We’ve been keeping this under our hats for the last couple of weeks, but we’re now thrilled to introduce our newest addition to the sanctuary, Evie. Born on St Stephen's Day (Boxing Day), this gorgeous donkey has already captured the hearts of our team with her floppy ears and long legs.
Despite needing extra veterinary care in the first few weeks of her life, including blood transfusions to build up her antibodies, Evie is now fit and well enough to be introduced to our supporters.
Evie was born into our care after we rescued her mother, Solus (which means ‘light’ in old Irish) and sister, Mistletoe, in December last year. Solus was pregnant when she came to us after being neglected and left to live in a dark shed. You can read more about Solus and Mistletoe’s rescue in the link below.
While we already love Evie, it is important to remember that irresponsible breeding is one of the leading causes of welfare issues for donkeys across Ireland. Without the care and support of The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland, Evie's outcome would have been very different. Unfortunately, many donkeys are still born in difficult circumstances, and welfare problems are exacerbated during the cold winter months.
At The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland, part of our mission is to educate donkey keepers on proper donkey welfare, to prevent suffering. We encourage the castration of stallions and the implementation of the right infrastructure and care regime to keep donkeys healthy and happy.
Our team offers these services to donkey keepers across the Republic and Northern Ireland, but this is only possible because of the generosity of our supporters. Your support means we are able to provide Evie with the care she needs, manage the extra cost of an additional mouth to feed, as well as deal with the increasing demand and pressure on our farms.
