Pedro and Diego have settled in after being relinquished into our care in April. Find out more about their time with our New Arrivals team.
As their names suggest, donkeys Pedro and Diego were born in Spain. They lived with their previous owner in the UK for three years before they were relinquished into our care, joining our New Arrivals Unit in April.
Also known as Dick (Diego) and Harry (Pedro), the five-year-old donkeys have settled in very well, despite arriving into our care with a behaviour warning. They have shown staff that they have a lot of love to give and are very friendly and eager to learn. They are typical boys and enjoy playing together in their field, running around pulling at each other's collars.
New Arrivals' groom Rosie Baker has been working closely with Diego. He did not initially like his back, or abdominal area touched. Rosie was even unable to touch his shoulder or stand alongside him without him swishing his tail or lifting a leg, clear signs he was feeling uncomfortable.
But, after spending time with him, Rosie has managed to gain his confidence, and he has come on in leaps and bounds. She can now catch him straight away, stand beside him on both sides, touch him all over, pick up his front feet and touch his hocks on his hind legs.
Rosie's colleague, Rachel Hill, has been working closely with Pedro. He was the more confident one of the pair, and whenever Rachel entered his stable, he came up to greet her, making him much easier to catch and one hurdle she didn't have to overcome.
Rachel focused on teaching him to stand still when being groomed, and he was more confident on one side than the other, so she started by just brushing him over with her hand.
Pedro was sedated for his first foot trim, and now Rachel has been able to lift all four feet.
Rachel said: "I love to think that just putting on short sessions every day has made their lives a lot happier and that they're no longer fearful of people."
Rosie commented: "The boys will soon be transitioning to a new farm, and we're hoping their behaviour doesn't slow their progress while gaining their confidence with their new surroundings and handlers. We will ensure we send them lots of information and videos and be ready to support and answer any questions about them.
"We would love to see them as Guardian donkeys one day, they certainly have the potential as their confidence grows and they learn more."
We rely on your support
With your help, we can continue to help donkeys like Pedro and Diego
