DONKEY dental checks were carried out recently in West Cork as part of the service provided by The Donkey Sanctuary.
West Cork’s donkey welfare advisor Ciara O’Kelly was accompanied by equine dentist Tiffany Phelan as they did the rounds of guardian and private homes in Bantry, Dunmanway, and Enniskeane.
A guardian home is where a landowner adopts a donkey or two to provide them with care and shelter, while rehoming is a longer commitment.
The Donkey Sanctuary is based in North Cork, but its base of operations incorporates four farms, including the open farm at Liscarroll in Mallow. Ciarán O’Regan, press officer with The Donkey Sanctuary, said they have a number of donkeys that are currently being prepared for rehoming, and he issued an appeal for new homes.
He pointed out that there are a few guardian and private homes in West Cork and given the nature and landscape of the area ‘it is a good place for them to live’.
Donkeys have an undeserved reputation for being a bit dim. ‘They are anything but dim. What they are is very stoic, and great fun,’ said Ciarán.
‘They are very affectionate and actually very smart. They pick up things, like schedules and routines, quickly. They are a great animal, and are fantastic around children.’ Of course, the donkeys in the guardian homes, or private homes, tend to be well behaved. Nevertheless, this year the sanctuary engaged an equine behaviourist to work at the open farm with those that might have ‘issues’.
There is tremendous pressure on the service. Even so, donkeys are not adopted out willy-nilly. There is a process that must be followed before they are placed in guardian or private homes.
Donkeys, for example, need about an acre of land, a hard standing area to protect their feet, and suitable shelter because their coats are not waterproof.
Given the Irish climate – where the sun could be splitting the stones one minute and there could be a torrential downpour the next – that’s an important thing to know.
Donkeys also don’t like being on their own, according to Ciarán. They need to be in pairs because they can get depressed if left to their own devices.
‘Being on their own can actually shorten their life span, so it is always better to have them in pairs,’ he said.
Recalling a recent visit to West Cork, where a brother and sister pairing had been given a new home, Ciarán said the person initially got them to be companions for her horse, but now they are incredibly important to the family.
Tiffany Phelan, the equine dentist, working on June.
Donkeys are very sociable animals and make fantastic companions but, in return, they need the time, love, and attention of their hosts.
Nationally, there are approximately 500 donkeys in guardian homes and private homes, and there are an estimated 1,200 donkeys at the sanctuary in Cork.
‘We have four farms – one of which is the farm at Liscarroll, which is open to visitors. It’s a place where people can come and meet the adoption donkeys.
‘Three of the farms are in the Liscarroll area, but there is a veterinarian hospital at Hannigan’s Farm as well and this has a section for new arrivals.’
Ciarán said they are at maximum capacity at the moment. ‘We can’t take in any more, which is disappointing, but we just don’t have the space.’
What that means is that they are unable, at present, to take in stray donkeys, but they do offer outreach support to people caring for strays.
There is always a need for more guardian and private homes, so anyone with a heart and a mind to make an adoption can contact the sanctuary via their website.
