News from the donkeys! - Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary

RADCLIFFE DONKEY
SANCTUARY
Donkeys with a difference
News from the donkeys!
DECEMBER 2013
Church Lane, Huttoft, Alford, Lincolnshire LN13 9RB
Tel: (01507) 490864 Mobile: (07940) 146330
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
In January this year our Hairy monster
Bazoo became unwell, he was down in
his stable with the vets attending every
day and night, we had tried our hardest
for 5 years to make him well, it wasn’t to
be his lungs had collapsed and nothing
more could be done for him apart from
giving him a comfortable and dignified end
which we did, it broke our hearts, he was
only young and we had tried everything.
Jessica and Willow who we rescued
23rd March 2012 have been given all the
treatment they needed are on loan to an
experienced donkey owner and have a
loving home, they remain the property of the
sanctuary and will be returned if the owner
can longer keep them. A Happy ending.
Bamboo
In March this year we were told of 2
donkeys at a rescue centre in a very
bad way, we knew these donkeys when
they were 3 months old in their original
home before they were sold so said we
would take them in. Set off at 2am in the
morning and what we saw was not what
we expected, they were emaciated, just
skin and bones and so weak, they were
like zombie’s. Sorry to admit this but
if Steve wasn’t with me I would of left
them, they were so bad I didn’t think we
would get them back alive but he said
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Sticky Toffee
lets do it so we did and I am so glad
he was there to talk sense into me.
Sticky Toffee and Bambou arrived at the
sanctuary, their home for life and we set
about feeding them up which had to be
gradual, worming, blood tests, grooming,
nice warm coats to wear and lastly LOVE.
Bambou is a bit spooky in being here as
he is the spitting image and same breed as
our sadly deceased hairy monster Bazoo
and even has the same markings on his
nose! Luckily for us Bambou is so soft but
very clumsy, he falls over his own feet when
he runs. They are both doing so well here,
they have put weight on are worm free and
have friends to play with. They are happy.
The rescue they came from
has closed down .
In April it was my birthday so what does
my husband buy for me? What does every
girl love? Perfume, clothes, meals out,
holidays, spa weekend NO my husband
bought me a special present much better
than all those things and something I would
love so much. He bought me Oklahoma
Louis a 16hh American Jackstock donkey
who was imported into this country as a
stallion for breeding, bless him he served all
his mares and was gelded before he came
to live at the sanctuary. What a massive
gentle giant he is, so loving and kind a true
gentleman and has settled so well and
apart from not being a rescue he is just
part of the sanctuary, everyone loves him.
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary
31st May Miss Ellie (American Mammoth
Donkey) gave birth to a boy foal called
Derrick. Miss Ellie came to the sanctuary
pregnant but the birth was very traumatic,
she needed assistance for the birth, 6
hours later the foal ruptured his umbilical
cord and the vet was back, Miss Ellie then
got an infection but with our wonderful
vets all was well in the end. A very cute
and hairy baby and a well mum.
Miss Ellie & Derrick
Thank you
The donkeys have been very
fortunate this year to get such
loyal and dedicated volunteers
all true animal lovers who have
made such a difference. We
have been blessed with lovely
donations of Bric a Brac and our
Tombola lady Barbara has asked
us to thank you so much for all
the great prizes you have bought
in, this really helps with our fund
raising and keep us going during
the winter months.
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
In July we took in a very angry young man
with a serious bad attitude to humans, they
are to be mated or killed, he might of got
away with it in his last home but not here!
He came straight from the vets who warned
us of his party tricks. He was purchased as
a cute foal on his own he had to take his
frustrations out somewhere, left as a stallion
he became dangerous, he should of been
socialised and gelded but 5 years down the
line Pumpkin arrived here. He had a wake
up shock, we had to be careful to start with
as he was dangerous but he soon learnt
we wouldn’t stand for his bad behaviour
and he soon had to learn he was a donkey.
