Devoted staff at The Donkey Sanctuary have said their farewells to beloved donkey Charlie C who has passed away at the age of 26.

 

The ex-adoption donkey was originally from Devon but proved popular at our sanctuary in Birmingham, having spent more than two decades delighting visitors there.

He arrived in Birmingham in 1997 at just five years old and it was obvious that his charming personality, fluffy coat, and daily bray would make him a perfect choice for our adoption scheme.

Charlie had thousands of adopters over the years and the staff are always asked how he is doing.

Andrew Perry, a groom from our sanctuary in Birmingham, said: “Charlie has provided interaction sessions for children and adults. Loved by all, Charlie stood quietly to be stroked and groomed and even placed his head on their shoulders at times.

“Charlie was one of the only donkeys that would walk over to you when called by name. Every day, waiting for his lunch you would hear a staff member calling him and he would come trotting over licking his lips - much to the delight of visitors, volunteers and staff alike.”

In 2015 he lost his long-standing best friend Donk Dean, and for a long time he kept himself to himself.

However, more recently, he befriended an 11-year-old big, brown donkey called Bert who arrived in Birmingham having been abandoned in Ireland.

Bert gave Charlie a real boost in his later life and the pair could be found playing tug-of-war with a wellington boot!

Charlie passed away quietly and peacefully, surrounded by the staff who had cared for him for over 20 years.

He will be sadly missed, but the memories of our fluffy, funny friend will last forever.