Dorothée and donkeys

When on holidays in southern regions, my day would be made whenever I’d seen one or more donkeys, and even perfect when I’d been able to cuddle them and talk with them. In 2018 this resulted in the arrival of my sweethearts Blanche and Nounou, who would be dominating my daily rhythm for over a year and a half.

At 9 pm a last visit to their field, Orion watching above their stable, their sweet, expectant ‘whisper-braying’ because they knew I’d come with a few handfuls of delicious donkey muesli. Good-night kisses on the grey-white back (special, sort of burning smell) and on the brown one (simple good smell of donkey coat). By that time they would already have started eating the straw meant for their bed, so then the straw-hauling would start all over.

However, their levels of energy and their behaviour unfortunately were not matching at all and I had to ask the sanctuary they came from to find a good new home for them, preferably a place where they could join another donkey who’d be a good playmate for Nounou. A wonderful place was found: they joined Bruno who had recently lost his mate. Although I still miss them, I also feel happy for them.

In order to stay au pays des longues oreilles I did some work for two Dutch donkey sanctuary organisations. And I adopted mi burra Jasmin who lives in El Refugio del Burrito in Fuente de Piedra (southern Spain). This small, black-nosed darling with a will of her own and the Refugio make up my donkey life now. But my heart still starts beating faster whenever I hear a donkey braying.

www.elrefugiodelburrito.com