Emaciated and suffering

The donkeys were brought to the attention of the RSPCA after they were contacted following concerns for their wellbeing.

The five donkeys were left to suffer in terrible conditions; they struggled to walk through a thick blanket of mud and were sustaining themselves on poor-quality, mouldy hay.

They were also underweight and some of the donkeys had ulcerated mouths brought on by dental issues.

A vet who attended the scene confirmed the donkeys were thin, the hay was unsuitable, and the ground was waterlogged. Another donkey was seen deceased in a nearby field.

Fire and his companions were rescued by the RSPCA and later relinquished into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary.

Before they arrived in Sidmouth, they had spent some time in a holding base where their immediate veterinary concerns were addressed.

RSPCA Inspector Jo Story says: “Animals are reliant on owners to be given everything they need to survive, including an appropriate diet and suitable living conditions.

“Sadly, these animals were badly neglected without food and homed within a space that severely compromised their health and welfare and sadly led to the death of one donkey.”

Building confidence

After a period of recovery in a holding base, we welcomed River, Fire, Ruby, Sooty and Rosie to our New Arrivals Unit in March for the next stage of their journey.

There was cause for optimism as two of the donkeys, Ruby and Rosie, showed their inquisitive sides immediately; gladly accepting scratches and regularly approaching the grooms.

However, Fire was nowhere near as confident, as Veterinary Surgeon Jamie Forrest recalls.

“I had to physically touch Fire to examine him,” he says. “He was very fearful of being caught, so with the help of Beci, I used food rewards to try and gain his trust.”

It wouldn’t be a quick transformation for Fire, who was so wary he would quickly move to another yard or field whenever the grooms entered the space he was in.

“We tried to help Fire overcome his fear by spending time with him offering food rewards and following a behaviour plan,” Beci says.

“When he was happy standing by me and eating, we moved onto the next stage; trying to get him to approach and take food from me.

“It wasn’t just Fire who was wary though. We saw that River was also nervous around us, though she was more willing to communicate.

“Fire saw River feeling more confident when interacting with us and followed her lead, which massively helped in building up his trust.

“I was sure that both donkeys would come around as they wanted to approach and be near me. They just weren’t sure enough in themselves to take that leap.”

Ongoing support

With several weeks of gradual improvement, Fire continued to follow River’s lead and Beci saw both their confidence begin to blossom.

The behavioural shift had been remarkable – the shy, scared donkeys that she saw on their first day were now confidently approaching Beci for scratches and food.

However, there is still some work to be done with building on Fire’s trust.

“Fire required some veterinary procedures,” Beci explains. “With those came a couple of setbacks.

“He was still nervous about these veterinary procedures as they were new experiences for him, so working with the vet was added to his shaping plan to ensure he would be relaxed with any procedures needed in the future.

“I have full confidence that Fire can overcome any past trauma that has caused his behaviour. He has done so well to this point.”

Beci’s sentiments have been echoed by Jamie, who is still working with Fire as he continues his recovery under our care.

“Today, Fire is still not the most confident but there has been such an improvement,” Jamie says.

“He wants to be friends with people, but can be highly cautious. Fire can still also be worried about being caught for newer handlers, but he is much better than where he was at the beginning.”

Jamie says he is pleased with all the donkeys’ progress since their arrival at The Donkey Sanctuary.

“Their dental health is now good and some are receiving ongoing corrective farriery,” he adds. “They have all put on weight and are looking happy and healthy.”

Sara Blair-Salter, our New Arrivals Manager, says: “The donkeys required long-term corrective farriery to follow on from the hoof care they received at the holding base.

“Sometimes neglect can take quite a lot of time and care to correct. This corrective farriery would have entailed x-rays from the vets, and I imagine they would have required pain relief initially at the holding base as well.

“As with all veterinary support at The Donkey Sanctuary, there is a cost that comes with this.

“The donkeys needed trims on a more regular basis than that of a normal donkey; once a month compared to every six to eight weeks.

“This is why our supporters are so important. They help fund the ongoing specialist care that helps give donkeys a second chance at life.”

A hopeful future

Ruby and Rosie’s future looks promising. As a bonded pair, we hope they will become eligible for our Rehoming Scheme.

Sara adds: “Ruby was confident and friendly from the start; she adored people and was easy to catch to be fitted with a head collar.

“Rosie liked people and scratches, though she needed a bit of work with catching. New Arrivals Groom Sophie Wadsworth worked a lot with her to build confidence and consistency.

“Now she is good at being caught and led and we hope she can be rehomed alongside Ruby.”

The donkeys’ owners were disqualified from owning equines for five years and each given an 18-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work. They were ordered to pay £2,500 in costs.