With a heavy heart, we share the sad news that our much-loved adoption donkey, Hannah, has passed away at the age of 25.
Hannah experienced a sudden bout of acute colic, and her quality of life deteriorated rapidly. Grooms noticed that she wasn't eating and didn't want to join in with the rest of her herd, which indicated that something wasn't right.
Our veterinary teams acted quickly and assessed Hannah's condition. They found that she had a high heart rate and temperature, and her stomach was not making any noises, indicating that she was in pain.
Our veterinary team carefully discussed the best course of action. With Hannah's age and the pain she was in, it was decided that the kindest course of action was to put Hannah to sleep.
She did not suffer and was put to sleep gently, surrounded by her grooms and donkey friends Cocoa and Drizzle.
A tribute to Hannah
Leading the tributes to Hannah, Maxine Carter, Farm Manager at The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth, says:
“Hannah was a friendly, delightful lady who stole the hearts of her grooms. She was a really adorable character and absolutely loved her cuddles.
"She enjoyed a really happy life, and was always surrounded by friends and loved by visitors. Shelter 1 won't be the same without her, and everyone will miss her dearly.
"When we noticed something wasn't right this afternoon, we called our vet Polly immediately.
"Sadly there wasn't anything that could be done for Hannah, and she left us peacefully in the comfort of the barn. We can take comfort in knowing that she wasn't allowed to suffer.
"Cocoa, Drizzle and the rest of her friends at Shelter 1 were given time to say their goodbyes. We'll be keeping an extra close eye on them over the next few days."
Life at the sanctuary
Hannah was a treasured resident at our Manchester and Sidmouth sanctuaries. She arrived into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary Manchester in 2003, where she took part in Donkey Assisted Activities, helping many people develop key life skills, such as self-awareness, communication, empathy and emotion management.
During her time at Manchester, she joined our adoption scheme, becoming a cherished part of many of our supporters' lives.
In 2015, she moved to our sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, alongside fellow adoption donkey Cocoa, where she relished the opportunity to interact with new donkeys and visitors.
While at Sidmouth, she made a friend for life in Drizzle, one of her Shelter 1 herd mates. She loved nothing more than a game of welly tug of war and being groomed to look her best.
Hannah lived a comfortable, secure and fulfilling life at The Donkey Sanctuary alongside her friends, thanks to your loving support.
Note to Hannah's adopters
There is no need for you to do anything, we will be writing to you very soon with more information about your adoption.
Thanks to your support, Hannah lived an enriched life at The Donkey Sanctuary Manchester and Sidmouth, where she enjoyed the best care possible and a loving, secure environment.
Your ongoing support helps to ensure that thousands of other donkeys across the UK and further afield will be given the same opportunity for a life free from suffering and neglect.
Your support gives life-long sanctuary to donkeys like Hannah.
If you would like to make a donation in memory of Hannah, it will help care for more donkeys until the end of their days.