He didn’t know how to act with a donkey
group and became aggressive big mistake
on his part, he attacked and 11 donkeys
retaliated, we had to leave them to it, the
pecking order had to be sorted. Pleased to
say Pumpkin is a donkey at last and part
of the hooligan group. A Nice ending.
Radcliffe Donkey
Sanctuary Online
Our web site has got very outdated
and in the New Year we will update
you all with all the residents along
with photo’s, please keep looking...
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
Our new facebook page is ‘Radcliffe
Donkey Sanctuary, Huttoft’.
Due to circumstances that some of you
may be aware of, we now have a new
Facebook page so please visit us and
like the new page.
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Sadly deceased but never forgotten,
we did our best for them
Robbie our lovely donkey who had suffered
from cancerous sarcoids for a few years was
very sadly put to sleep 8th May 2013.
He was operated on yet again in February
and in March was taken to the vets with
his companion Good Girl for an extensive
course of chemotherapy and returned to the
sanctuary after a week, if this doesn’t work
nothing can be done. It didn’t, the cancer
was growing so aggressively, but he was
happy and played with his friends in the
field everyday so it was up to us to make
the decision. The poor donkey had endured
so many operations and took it in his stride,
he was never ill always happy so this was
the hardest thing we have ever done. It was
a lovely sunny day, he loved to be brushed
which we did. He looked so smart, he had
a lovely bowl of food and all the cuddles
and love we could give him. It was instant,
he knew nothing. He broke our hearts but
we made sure he didn’t suffer. We spent
thousands of pounds trying to cure him and
would of spent thousands more if we could
of saved him but it was not meant to be. So
sorry Robbie, we loved you so much x
Senna (Formula One) was put to sleep 23rd
April at the ripe old age of 31.
What a long life for an ex racehorse, the
donkeys made him happy and he made us
happy but it came to the stage that the poor
boy ate for England and dropped weight
daily, age had caught up with him and there
was nothing we could of done to alter this.
When he arrived at the sanctuary after
running the grand national I rode him for the
next 10 years, what a star he was and so
kind, I will never ride another horse as kind
as him. He then led a lovely retirement for
the next 10 years, he loved the donkeys and
he loved his life and we loved him but again
we had to play GOD and do the right thing
Such a sad and hard thing to do as we had
such a close relationship Miss you Senna
but will never forget you. You were the best
horse anyone could ever wish to own xxx
Rocky (Shetland pony) used to do the 5
mile beach treks at Cleethorpes every day
and came to the sanctuary to retire, he was
pasted it. Rocky was such a character and
loved his retirement home here and fitted
in so well. He had already suffered a stroke
before he came here but seemed to recover
but sadly he had cushings and being so old
with bad joints we did our best for him for a
few years but it was time to say good bye
and not let him suffer R.I.P. Rocky x (You
little naughty Shetland with a mind of your
own) xx
We never seem to get the old donkeys
departing from us right. The ones on the hit
lists last for years and the ones you don’t
expect die. Sadly Hollie who had lived at
the sanctuary for the last 20 years suffered
a stroke 30th October, we managed to get
her in and keep her warm and cosy but sadly
she suffered another stroke and died, such
a shock, yes she had a nice life with us for
20 years but this was not expected. We
loved her as she was such a mess when we
rescued her but she has had a very nice life
here at the sanctuary. R.I.P. Hollie loads of
love and kisses, so sadly missed x
A visit from our Dentist
Our yearly Dentist visit by
Tom Grantham from Rase
Veterinary Centre.
This was split into 2 visit’s, the poor bloke
was exhausted last year after doing our lot
in a day. We did the geriatrics in September
which was Noddy, Blossom, Hector, Dylan,
Florence, Jeanie, Hollie, Nitty, Katie and
Dina, manage. Nitty needed the vet to come
back with the dentist for extractions, this
went well, Dina’s front teeth stick out all
over the place, this is just cosmetic but her
back and grinding teeth are fine for an old
girl, Katie (Shetland pony) is ancient and
has wobbly teeth but again she manages
and the rest all done and OK for their age.
