The PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary

Yesterday, Loretta's struggle to overcome the neglect and stress of her pregnancy became too much for her to overcome, and our vet euthanized her. 

Many animals, like Loretta, arrive at the Sanctuary suffering from abuse, neglect or bad luck (sometimes all three).  They are given love, nourishment, good veterinary care and security; some for the first time in years.  They thrive, grow trusting and recover; never fully, but they become happy and often move on to new, adoring homes.

But on occasion, we welcome an animal like Loretta.  Despite her spirit and strength and will, the toll is insurmountable.  We take comfort in the fact that she knew she was finally safe and loved. 

Like a donkey who is forced to pull too heavy a load, the loss of her, her twins and two other animals over the past few days have brought us to our knees.  It is too heavy a burden on our hearts.  But the phone will ring, the caller will tell Sheila about another donkey or two or 5 in need.  And we will get up again. 

On occasion, we will shed tears into the warm, sweet furry forehead of our favourite donkey friend and ask why this had to happen.  We will look over to where Loretta now rests next to her babies; a part of the Sanctuary family forever.  And we will continue on our mission.

This has been a very sad weekend at the Sanctuary, as we said goodbye to several of our dear friends.

New resident John died of natural causes (heart attack or stroke) overnight Friday, after spending his day Friday running in the field and playing with his new friends; what might be considered a perfect donkey day.  His (human) family described John as a 'people donkey' and he relished the loads of extra attention from our guests at the recent Education Day event.  We hope that he did not suffer and knew that he was surrounded by love and respect at his new home.  

Sometime overnight Saturday one of our friendly and beautiful cats, Grace Kelly, had also died.  Grace and her friend Audrey Hepburn were brought to the Sanctuary last year by a caring couple who knew of their plight and helped to find them a new home at PrimRose.  Grace was a favourite of many volunteers and guests and held a special place in Sheila's heart.  Audrey helped lay her friend to rest on the grounds.

Another new resident is Loretta Young, a beautiful, 12 year old, spotted ass who was purchased at a farm auction recently by two of our volunteers.  She was 'in foal' and the vet had prepared us for one or two new additions just 2 - 3 weeks after her arrival   Donkey twin births can be complicated as in the case of Loretta's two baby boy colts who passed away.  After a difficult delivery she is resting tonight and trying to regain her strength.

Thank you to our dedicated veterinarian, farrier and volunteers who continue to provide care for this gentle, dignified lady.

The Sanctuary, normally a place of peaceful relaxation was positively buzzing with excitement yesterday as I was joined by many, many of our very special friends.  One of our farriers gave Molly's hooves a trimming at 2 pm surrounded by a crowd of interested guests.  Dr. Katy Spiewak, our chiropractor, demonstrated how she regularly treats Daisy, a small donkey who arrived with serious health problems but is now on the road to recovery thanks to the wonderful care she has received.   

We were blessed with beautiful sunshine and much more acceptable temperatures than we've had recently (although we donkeys prefer it about 20 degrees warmer).  My recent newspaper interview (with help from Sheila) may have led to the tremedous turnout of donkey lovers!

Many guests enjoyed a tour of our new materity 'ward', where two new (and expecting) Moms are joined by an even more recent arrival, Mrs. Loretta Young.  Loretta is also expecting (see below) today!  Beautiful Loretta was resting in a thick bed of straw, as her new little one was getting set to become baby number 5 any minute yesterday, joining Lily, Bobby,Oliver and miniature paint pony Takota. 

To those that I was unable to personally greet today and to our donkey loving supporters that could not attend today's event please know that we truly appreciate your support!!

Love, PrimRose

Below:  Loretta resting up on some soft straw for her very immiment delivery

We recently had a visit from Marna Gale of the Beach Metro Community News.  Please read her wonderful story here: 

http://www.beachmetro.com/2012/03/07/simple-beast-burden/

Thank you for your beautiful story Marna, we hope you can return soon!

Love, your friend, PrimRose

Err, like a lamb, I mean.  My companions and I, being of desert origin (many generations ago), require warmth and sunshine, preferably at all times.  The sunshine has been in extremely short supply here lately, and we were all feeling a little blue.

You cannot imagine how delighted we were to welcome many people, big and little, to the sanctuary today.  Friends who haven't been by for a few months and many new faces enjoyed a beautiful day at our special home.  Abby, our resident socialite, woke out of her warm straw bed to meet and greet our guests.  Her neighbour Art, not to be out down, also turned on his porcine charm and made many new friends today! 

Kaylie, a first time visitor, took time out to enjoy a nice pat on my fluffy fur.  We both have particularly good taste in coats.  Once I spotted a fellow fashionista, I wasn't long in making her acquaintance!  She is also quite smitten with me, as you'll see below.

It's a busy time at the Sanctuary, with everyone settled in, a few with new neighbours, following a minor 're-organization' of the barn.

Our beautiful mule, Mary Francis, has move to lovely new home where we know she will be very happy.  She has specified that her new barn must have the chandeliers mounted a few inches higher than they are here, as she tends to accidentally bump into a few of the plastic baubles with her beautiful head.  She will be missed, and we wish her the best. 

Jed, our hero donkey*, has been feeling all of his 30+ years as of late.  Sheila and her helpers have done some re-arranging to the pigs napping quarters which frees up an extra spot where Jed can get a good rest inside the warm barn each night.   We hope that some bright sunshine appears soon...we could all use a little late January boost to our spirits.

