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Beth Beth (above) was the first little person to join us this summer, arriving on April 1st, but believe me this was no April Fool. Beth had been purchased by a sympathiser at a local horse fair, because he felt sorry for her, in the hopes he could sell her on to a good home. Fortunately the first couple to go and look at her put us in touch. A whip round reimbursed the current owner and Beth was collected immediately and brought into our donkey version of intensive care. She is a small, dark brown mare of around 28 years who has, at some time, been severely abused. Our farrier soon confirmed that chronic laminitis and general neglect of her hooves has caused the bones to drop. In one front hoof the pedal bone is dangerously close to piercing the sole. With expert farriership and padded bandages when the ground is hard, that day will be delayed for as long as possible for if ever there was a grateful little donkey, it is Beth, soft and gentle in every way. She was so heavily infested with lice her skin was raw over her neck, shoulders and ribs. Gradually she lost the remainder of her coat until she was almost completely naked, and, to our horror, revealed a crisscrossing of lash type scars over her lower back and rump. It is too painful to imagine what may have been her burden, when with hooves too painful to walk, she was beaten into submission. It is due to the goodness of people like yourself that we can guarantee Beth's remaining years will be spent in comfort and care. She has gained weight now and no longer falls over when she tries to walk. She can hold her own well with all but the very bossy donkeys and is obviously a happy girl. She seems to have made a special friend in Amos who arrived on the 25th April. Amos Amos was walked up to the Sanctuary from a neighbouring farm and handed into our care. He is a huge, pale grey, raw boned donkey who arrived severely underweight and with the usual neglected hooves. As with Beth he was heavily infested with lice and it took several treatments to clean him up. Unlike Beth he was having no part of scissors, grooming, or any of your old fuss, even proving difficult with the farrier who was initially uncertain if he could save one of the back hooves. He did, of course, with an almighty struggle from Himself! To this day Amos looks a real tat-bag as despite surreptitious snips with the scissors and swipes with the grooming brushes, he still adamantly refuses to be properly groomed. But he's happy and that's what counts. Very affectionate at the head end and cantankerous at the rear, he has become the 'character' of the Sanctuary and will be severely missed, when for their own sakes, he and Beth will be transferred to the 'Golden Oldies' section of The Donkey Sanctuary, Liscarroll, Co, Cork where they will winter in a big airy barn with deep straw under them, veterinary care on hand and plenty of food and companionship. |
Amos and Beth - golden oldies.
Enquiries to: Sue Paling, Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature, Cloghogue Lower, Castlebaldwin, Co Sligo, Ireland. Frontpage | All the donkeys | Spring 1994 | Autumn 1994 | Spring 1995 | Autumn 1995 | Autumn 1996 | Spring 1997 | Autumn 1997 | Spring 1998 | Autumn 1998 | Spring 1999 | Autumn 1999 | Spring 2000 | Autumn 2000 | Spring 2001 | Autumn 2001 | Spring 2002 | Autumn 2002 | Adopt a Donkey | Donkey Links | E mail
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