From Ireland to Wales, with love
Equally well known is the sanctuary’s Paddy Barrett who has spent a large part of his life caring for and rescuing abandoned and neglected donkeys.
Paddy’s grandfather kept donkeys as long ago as 1926 and Paddy’s father, a welfare officer in the ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention for Cruelty to Animals) from 1964 to 1981. Little wonder then that Paddy was reared with a keen appreciation for animal welfare and donkeys in particular. He too served as an ISPCA inspector for a number of years until the sanctuary in Liscarroll demanded all of his time.
The Irish sanctuary became associated with the Donkey Sanctuary in the UK, founded by the pioneering Dr Elizabeth Svenson who devoted her life to donkey welfare worldwide.
As everybody in this country is all too well aware, we had a dreadful summer, which has meant that the costs involved with keeping livestock have escalated considerably. Especially when you have to find food, shelter, veterinary and farrier care for over 600 donkeys.
“We are getting calls every day about donkeys that are in dreadful conditions or who need re-homing because of the change in circumstances of their owners,” Paddy told me. “At the moment, we have 97 donkeys on a waiting list and our overheads last year were around the €3.5m mark.”
Ross was just one of the many donkeys that the sanctuary rescued this year. He was found on a dangerous road in the west of Ireland with hooves that were so cruelly overgrown the bones of his lower legs had buckled and will never straighten again. But Donkey Sanctuary staff are hopeful that eventually, Ross’s tendons and muscles will adjust. Another group of donkeys that came into the sanctuary’s care last year. included a gentle four-year-old gelding called Noko.
His temperament was so outstanding that it was decided Noko should join the sanctuary’s Donkey Assisted Therapy Centre in Belfast.
This fantastic custom-built facility provides donkey-assisted therapy for children with particular needs and also arranges outreach visits to residential homes and hospices in the local area. And true to expectations, Noko has settled in very well, and along with his other companions from the Liscarroll centre, is now busy making a very real difference to people’s lives.
These days the therapeutic effect of animals is becoming far more widely recognised — dogs that become faithful companions to children and adults with a variety of difficulties, horses who patiently offer those with physical difficulties an opportunity to experience the freedom of riding. Paddy is in no doubt about the difference animals — and in particular, his donkeys can make.
“I’ve seen it time and time again, children with difficulties who visit us here and within minutes of taking them out into the fields, the donkeys have gently nuzzled the children, made them feel welcome and lose any fear they might have had.
“It’s as if they know these children are special. It’s a marvellous thing to see and it’s all the more reason that we should give these gentle animals the care they need.”
Now one group of Liscarroll rescued donkeys are proving their worth as ambassadors in a special centre in Wales. During the last few months Dottie Shadow, Spud, Rose, Parsley and Henry have all been busy helping turn around the lives of some formerly troubled youngsters at the Vision for Hope farm.
Diana Simpson and her husband David work with young people in trouble for many years. I asked Diana about the work in their centre and how the contingent of Irish donkeys had fitted in.
>>In 1984. We would go out on the streets and meet young people who were homeless or who had problems with drugs or abuse. Then we began visiting in prisons and helping them out once they were released. Our first centre was called Victory UK and its still hugely successful today, run by an ex-resident, Reverend Richard Taylor, who has turned his life around in a spectacular fashion.”
* At one time you and David had thought that you might start to take life a little easier, didn’t you? But that’s not what seems to have happened!
>>“No. But then that is not exactly what either of us really wanted. We decided to look for a farm where we could combine our work with an animal-based, therapeutic approach. I was sure that their special gifts were just what some of these young people needed to bring them out of themselves, make them trust again.”
>>“Of course, not everyone that comes to us wants a close involvement with animals and we provide a number of options such as life skills, mechanics and landscaping. We have six donkeys; three horses pigs, ducks, hens and goats. I’ve seen amazing transformations in young people who’ve sometimes been through the most terrible experiences. Mind you, I gave one new arrival the task of caring for the hens and he was delighted. But when I asked him to go and get some eggs, he was all set to go to Tesco’s to buy them. He simply didn’t know where they came from.”
>>They are a wonderful bunch, so loving and full of fun. They’re everybody’s favourites. Particularly Michael’s, who was very troubled when he came here. Michael didn’t talk at all and he hardly knew what a donkey was. But he took to Spud who is a bit of a loner too. Then one day I was outside the barn and I heard Michael inside, talking to Spud. It was a very special moment. Michael told me later that if it weren’t for the donkeys and especially Spud, he wouldn’t be here today. They helped him turn his life around. And he proved to have such a knack with the donkeys that he’s gone on to train in their care. Today he manages the donkeys here at our centre. The donkeys all adore him.”
