A pair of donkeys who were relinquished into our care after their owner could no longer care for them are now settling into sanctuary life at our Brookfield Farm near Honiton, Devon.
Mickey and Tommy, both aged eight, lived a very happy and content life for many years at their owner’s home in Southwest Wales.
They look very similar, both being a steely grey colour, although their personalities are very different.
Mickey has always been the more confident donkey, taking the lead over his reserved pal Tommy. Even though he is the more energetic of the two, he became surprisingly calm whenever the vet visited their home.
On the other hand, Tommy is the calmer and quieter one of the pair – until a visit from the vet, when he became nervous. The vet would spend time making him feel more relaxed so that he felt more comfortable during the visit so they could carry out vital routine treatments.
Sadly, there came a time when their owner realised that she could not provide the full care and attention they needed and had to make the difficult decision to relinquish them into our care.
Several years ago, Tommy had received treatment to remove a sarcoid (a common skin tumour found in equines). After arriving at the sanctuary, another sarcoid was discovered, which meant he needed more surgery to remove it.
The operation to remove the sarcoid was a success, and recent checks by Tommy’s vet Emma Hales have shown the site has healed well. However, Emma and her team will continue to monitor Tommy’s scar to check for signs of reoccurrence.
Meanwhile, Mickey developed a skin irritation, which our vets examined. They determined that this was not a result of lice, so gentle bathing was introduced, which has gone a long way to help his condition.
Although the decision to relinquish the donkeys to The Donkey Sanctuary was extremely difficult, their owner knew they would receive the best care for the rest of their lives.
