It seems that although the summer is upon us, our staff seem reluctant to forget their winter feel good food, chocolate! In fact they’ve just taken delivery of a white chocolate coloured donkey named Choccy.

Choccy was acquired 2 months ago after being relinquished by his owner who was unable to continue supporting him due to mounting costs and a higher cost of living. She contacted the Sanctuary knowing that despite the love she felt to Choccy it was the right thing to do. It was a heart breaking moment for the owner, because not only had she grown so close to Choccy, but Choccy loved and worshiped her back.

When donkeys are separated from their friends or owners, they can usually become reclusive and drawn back not wanting to socialise with others. In some donkeys this can lead to a condition called Hyperlipaemia, where the fat stores in the body are mobilised due to stress and enter the blood stream. When this settles down, the fat can stay in the arteries clogging it up leading to a high mortality rate for animals with the disease. Not only that, but Choccy had never met another donkey, as he had mainly been kept with horses and ponies for the vast majority of his life. Therefore it became essential for him to be introduced to other donkeys in order to alleviate his suffering and provide him with joy.

We like to provide all of our followers with a happy ending, and Choccy’s story is no different. We are pleased to report that since introducing him to his own kind, Choccy has become extremely affectionate, enjoying a lot of attention and grooming from both staff and visitors alike. He loves nothing more then a good chest tickle and has developed one of the most laid back attitudes of all our donkeys. Despite having to give him up, his owner regularly visits him and brings him the odd treat, although probably not chocolate!

It just goes to show that not all of the donkeys in our Sanctuary have been abused or ill treated, and that they have come from good, loving homes who have been hit by the bad economic climate.