Then the BIG Dentist day
29th October
Loads of willing (they said they were at
the start of the day) volunteers to do the
rest of the residents including the zedonks
and zonkey! What a hectic day, Boris had
received a kick from our newcomer little
monster Pumpkin and the vet had to be
called to sedate him so the dentist could
do an extraction, Charlie had to have a
tooth removed, Bambou (my little French
friend) was too lazy to get rid of his baby
teeth so they were removed and the rest of
the residents were caught and all had their
teeth done. Our Zebra hybrids were given
some paste in their mouths by me as they
don’t trust strangers to make them calm for
the dentists to see to their teeth. As much
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as they trust me nothing was going to let
the dentist near them so we put it off for a
few weeks and made plan B.
Tigger and Humbug were born in Holland
to wild grants zebra mothers and the same
donkey dad, imported into this country
with no training or handling to a farm park
which closed down, then they came to
live at the sanctuary. It took me a year of
daily handling to gain their trust and to be
honest it was very scary at times but we got
there and as much as they trust me and I
can brush them and pick out their feet they
don’t trust anyone else, which creates a
problem.
Zambi (Zonkey) who is very special to me
was imported from the USA hopefully to be
the biggest zebra hybrid ever bred from a
Mammoth Jackstock donkey mother and a
wild grevy’s zebra dad. At the age of 3 were
her 6th home poor girl, she was terrified of
humans and so screwed up but she has a
home for life here. We won’t let her down.
Plan B all went well and they all had their
teeth and feet done.
So a good result.
Thanks to Simon, Karen, Jane, Lesley,
Steve, Karen, Mick and me, YES it actually
took that many of us to get the residents
done. Not sure why they needed a tot of
sloe gin at the end of the day! Well done but
a very expensive day for the sanctuary, they
only get the best here and that’s what they
deserve, Bless Them.
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ZeedonkAND
Zonkey
UPDATE
Tigger and Humbug (Zedonks) zebra mother and
donkey dad. The boys have come on better than we
thought, being totally wild when they arrived here.
Such a stupid thing to do to breed these crosses and
leave them wild. The donkeys have helped in their
training so much but the boys are happy and tame
with us but unfortunately return to being wild with the
vet, dentist and farrier so a bit of a challenge but we
have managed to get their feet and teeth done this
year and the Zedonks are very happy and contented.
Tigger and Humbug
After our success with the Zedonks we
were asked to take in a Zonkey (Mammoth
donkey mother and grevys zebra dad)
in May, unfortunately after being born in
America and imported into this country
we were to be her 6th home and being
described as wild and dangerous at the
age of 3 years old it was a little daunting
although we agreed. Zambi arrived, this
Zambi
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
beautiful dangerous girl was nothing but
scared and she settled straight away
making friends with her new group, we left
her training for a while to let her settle and
started in October, she had responded so
well but is still so frightened it will take time
to regain the trust she has lost in humans,
poor girl. She has a home for life here and
will never been passed on again.
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Can you help us with a
regular monthly donation?
However much you can spare
each month, even £5 really does
make a difference, donating by
standing order is easy to do,
either via your online banking
using the following details:
When we took in Miss Ellie it turned out she
was pregnant, great, we can cope, or can
we? We hooked up a wire to her stable so
instead of watching Television we watched
Ellievision. Every bloody night for months, it
actually became addictive and compulsive
then boring but a must do until we were
like zombies with no sleep. It worked after
watching for a few months something was
different she was straining and her poor
house mate old Noddy wanted out, we
rescued him first! 4am in the morning.
The straining went on for an hour, I know
about delivering lambs but not donkeys,
we rescue not breed, vet called and on her
way, still not happy, going back to sheep
it must be the same. Told Steve to get him
Miss Ellie & Derrick
out, which he
did, we then
cleared his
airways so he
could breath
and it appears we saved his life. Glad we
interfered. Derrick has been both a delight
and a monster a really naughty boy who
has known only love from humans. We have
had to send the little boy to a surrogate
home this November with 2 friends to wean
him, he has drained Miss Ellie but such a
loveable teddy bear. He will NEVER know
cruelty only love and kindness, supporters
for the sanctuary help us do this.
