This week we got a call from Ava Farrington, Foster Mother to two of our donkeys - Yasmin and Rosie. She was very upset when telling Sinead our Welfare Co-Ordinator that sadly Yasmin had passed away at a ripe old age of 46.

Ava has provided a "text book" home for Yasmin and Rosie over the years. They have lived adjacent to her house since 2004, and as welfare was always a priority with Ava the donkeys had ideal shelter and hard standing with plenty of fresh grass in summer time when Ava used strip grazing to control the donkeys' weight and make best use of the land available.

Our basic donkey care courses are held at the Sanctuary in Liscarroll and at venues around the country beginning at 11am. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity; learn the basics from the experts at The Donkey Sanctuary. The training courses are absolutely free, but voluntary donations are always gratefully received.

Amanda and Pepper Jay must be two of the luckiest foster donkeys on our foster scheme and what you might call truly Blessed with the home they have been sharing with nine nuns at the Carmelite Monastery in Delgany, Co Wicklow for the past seven years.

Whether you are an experienced equine owner, have newly acquired donkeys or are thinking of purchasing one of our four-legged friends - this workshop is for you!

The Donkey Sanctuary has published a number of books and fact sheets. The list below is aimed at owners of donkeys or those considering getting a donkey.

From time to time thieves target stables and fields in order to steal donkeys and equipment. The Sanctuary is able to assist owners in the prevention of crime by giving advice on security of premises.

We are concerned by the number of donkeys being stolen from a number of locations throughout Ireland. In some cases thieves have gone to some trouble to locate the donkeys and gain entry to the premises.