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 Nicknamed 'Mr Softy' by the staff, Alberto is one of 20 donkeys rescued from Italy.
In late February 2004 an Italian animal welfare association, Nata Libera, contacted The Donkey Sanctuary in the UK to ask if they could assist in finding homes for 20 donkeys that needed to be rescued from a zoo in Naples that had been declared bankrupt.
Paul Svendsen at El Refugio del Burrito, visited the zoo in Naples a week later with Angela Revel Chion from Nata Libera and was very concerned about the conditions for the donkeys, some of them being up to their knees in mud. He felt it was imperative to get the animals out as soon as possible as the situation with food and general care was quickly deteriorating.
The Donkey Sanctuary's rescue team and its two largest lorries arrived in Italy to collect most of the donkeys following a two-day journey from the United Kingdom. They were transported to France for a 24-hour rest period at the Sanctuary's holding base near Toulouse before being taken to their final destination at El Refugio del Burrito in Fuente de Piedra, Spain.
Some of the donkeys were unable to travel due to being in the latter term of pregnancy or illness and arrived at El Refugio del Burrito a few weeks later and now all 20 donkeys are guaranteed a life of loving care and attention.
Alberto is 6 years old and completely blind. Fortunately, he has settled in very well with his sighted companion and has grown to love human attention. Alberto loves to be stroked and adores being scratched behind the ears!
Alberto is available to adopt. Find out how to on our 'Adopt a Donkey' page. | 
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