Thank You x
Pumpkin... our new hooligan?
In 2012 we had a phone call from a man
needing advice on his donkey, he was
trying to mate his wife and his 4 wheel
drive, smashing the fence down to do it!
Oh dear he needs a little operation and we
didn’t hear any more until July this year! We
had a phone call to say the donkey was at
our vets having the relevant operation and
could we collect him and give him a home.
We collected Pumpkin the next day from
the vets (a minature donkey who thought he
was human) here we go again and YES he
was a challenge as he hadn’t seen another
donkey since he was 4 months old, he was
5 years old and didn’t know how in interact
with them, he took all his frustrations out
on humans or vehicles or himself! We
didn’t tolerate his bad behaviour or sexual
advances and for the first few weeks he
Pay to: Natwest Bank
Account Name:
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary
Sort Code: 60-02-41
Account Number: 21552592
Or ask us for a form!
Regular monthly donations
help us plan for the future,
without your support we
can’t do anything, thank you
for caring.
8
Working hard
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
was kept next to the hooligans to get him
used to being a donkey. The self harming
was a new one for us and purely sexual
but very bad, it had to stop so every time
Pumpkin put on his party piece we had to
make him stop this isn’t normal behaviour
for a donkey. It was then time after 10 years
to increase the number from 11 to 12 in the
hooligan group, no other group would of
coped with the little donkey, we had to do it
Pumpkin was let in with them. He hadn’t a
clue how to groom another donkey or play
he was just bossy and defensive but we
had to let them all sort it out. 3 months on
he is nearly part of the hooligan group but
at least he knows he is a donkey and the
self harming has stopped.
A Happy Ending!
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People ask us what
they can buy the
donkeys to help...
Wood shavings for bedding
@ £8.60 per bale and we use
700 bales on a good winter
Dengie Alpha Beet @ £12.70
(for the old donkeys) we use
180 bags on a good winter
If anyone would like to buy feed or bedding for the
donkeys, it is delivered free of charge to the sanctuary
from the firm below and they take credit and debit
card payments.
Pasture mix @ £12.60 we use
200 bags on a good winter
Dengie Hi Fi @ £12.60
(donkeys that can’t eat hay)
128 bales on a good winter
W.N. Shrive & Son
Addlethorpe Mill, Skegness, Lincolnshire PE24 4TB
Tel: 01754 763 295
Restore liquid @ £15.00
(liver restore and tonic) we use
50 bottles on a good winter
What we use and how much >>>
This is the basic feed and bedding requirements for the residents, if you would
like to buy any of the above please telephone the above supplier and say
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary and how much you would like to donate. They will
take your donation and deliver the residents their feed and bedding to keep
them cosy and full this winter.
Weight gain mix @ £14.20
(old or ill donkeys) we use 80 bags
on a good winter
Alpha A with oil @ £13.20 we use
100 bales on a good winter
Thank you so much for your support
and helping the donkeys
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Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
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Why Do I still love my Husband?
We all know what the hooligans are like
and they will never change, they will
escape from anywhere they can as they
have proved over the last few years. We
love them!
We were fencing in the big field, a much
needed job and would be so beneficial to
the sanctuary and they saw us through
the hedge and dyke (12 feet deep) , they
looked and worked out how to get to us
and they were there in no time so I started
to panic, the hooligans are free, my
husband Steve shouted at me and told
me to stop panicking, there is so much
grass in this huge field they are going no
where he said. He obviously doesn’t know
them as well as me! All was well they ate
for England, he went back to fetch more
nails and Lesley was mucking out the
fields next door, all alone I stood as they
had a meeting counted one two three and
legged it through the hedge to freedom,
they seemed to of had the route planned
they new exactly where they wanted to go
and off they went. I yelled and screamed
at poor Lesley to fetch buckets of feed, I
then ran a marathon over fences through
hedges chasing the little darlings into
ploughed fields which are a nightmare to
run through but headed them off before
they reached the main road and chased
them back to our house where Lesley had
opened the gates and stood with buckets
of feed to persuade them to come home.
