Farewell to dear Moses

Andrew Perry, an equine coach at The Donkey Sanctuary Birmingham, made this touching tribute:

"It is a pretty, tranquil morning – the summer days are just starting to slip into autumn. These things help the heart to heal when sad news comes and it is today we have to tell you of the sad passing of our beloved adoption donkey, Moses. Yesterday afternoon the staff at Birmingham had to take the decision to let Moses pass from this life with dignity and love.

"In the company of his grooms and under the care of the local vet, Moses passed from this life after a day in the sunny field. Moses had been under the care of our veterinary team for a number of years with a liver condition which meant his health fluctuated over time. The team have kept him stable, happy and engaged for many months, happy that they were doing everything possible to give him a quality of life amongst his donkey friends. However the time came that the team made the decision to let him sleep – the right decision, although a hard one.

"Not only has Moses been a companion to the staff and donkeys here, including his long-term friend Oscar, he has also been loved by many visitors and adopters. Moses has been an adoption donkey for over a decade, having enriched the lives of children and adults alike. We all share some amazing memories of him and, having reached the age of 23, we got to know his happy, cuddly and fun-loving personality.

"Moses would be the donkey to run over and put his head into a head collar to be brought inside to meet people, even if it wasn’t him a groom was going out to get. When Jess, the on-site warden, put the donkeys to bed each night it would be Moses who would walk close to her side and stroll into his stable with her arm resting on his shoulders. And the antics he and his friend Oscar got up to were common knowledge – whether it was pinching feed buckets, playing tug-of-war with a welly or putting his head over the fence to see if he could put his nose in a visitors mug of tea!

"Moses will be remembered for the joy he brought to children and adults as a therapy donkey. He was a donkey with an intuitive approach to people. He was calm, caring and would seem to walk over and engage with people when they seemed to need it most. Children would stand with a smile on their face, stroking and grooming him. Adults would be enchanted by his beautiful dappled coat while resting their hand on his neck and looking into his eyes.

"While we are extremely sad to have lost our friend Moses, we know that he has been well cared for by staff, volunteers and the vet team alike. He has given years and years of joy and we know he will have left all who knew him with a lifetime of happy memories."

We'll be writing to Moses' adopters very soon with more information about their adoption.

Thanks to your support, Moses was able to a happy, safe and fulfilling life at The Donkey Sanctuary Birmingham, receiving the best possible care. Your ongoing support ensures 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.