The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland 2020 Calendar is now available. It's filled with pictures of donkeys from our farms around Liscarroll. We can send calendars anywhere in the world, simply click on the button below to order your calendar now. Price includes post and packaging.
Note: If you would like to order more than three calendars, please contact us on 00 353 22 48398 or info@thedonkeysanctuary.ie to arrange delivery.

Donkey Welfare Adviser, Ian Colton assisted at the Leitrim Pony Riding and Animal Welfare Project on behalf of The Donkey Sanctuary.

Although donkeys share ancestral origins with horses, they have evolved differently over millions of years and are different. Domestication has done little yet to dull their natural instincts. Dullness (in the sense of apparent despondency) in donkeys is as serious as colic or long-bone fracture in horses: the dull donkey may already be suffering (but hiding) a terminal illness. We sometimes mistake 'stoicism' for indifference. The ‘stoic’ donkey will often mask severe signs of disease – it is not that he is not suffering. It is more that he doesn’t wish to show weakness to the world, as the latter is not a good survival strategy in the wild.

It is with sadness we inform you that our wonderful 56 year old mule, Tootsie has passed away. Tootsie, who came to our sanctuary in 1992 was always a lively character who was first to the trough and took no nonsense from other donkeys and mules. In the past few years, Tootsie lived in our elderly donkey group at Hannigans Farm.

Our vet team worked hard to ensure that Eddie, a donkey with a bleak future received all the treatment he needed to turn his life around.

Late last year, a man requested help with his donkey Eddie who had difficulty standing in his field. The donkey’s hooves were extremely long and misshapen and he was suffering from severe laminitis (a cripplingly painful foot disease).