We got them safely contained as my
lovely husband after getting the nails had
nipped home for a wee. It was very lucky
for him I couldn’t speak let alone breath
at last he agrees with me we don’t ever
trust the HOOLIGANS
Zak De Silva
Our lovely & favourite Zak De Silva (Useless
Stallion) only interested in food & fuss.
We gave him the sheep as companions,
he loved them, no problem for weeks until
one day he decided to maul Ian the sheep.
He bit him so hard and deep he ripped his
shoulder out and it was touch and go at the
vets if Ian could be saved, it took 3 months
for the wound to heal and thankfully Ian is
Ok but it was definitely time for our lovely
Zak to have a little operation. We took him
to the vets in July to be gelded and waited
for him, half way through the operation
I was called into the theatre, he had a
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massive sarcoid in his mouth (Just like
Robbie who we sadly lost after numerous
operations due to sarcoids) it was removed
along with his other bits and our Zak is OK.
Still doesn’t like other donkeys, he quite
likes the horses although bites them over
the fence. Zak is a people donkey he just
loves the public, he is so gentle and kind
and loving and he still kicks the gate when
he wants to go to bed, he refuses to come
out of bed if the weather isn’t good and
shouts for his toast every morning. Not
Stupid!
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary
As an
animal lover...
please consider
a legacy
This will enable Radcliffe Donkey
Sanctuary to continue caring and
rescuing unloved and mistreated
donkeys and your love of animals
will continue to live on
through our work.
Thank you
If you would like more information
please contact us at the sanctuary
A birth at the
Sanctuary!
Miss Ellie our huge American
imported Jackstock donkey mare
from the USA who we took in March
2012 gave birth on 31st May to
a boy foal, Derrick. It was a very
difficult birth which she needed
assistance with and 5 hours later
the emergency vet was needed for
the foal as his umbilical cord had
ruptured. We don’t breed here just
rescue and it was a very intense
and worrying time for us all, not to
mention the cost of the vets but all
was well in the end. Derrick grew
and grew, he had naughty boy
times and loving times but at the
age of 5 months he was draining
Miss Ellie to the point of making
her poorly so it was time to wean
him. You have to make sure Mum
can’t see the baby or she will
continue to produce milk which is
not what we want so Derrick along
with Dylan and Florence were sent
to a kind and very experienced
friend for a holiday so Miss Ellie
could regain her strength and they
could all return when her milk
was completely dry. A cute foal
but something I wouldn’t want
to go through again, unless I had
to. If they come to the sanctuary
pregnant we cope, but we never
breed on purpose in fact when the
boys come to us we make sure
they have a little operation. When
we knew Miss Ellie was due to give
birth we set up a camera in her
stable which we could monitor from
our kitchen, we called it Ellievision
and we watched it for so many
hours instead of TV it became
addictive, but it worked we were
with her as soon at she started in
labour, I think we were as tired as
she was after it was all over. Happy
times do happen at the sanctuary x
Fencing
Appeal
Update...
All year we have been doing a fencing appeal, we have
Hooligans
fields we can’t use full of lovely grass and have been
asking for £26 for a section of fence, yes we need a lot
(£5000.00) but thought we would do it as the money
came in and it wasn’t as successful as we hoped so
we trusted the geriatrics
Annie still fat, Jack still loves her to bits,
Charlie full of life, Boris, Yo Yo and Persil
still full of fun, Dolly Daydream and Billy a
couple in love, Martin in a world of his own,
Harriett so greedy, Buster always the last
to come in and the first to escape and new
comer Hooligan Pumpkin causing chaos!
