Donegal Donkey Sanctuary

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

The sanctuary will be closed this week for essential maintenance. Reopening on Sat 15th @12-30

04/08/2026

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Update
Susie has had good days and bad days over the last few weeks but we continue to give her all the help we can alongside our veterinary team.
Her frail body is dealing with so much. She spends a great deal of time lying down resting & gathering strength but the pressure on her fragile skin brings other difficulties.
Each day is a struggle but hopefully she will win through. It really is one day at a time…

Madeleine continues to do well and is gaining the confidence to meet visitors for hugs and scratches. The capacity of donkeys to forgive and trust again is endlessly amazing.
Keep going girls. We are with you every step of the way ❤️❤️

02/08/2026

We had a wonderful afternoon here at the sanctuary celebrating a very special birthday. Annemarie has been a tremendous supporter from the very earliest days of the sanctuary and has even helped on a few rescues. We remember one particularly scary episode on a riverbank which thankfully ended well for both donkeys and humans! A true animal lover and just all round lovely person.
Thank you so much for your continued support over the years Annemarie. Wishing you many more birthday celebrations though I’m not sure you would stand the shock of a surprise tea party again!

29/07/2026

Update on Simon
We are delighted to report that Simon is doing much better after his respiratory crisis a number of weeks ago. Simon suffers from COPD which is obviously an ongoing condition and we will be monitoring him closely over the coming days as temperatures are expected to rise significantly.

Madeleine and Susie continue to rest and make small improvements. Progress is going to be very slow and all we can do for now is make sure that Susie has plenty of rest, food and love. Hopefully time will bring healing.

20/07/2026

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Susie is resting and eating well. Her wounds are healing but her skin is very delicate as she has almost zero fat stores on her body.
Her journey is going to be long and progress is going to be slow. We are doing everything that we possibly can to make her comfortable. At least she is now having her pain managed, a regular supply of delicious food and water, a warm straw bed and lots of loving care. Hopefully it will be enough.

Hoof damage remains an ever present worry but she must have time to heal. Thank you for all your kind messages about Susie and Madeleine ❤️
(Madeleine is well enough to be outdoors grazing but gets to spend some time with Susie every day)

14/07/2026

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So today was a good day. Susie and Madeleine got to spend the day in the sunshine. Susie was amazing! She had a wander around, ate loads of grass and stretched out in the sun. So good to see them together happy and relaxed. We are very pleased with their progress so far. It’s going to be a long road to recovery for them but for now all looks hopeful.❤️Madeleine & Susie

11/07/2026

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Jay never fails to entertain! He just has the biggest personality and his yawns are legendary! A gentle giant and a great favourite with visitors.

Madeleine and Susie are doing as well as can be expected. Susie is still very weak but stable. She desperately needs to gain weight and is thankfully eating well. Hopefully each day will continue to bring small improvements

06/07/2026

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The girls continue to rest and gain strength.
Susie’s wounds are improving slowly. She is treated with terramycin and iodine several times a day. She is able to stand for longer periods of time and is holding her head higher which is always a good sign. At this point we are happy with her progress but she still needs help to get to her feet most of the time.
We will continue with strong pain relief until there is significant improvement in her hooves and her wounds.
Healing will take a long time owing to the location of the wounds as she is obviously putting pressure on them when she lies down.

In answer to some queries around putting both girls in the one stable - Susie needs a lot of room in order to attempt to stand. She thrashes around and circles before getting to her feet so they could endanger one another by being stabled together. Their stalls are side by side so hopefully they can sense one another’s presence.
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, commented or called to see them. We are unable to answer every question asked in the comments at the moment as we are so busy but truly appreciate everyone’s concerns and support.