Sanctuary donkeys who supported community find new companion and forever home

A pair of donkeys who spent many years supporting people in the East Devon community, are now enriching the life of a single donkey who was left bereft after losing his companion.

Henry, 17, and 14-year-old gelding James came into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary in 2016 and 2011 respectively. Both donkeys were relinquished from Ireland, and despite their age difference, looked very similar in size and in their coat colour.

James’ kind and loving nature soon found him fans among staff at in the Donkey Assisted Activities (DAA) centre, and in the clients whom he supported. Henry too became a firm favourite at the centre. He enjoyed his enrichment activities, particularly anything food-based, and he was especially fond of watermelon.

The DAA centre at the Sidmouth sanctuary supports members of the community through a range of ground-based activities, and James and Henry stood out in the group as being the largest donkeys.

Lauriel Woodley, centre manager, said: “Despite their size, our clients soon came to learn that this did not determine their behaviour, and they were extremely gentle to be around.

“Through our programmes, clients learned how to approach Henry in a way that made him more comfortable, and he would reward them by lowering his head for a scratch. This encouraged people to look beyond size and start to consider each donkey as an individual with unique characteristics, just like people.”

After spending many years providing support to people in the community, it was time for James and Henry to enjoy their retirement on the charity’s Rehoming Scheme.

The pair passed their medicals along with behaviour assessments, before then going through to the home matching process. It was then that a home in Cheshire, where a single donkey named Gerald lived, was identified as being a potential match.

Gerald was left bereaved last year after his companion, a 31-year-old horse called Chester, passed away. Noticing the shift in Gerald’s behaviour, his owners Hazel and Leigh got in touch with The Donkey Sanctuary’s Welfare team to see if suitable companions could be found.

Donkey Welfare Adviser Kia Thomas said: “While The Donkey Sanctuary does not advise keeping donkeys as companions to horses, this was a circumstance which had arisen and the owners were working hard to provide for the needs of both animals.

“After Chester’s passing, Hazel and Leigh were aware that Gerald would benefit from the company of other donkeys, so they came to us to see if we could help.”

After discussing Gerald’s situation, the sanctuary’s Welfare team identified a pair of donkeys – Henry and James – as a potential match.

Although they are from the same herd, Henry and James are both individual donkeys – meaning they weren’t bonded together or with other donkeys. The Welfare team thought this would be of benefit to Gerald as he would have plenty of time to build a bond with both Henry and James.

Kia said: “It was a big change for the three donkeys. Henry and James had been in our Donkey Assisted Activities centre for some time and were coming into a new environment with an awaiting donkey friend.

“For Gerald, he had to become familiar with the company of two larger donkeys.” She added: “Thankfully, they’re much more at ease around each other now and they happily live together.

“We appreciate it can take many months for donkeys to settle, so this has been a very encouraging start.”

Hazel and Leigh have also been enjoying Henry and James’ company and this has been reflected by their new long-eared residents. The pair regularly seek out their new Guardians for scratches and attention.

“Henry and Gerald enjoy playing together with the wellies,” Hazel says. “Henry seems to be more playful than James at the moment.

“James and Gerald have recently started to run around together and when it’s quieter, Henry and James will groom each other. We have never witnessed mutual grooming before, it’s a lovely sight.

“We have also been trying out some new enrichment. All three donkeys love peppermint cordial, which we add to their water. We are keen to explore new ways to enrich their lives.”

Lauriel added: “James and Henry had been long-established members of our DAA herd and enriched the lives of many people over the years. They will of course be greatly missed by the team in Sidmouth, but we know that they will thrive enjoying all the individual attention they will receive in their guardian home, and in the companionship of Gerald.”