Our dear and lovely chiropractor recently spent some time adjusting Daisy, a new arrival with muscle issues; the young, handsome Simon and Just Incredible, our canine pal.  Simon's abuser caused spinal and tail injuries before his courageous rescuers could help him get to the Sanctuary.  He can sometimes become quite anxious when his back is touched.  For his chiropractic adjustment, he was extremely mellow and now has a dramatically improved gait.  Thank you to our fantastic new doc!

Almost every day, someone asks me how Princess Patricia Rose (Patsy) is coping without her boon companion, Amos. Your concern and compassion are certainly of great support to Sheila and her volunteers, who share your which they share with Patsy in a quiet moment in the barnyard.  She is sharing a stall with her new companion, a 35 year old miniature donkey and long time resident, Jonathan Cupcake.  She is coping well but as donkeys grow deep and lasting friendships, Amos is dearly missed by Patsy and us all. 

* As mentioned above, Jed is a hero, and this is his story:

Years ago, SPCA workers raiding Jed's farm found him abandoned without adequate food, water or shelter.  When they asked him to get into the trailer, Jed refused and stood near a seemingly abandoned mound in the snow.  His rescuers were led to discover his friend, a pig.  Thus, Jed became the first donkey to arrive at the Sanctuary with his own pig!  Her name was Penelopig, and she lived out the remainder of her days without fear of knowing cold or hunger ever again, with her dear friend and rescuer.

A reminder that you are welcome to drop by on Thursdays and Sundays anytime from 1 to 4 pm to visit us.

Sincerely,

PrimRose

How can I thank all of my loyal visitors for joining me on that beautiful day?  Like all events, I judge the success of it by how many old friends I can greet and new friends I can coerce into give me carrots  (I had none, darn rules!).

For those of you who could not attend, I'll report that we welcomed a tremendous number of visitors and the weather was superb.  All enjoyed the beautiful organ music, sang some carols and enjoyed quality time cuddling with the humblest of God's creatures. 

Volunteers introduced guest to many of my fellow 22 donkeys, 3 mules, 4 pigs and many cats.  They shared with them the 'Legend of the Cross', explaining that every donkey has a 'cross' emblazoned in the fur on her back.  A small donkey offered to help Jesus carry the burden of the cross, but others pushed him away.  As he turned to leave, the shadow of the cross fell on his shoulders, where it remains to this day.  A symbol of our love, loyalty and willingness to serve.

My friends tried unsuccessfully to capture a photo of Just Incredible (the dog) sporting his 'special' temporary antlers but he appeared as just a blur on camera...

Thank you to each and every person who attended this very special day! 

On a beautiful, warm Thanksgiving Monday two beautiful Appaloosa miniature paint ponies arrived at the Sanctuary.  The Mom of this little family is named Sheema and her baby boy is 'Takoka', which I'm told is a Native name meaning, ‘everybody’s friend’.

Takoka is about six months old with a soft brown and white spotted ‘paint’ coat and striking blue eyes. After taking up residence in their private pasture, they enjoyed some attention and grazing time. Once comfortable, they were allowed to roam freely around the pasture. The lead ropes were removed and Mom and baby broke into an exuberiant romp, seemingly overjoyed with their new home as you'll see below. 

In other baby news, donkey Oliver turned 2 months old on Oct. 19th and continues to grow at a very rapid pace! Visitors, volunteers and Sheila continue to be delighted by his charm. His mom Sally-Ann keeps a watchful eye on her busy little boy but is happy to see him share his affection with Sanctuary visitors.

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit these new, little residents and receive a tour of the Sanctuary soon! You’ll also meet Oliver’s mom, my donkey friends of all sizes, mules, potbelly pigs, a lamb and a goat!  We welcome visitors on Thursday and Sundays between 1 and 4 pm.  I hope to see you soon!

My friends and I are thrilled to announce a new arrival at the Sanctuary, the adorable baby donkey Oliver! He has been keeping me so busy since his mom Sally Anne welcomed him on August 19th that I don't even have time to write my blogs!  He has the softest brown fur, a white muzzle and a distinctive ‘Shadow of the Cross’ on his back. Truly a bouncing baby, he dances and hops around the barnyard, having learned to vault over his water bucket during his first week!

Oliver’s expectant mom faced an uncertain future in July after she was put up for sale at an auction. Right after she arrived, she received the care she urgently needed and seems very grateful to founder, Sheila Burns, and her dedicated volunteers.  Come and visit with Oliver under the watchful eye of his proud new Mum.

Happy Summer, donkey fans! As many of you may know, August is a very special month at the donkey sanctuary. This is the wonderful month that our beloved queen, PrimRose, came into the world! As befits her royal status, we take this month to host a massive celebration at the sanctuary - this time, on this upcoming Sunday, August 28th. PrimRose warmly invites everyone to join her free of charge for a fun-filled birthday party. We'll have cupcakes and refreshing drinks, kids games and activities, face-painting, balloon animals and more! The most important event of the day will of course be the presentation of the donkey birthday cake at 3:00, so stick around to join the chorus of "Happy Birthday" just for PrimRose and to watch our long-eared friends chow down! (The event will run from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm.)

Speaking of birthdays, a new bundle of joy was born at the sanctuary this past Friday! One of our newer residents, Sally-Anne, came to us from the auction and her size seemed to indicate she might be pregnant. We guess we have our answer, since she surprised us with a beautiful baby boy, Oliver! He is all ears and legs and very interested in making friends, so do drop by to wish our oldest and newest residents a very Happy Birthday if you can!