This will be the third year The Donkey Sanctuary will be going along to Pet Expo 2009 at the RDS in Dublin – 9-11th October 2009. We have found this exhibition works very well in promoting responsible ownership for homes that choose to have a family pet. Our own Sanctuary donkeys, Moses and Finn, who normally live adjacent to the Visitor Information Centre here in Liscarroll, will be travelling up to join in the fun with all the other animals – loving the extra fuss and attention.

On Sunday 27th September 2009 thousands of ladies took to the streets of the city for the Cork Mini Marathon to raise some much needed funds for a variety of charities all over the country. Ten of our donkey supporters joined in with all the other worthy causes and the funds raised for the donkeys will be very welcome in meeting the huge costs of housing and fodder for the winter. If you are interested in being a fundraiser, please ring 022 48398 for a Fundraising pack.

Well done to Sara Cantillon who won first prize in our Easter Egg Hunt. Sara located all the hidden eggs and cracked the secret code, much to Tinsel’s disappointment.

Last month, on a rainy cold Sunday morning, our welfare team received a call from a concerned member of the public about a poor donkey that seemed to have been left on the side of the road. Without delay the team sprang into action; so immediate that our lorry driver, who was on his way to mass, cancelled his plans for the day and drove directly to the scene.

The donkeys here in Liscarroll are like children on Christmas eve, daffodils are in flower, wild primroses (one of Ireland's protected plants) are in bloom and the birds are in full chorus claiming their territories. These are the little clues that every donkey here knows and remembers from last year, it won’t be long now before our donkeys can be turned out to pasture.