Middle group
in a huge field full of
Such a nice group, Oklahoma Louis
16hh gentle giant, Sticky Toffee 2 years
old and growing fast, Itchy Titchy Little
Donkey (the best donkey you could ever
own), Good Girl an ancient but fit old girl
who keeps the peace, Zambi our lovely
new comer (mammoth donkey mother and
Grevys zebra dad) a real rescue case we
are her 6th owners in 3 years and her last,
she has a home for life and lastly my little
(not so little) French Friend Bambou, away
with the fairies most of the time, falls over
his own feet when he canters about and No
One at home but we love him.
grass, the exercise
was good for them and
they would be fine.
On Sunday In August
we were alerted by a
visitor to say donkeys
were eating the gardens
in the village, our
geriatrics had escaped!
Mis Matched Group
When I saw where
they got out and the ploughed fields they had walked
through to get to the gardens in the village I wouldn’t
of thought they were capable of doing this, all returned
to the safety of the sanctuary and our fencing appeal
continues.
PLEASE
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Quick update on your favourite
residents and Thank You for
supporting them.
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary
Tigger and Humbug (zedonks) very
much at home here, Alan little rogue with
the most horrendous bray and boss of
this group, Polina the most loving and
affectionate donkey from Spain, Pauline
French Poitou with attitude she is so
naughty to handle but so loving with the
public and her daughter Little Collette
such a darling but suffers with her nerves,
Bailey a chilled out man, Folly Foal a loving
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
girl and the 2 geriatric ponies Katie (ancient
Shetland) and Dina (stroppy A Section) she
adores people but is so bossy with other
animals she keeps them all in order
Geriatrics Plus
Blossom our creaking gate (44 years old)
doing good, no teeth, soaked food but
happy, Noddy holding his own but knee
joints worn out so pain killers daily, Jeanie
a healthy old girl, Hector sagging a little in
places that comes to all of us, Nitty doing
better after operation on his teeth, Florence
again soaked food due to teeth but such a
naughty donkey with loads of attitude and a
love for life then Dylan our fat old man.
Miss Ellie has done so well since giving
birth but at 6 months we had to wean
Derrick as he was draining her and we have
to make her fit and healthy and get some
weight back onto her and she can then join
the middle group early next year.
It’s anyones guess where Radcliffe’s
Dynamic Derrick will end up, it will depend
on him, he will stay with us for ever but
which group he goes we will see, at least he
will never know cruelty only love as every
donkey should.
Horses
Turpin, Anthony, Stilton and Gremlin Mule
Arfa Socks - All doing well as Arfa keeps
them all on the go, he makes them play
even if they don’t want to and health wise
they are all doing good Touch Wood!
Chickens and Ducks
(all been dumped here) Not so good we had
to have 2 ducks put to sleep due to old age
and a weasel killed one chicken, re homed
2 cockerel babies but the rest all OK.
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Arfa socks
Arfa socks (half and donkey and half a
pony) is such a little gremlin, he loves
the horses Turpin, Anthony and Stilton
but teaches them such naughty ways.
They have 2 fields to roam and graze
in with a lovely gate way through, Arfa
has decided it is much quicker to go
through the hedge and 12 foot dyke
to get to the next field, he Manages it
very well, unfortunately!
His first follower was Stilton who didn’t
do to well it took us 6 hours to get
him out of the dyke, yes of course we
blocked it off it stop any more escape
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routes. The next time I took Turpin out
for a ride and all 3 tried the dyke way
out this time poor Anthony got stuck
and we had the visiting public helping
us to restore order. The dyke is now
used as a gate way from one field to
the other, even our large fat shire X cob
Turpin can get through with ease. If we
asked any of them to lead through this
way they wouldn’t, if we tried to ride
them through this way they wouldn’t
and if we tried to lead them back this
way after the big escape they wouldn’t.
Naughty or what!
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary
The donkeys always need
winter coats and stable
rugs £51 each and sorry
some only last one winter
due to naughty donkeys
wrecking them!
www.radcliffedonkeys.com
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At last we had the summer we were due, thanks to all the
visitors who came to visit and support the sanctuary, please
think of us in the winter with no support or income.