A festive fairytale ending for donkey trio 

Three donkeys are set to spend their first Christmas in their new home, thanks to The Donkey Sanctuary’s Rehoming Scheme

A special trio of donkeys are getting ready for their first Christmas with their guardians Jo Meehan and Vinny Forde, who live in the stunning Denbighshire countryside. Before joining The Donkey Sanctuary’s Rehoming Scheme, the three donkeys – Crixus, Edric and Ferguson – were supporting vulnerable members of the community through donkey-assisted activities in Manchester. These activities help support and develop people’s life skills and wellbeing, so individuals can better deal with challenges faced in everyday life.

Jo and Vinny have been supporters of The Donkey Sanctuary for many years but had no previous experience with donkeys, other than meeting some that lived near their previous home in Lancashire. The idea of rehoming donkeys sparked when reading the charity’s newsletter about how rehoming has been life changing, not only for the donkeys but also for their Guardians.

In order to make sure the donkeys were going to a suitable home, Jo and Vinny began an assessment with The Donkey Sanctuary. The charity also explained what’s involved in rehoming donkeys and the commitment needed as guardians. Once Jo and Vinny were identified as suitable guardians, they took part in online training sessions – these sessions would normally be in person, but due to lockdowns at the time this wasn’t possible. As soon as restrictions were lifted, Jo and Vinny were able to travel to Manchester to do some hands-on training, which included how to fully care for donkeys and what they could expect once the donkeys were living with them. At the same time, preparations at home also got underway to make sure their land and shelter was ready for the donkeys’ arrival.

Since moving from Manchester to Wales, Crixus (who is now known as Spud), Edric and Ferguson have enjoyed sharing playtime together, often involving a hula-hoop or a welly boot! Jo and Vinny have been loving getting to know their adorable trio, too.

“We can’t imagine life without them now!” said Jo, “They are really settling in and every day we see a little more progress with them. It is a lot of work, but we honestly love every minute of it. I’m sure there will be some special Christmas vegetable themed enrichments for them, and they like to play with empty cardboard boxes, so they will have lots of fun. I think they are all hoping that Father Christmas brings us some new wellies, as they have been eyeing up the ones we wear now. They seem to like us singing, so I’ve started singing some Christmas carols to them – Little Donkey obviously, to get them in the festive mood!”

Jo and Vinny have been supported by Kia Thomas, their regional Donkey Welfare Adviser, throughout the process. Knowing the team are just a phone call away has given them peace of mind that any questions about the donkey’s care can be answered quickly.

To find out more about rehoming donkeys, visit thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk.