Improving donkey's lives in Ireland

Meet five donkeys in Ireland whose lives have been improved after receiving expert veterinary care.

Our veterinary teams have had another busy year of supporting donkeys in Ireland – here is a snapshot of a few long-eared friends who are now leading better lives thanks to the support of our donkey health experts.

Milana

Milana was born at our Ireland sanctuary after her mother Linnet was rescued in a challenging and complex operation in 2023, which involved 20 abandoned donkeys in Galway.

Sadly Linnet passed away shortly after giving birth, but orphaned foal Milana has undergone a remarkable transformation since receiving expert care at our sanctuary for a medical condition called ballerina syndrome.

Milana is a one-year-old donkey who resides at Hannigan’s Farm in Liscarroll, and earlier this year, her grooms noticed she was walking on the tips of her toes.

Veterinary Surgeon Jesus Buil says: “This is known as ballerina syndrome, a condition that causes donkeys to be unable to fully weight bear through the soles of their hooves. This can happen in young donkeys who are rapidly growing.

“In April, we worked with our farriers to start Milana on a corrective treatment. We initially tried physiotherapy, but Milana wasn’t progressing in the way we would have hoped.

“Our next step was to fix an acrylic mould to her hooves and conduct remedial trims every fortnight.

“Milana was also given anti-inflammatories and monitored closely to ensure she was comfortable and free from pain.”

Thankfully, Milana started to improve, avoiding the need for an invasive surgery which would have involved cutting the tendons to prevent the problem from getting any worse.

Thanks to your support and the expertise of our veterinary team, Milana has had the moulds removed and can happily trot with ease.

Jacksie

Our beloved adoption donkey Jacksie has been through a difficult time recently after undergoing treatment for a lump found on his side.

Thankfully, Jacksie bounced back wonderfully after treatment and continues to enjoy life at our sanctuary in Liscarroll, Cork.

Farm Supervisor Ciara O’Hanlon says: “We first noticed the lump on Jackie’s left side during a grooming session in January. It was very small and hidden beneath his hair.

“After an examination and testing by our veterinary team, it was confirmed that the lump was a sarcoid, a type of skin tumour found in donkeys and horses.”

It became imperative to treat the lump as soon as possible to safeguard Jacksie’s health.

Ciara adds: “Cream was regularly applied to the lump and Jacksie received regular check-ups from the vet to see if there was a need for surgical intervention.

“Thankfully, the lump began to clear and was totally gone by early June.

“Jacksie continues to be the inquisitive donkey he’s always been and you’d have never known there was anything wrong with him!”

Buddy and Elvis

Last year we welcomed the arrival of 18-year-old Buddy and 19-year-old Elvis to our Open Farm in Liscarroll after their recovery from health issues.

Both donkeys originally lived at Hannigan’s Farm, but before moving to our Open Farm in July they required attention for several veterinary concerns.

Buddy and Elvis’ grooms had noticed the pair had a high respiratory rate and became more concerned when they both lost interest in their food.

During a check-up with our vet, Buddy and Elvis recorded a fever of around 39 degrees.

Following an ultrasound, our vets diagnosed both donkeys with colitis, a serious and potentially fatal condition. They also discovered that Elvis was suffering from asthma.

Buddy and Elvis were given antibiotics and intravenous fluids to help them fight the infection, as well as painkillers to alleviate their discomfort.

Thankfully, both Buddy and Elvis responded well to treatment and made a full recovery.

Although there is no cure for asthma, Elvis’ grooms will manage his environment to reduce his symptoms and continue to closely monitor his health.

Goldfinch

Goldfinch (previously known as Gabriel) came into our care in February 2023 as a severely malnourished foal but made a full recovery after receiving specialised care.

As we have a ‘no breeding’ policy, Goldfinch would require castrating before being introduced to the wider herd.

During medical assessments, it was discovered that he had a heart murmur and an arrhythmia.

As castrating Goldfinch would prove a risk to his health, our Veterinary team started him on a hormonal treatment, but this proved ineffective and females in other parts of the sanctuary continued to draw his attention.

After much deliberation and further assessments, the decision was made to castrate Goldfinch.

Even though the operation would prove a risk, the benefits to Goldfinch’s safety and overall wellbeing significantly outweighed this, and in May 2024 he underwent a successful operation.

Goldfinch is now happily settled into a mixed group, including the family members he arrived with the year before. He is a friendly donkey and living a wonderful life among the herd.

Support for responsible castration

We are committed to improving the welfare of donkeys in Ireland. This includes offering support to owners with the castration of their male donkeys.

It is recommended that colts should be castrated from six months of age.

By limiting the donkey population, not only is there less strain on resources but there is also a decreased chance of inbreeding, which can lead to congenital deformities.

It is better for the male donkey to experience the minor discomfort of surgical castration than to spend a life in an unsuitable environment and to be frustrated and stressed by limited social contact with other donkeys.