When Amber and her twin sister, Hope, were born 26 weeks premature, Amber was rushed to hospital for an emergency tracheostomy.

Their parents, Julian and Tracy, were given the devastating news that Amber was unlikely to ever walk or talk, followed by a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy.

As a baby, Amber’s predicted quality of life, compared to her sister Hope, was not very encouraging. However she has exceeded all the doctors expectations and when you meet the sisters, who are full of the joys of life, it is hard to tell them apart. After several unsuccessful attempts at conventional type therapies, Julian and Tracy sent Amber to our Birmingham sanctuary to work with our dedicated team.

When Shocks the donkey was found barely alive on a farm in Ireland, nobody expected him to survive. He was taken into The Donkey Sanctuary's care in 2010 and it was the worst case of neglect the welfare team had ever seen. Shocks had a skin infection in his neck and rather than seek treatment, his owners had poured industrial-strength bleach into his wounds, tethered him to a pole and left him to die.

When Amber and Shocks first met, it was as though they had known each other for ages. Despite having a fear of humans due to his maltreatment, when Shocks saw Amber approaching, he lowered his head so that she could wrap her arms around his neck.

Shocks with Amber
Shocks at our Birmingham Sanctuary
Shocks with Amber

We were amazed to see the gradual change in this timid donkey, as he blossomed and became friendly and confident. It was to prove an intense bond, and one that was to help both child and donkey - and change Amber’s world entirely.

As Amber’s mother, Tracy said: "It was as if they understood each other’s pain. Like two broken beings, helping each other."

Animal Hero Award

Because of his past, and because of his amazing turnaround from a terrified abandoned donkey in Ireland in 2010 to an incredibly calm teaching donkey today, Shocks was named Rescue Animal of the Year at the 2013 Animal Hero Awards.