Donkey welfare education in Mayo

The Donkey Sanctuary is very proud of its popular education programme which was first initiated in the 1990’s. It was the first official animal welfare prospectus to be introduced in the country and it was a landmark moment for animals in Ireland.

Since its introduction the staff and representatives of the Sanctuary have provided thousands of people with basic knowledge on donkeys and mules with the hope of improving their standard of living. We have continued to deliver information to groups of all ages with the aim to educate people and help to alleviate suffering among animals. We are the voice for the donkeys in Ireland that need help and we will never stop standing up for them.

Students in the Sacred Heart School Westport recently invited Ian Colton, Donkey Welfare Adviser to provide a presentation on animal welfare and elaborate on the work that The Donkey Sanctuary carries out throughout the country and worldwide.

The talk was organised by three transition year students doing a project on animal welfare: Zoe Cunniffe, Chloe Staunton and Sarah Moran.

They were a very attentive audience and Ian had the benefit of Dr Joe Collins Senior Donkey Welfare Adviser and Veterinarian, along to answer veterinary questions.

The students were given an insight into the work of the charity. In addition to the standard talk provided to schools Ian had additional material which showed the issues particularly affecting donkey welfare in County Mayo.

Ian pointed out that Mayo has traditionally had a large population of donkeys, this proved very interesting for the students as they were relatively unaware of this fact.

The girl’s questions ranged from ‘donkeys feeding requirements’ to the criteria for ‘rehoming donkeys’. The interaction between Ian, Joe and the students proved the genuine interest there and the girls stated how insightful the experience was.

If you wish to inquire about a talk, tour or presentation please contact us.