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Spanish Donkey Rescue give donkeys a chance for happy lives & second careers (December 13, 2008)
Today I had a newsletter from the El Refugio del Burrito - a subsidiary of the Donkey Sanctuary in southern Spain near Fuente de Piedra & the stunning Flamingo Lake. My hubby and I visited El Refugio del Burrito back in April this year and it was a really lovely visit. It does show the importance & value of heading off the beaten track - we were staying in Malaga and the sanctuary is north of that - and visiting these places.
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We strolled around El Refugio at our leisure. It was great to see so many donkeys, happy in their surroundings, safe from cruelty & harm - and all happy to meet us.
Adopt a donkey!
We spent some money in the gift shop, buying notelets, a book and, of course, adopting a donkey. It just cost a minimum of 15.00 euros per donkey a year. You can do this over the internet for yourself as a gift, paying by bank account, credit card or in the post.
It was difficult to choose which donkey to adopt, as they are all so special. Leon had been rescued with thirteen other miniature donkeys from Naples Zoo; Farruquito had been abandoned near Nerja. Romero had worked all his life as a Mijas donkey taxi and in fact was the first donkey to be relinquished to El Burrito. |
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Working to improve donkey welfare
El Refugio del Burrito is involved works to improve donkeys welfare in Spain on several levels: to ensure that donkeys are not mistreated and sold at market; and to improve the welfare of those donkeys involved in the taxi business.
It is also taking legal action to stop the participation of donkey in the festival of Pero Palo which takes place in Villanueva de la Vera. During this festival, the drunkest person there rides one poor little donkey, to be subected to cruel and degrading treatment, through the streets for an hour. You can find out more and how you can help stop this treatment here. |
Adopt Bienvenida
and your kindness will pay for 2 donkey therapy sessions.
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Second careers in donkey assisted therapy!
Several of the donkeys - the strong & gentle Norman, Estrella, Lucky & Bienvenida - assist with the donkey therapy work El Refugio del Burrito does at Cordoba Zoo. Support and help from the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust (whose donkeys do similar work in the UK) and Cordoba's City Council mean that the first Donkey Riding Therapy Centre is a reality.
Cordoba Zoo thus now has a riding arena with adapted access, adapted ranks to faciliate mounting, an activity set for the arena, comfortable stabling for the donkeys & a play area for the children.
All the associations, schools & charities that work in Cordoba regarding special needs have taken up the opportunity to get actively involved in the project - giving pleasure to children and attention to the donkeys! A round of applause for Cordoba City Council for being open minded to the idea of animal assisted therapy.
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Volunteer - get active with donkeys!
Volunteers as with every charity play a critical role in keeping El Refugio del Burrito going. Donations, too, are essential. I was interested to read of two volunteers, Anna & Brian, who spent a couple of weeks at El Refugio del Burrito, mucking out, clearing paddocks, putting upright wheelbarrows that donkeys had tipped over (mischievous, eh!), nursing duties & grooming all featured as part of the day. And of course they had time for cuddles and quiet chats with their new-found four legged friends.
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It's always worth going the extra mile on holiday
We enjoyed our visit to El Refugio del Burrito very much. We left with warm hearts and that feel good factor which can only come from reaching out to others, and see what is being done. I guess the morale of this tail is that when you head off on holiday, leave the tourist sites to the tourists and go deeper into your local community. Find the nearest animal sanctuary you can - and see what they are up to and how you can contribute. It will make your holiday far more meaningful and memorable. You'll bring a part of the place home with you!
By the way, we finally chose to adopt shy litle Erica, who was rescued from a meat market in Northern Spain. She is now living a happy life with El Refugio del Burrito.
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All photos from El Refugio del Burrito's site.
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