A new life for Laura, Snowy and Big Ears

Nine-year-old mares Laura and Big Ears and 12-year-old mare Snowy desperately needed veterinary attention when Donkey Welfare Adviser Katana Ashby visited their site in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, on 28 May 2020. 

The RSPCA received reports on the donkeys' situation and contacted us for assistance. The three donkeys had access to a large open field, which contained ragwort. Ragwort is a plant that contains toxic compounds that can cause liver damage to equines and other livestock animals when eaten and, in many instances, can be fatal. 

The donkeys' owner was overwhelmed by the number of animals in their care, and they struggled to meet the basic needs of Laura, Big Ears and Snowy.

Skewbald donkey Laura's hooves were in the poorest condition. They had grown very long with abnormal growths and were curling up and twisting inwards, showing the sole of the hoof.

She was uncomfortable walking as her feet were sore, and Katana noticed that she had started favouring lying down while her companions were active and grazing. While this doesn't always indicate a problem, donkeys have a stoic nature, and small changes in behaviour can often mean that something is wrong. 

Laura's behaviour was a note of concern for Katana, who felt it was a sign of something more severe and that Laura may be experiencing pain in her feet. 

Katana knew she had to act urgently to help relieve the donkey's suffering. 

She said: "It was hard to see a donkey with hooves like this. When I saw her walking, she was taking small tentative steps as if she was walking on glass. She was happy to be scratched when I approached her, so it was apparent she did want human interaction. 

"When I saw her lying down for quite a long time without her friends, it made me quite worried as she appeared to have a close bond with the other donkeys."

In considerable pain

Big Ears' and Snowy's condition was also poor. Big Ears' brown coat was patchy, caused by constant rubbing due to the lice in her coat. 

Snowy also had long feet and was the most reserved of the three. When Katana approached to inspect her closer, she was interested yet wary.

Katana says: "Because the donkeys were curious and comfortable with me being around them, I could tell they wanted to have trust and interaction with humans, but it was still important to take things slowly and as stress free as possible."

Following initial assessments of Laura, Big Ears and Snowy, Katana met their owner to find out more about their situation.

The owner had many animals in her care. The differing needs of all the species and the time and resources each one requires meant the owner had to decide on the donkeys' future care.

We worked with the owner and a local vet to bring the donkeys into our care. The donkeys' owner agreed to relinquish them to us, and we took Laura, Big Ears and Snowy to a local holding base less than an hour away from the site.

A new life at Axnoller

After receiving expert care and veterinary attention at the holding base, Laura, Snowy and Big Ears' journey next took them to Axnoller Farm, one of our farms near Beaminster, Dorset.

Axnoller is home to more than 150 donkeys and is 35 miles from our Sidmouth headquarters. It nestles in the Dorset hills at the starting point of the River Axe.

After arriving at Axnoller on 26 February 2021, the team kept the trio in their New Arrivals unit for three weeks, where the grooms could spend time building up their trust and confidence.

Groom Laura Attwood says Laura, Snowy and Big Ears' transformation has been very rewarding for all the team members who have been working with them. 

She says: "When Laura was introduced to the herd, she was quite reserved. With 160 donkeys in the group, we put measures in place to build her confidence and help her adjust to having so many new faces around her. 

"Now her confidence has built up, and she is in among them all! She is still a little quiet at times, and we are working on building up her confidence more and more. 

"She is a very inquisitive donkey and a pleasure to look after." 

The grooms noted that Snowy was the most cautious of the three new arrivals. However, the grooms could see that she seemed interested in engaging with humans and was always the first to approach and easiest to catch out of the three.

Laura says: "Snowy is very good when getting her feet picked and is very willing. 

"She and Laura formed a very close bond. In one instance, they became separated within the herd when walking to their field.

"Once they were in the field, Laura brayed, and Snowy brayed back! They then found each other in the melee of 160 other donkeys." 

Like Snowy, Big Ears also lacked confidence around people upon arrival. When the grooms walked by her unit, she was very aware of them, but she has blossomed into a friendly, confident character after some patience and lots of close attention. 

Laura says: "We built up trust by giving Big Ears scratches on her withers and making everything a positive experience. 

"Big Ears responded really well to those scratches and eventually began coming to us and enjoying the company. It is really rewarding to work with a donkey who has such a willing temperament." 

As Laura, Snowy and Big Ears enjoy their days at Axnoller Farm, the grooms continue to work hard to build up the three donkeys' trust.

Laura adds: "It is heartwarming to see how their characters have blossomed and their confidence has grown.

"We feel in time, we can work on building up more trust so these wonderful donkeys can enjoy the mutual benefits of living with one of our fantastic Donkey Guardians.

"If they end up not taking that road, they will have a safe, enjoyable home for life at The Donkey Sanctuary."