It costs us about £1000 per year to look after a Poitou donkey. This is normally covered by the foals we produce, but sometimes we have a donkey who has been rescued, or an old or sick donkey who cannot be used for breeding anymore. In these situations we like to keep them here, among people they know and with their friends. Some of them can be a bit difficult to handle, (they haven't always had nice care in France), and we certainly don't want to move a problem donkey on to someone else. Sponsorship will help us to help them
Why help us?
Poitou donkeys are very rare and helping us with your sponsorship means we can concentrate on what we do best, looking after our lovely herd of donkeys and giving them a happy life, whilst ensuring that these donkeys are saved from extinction.
Sponsoring a donkey makes a lovely gift for you, a member of your family, friend or for your school, office or group.
What do you receive in return?
We charge £20 a year to sponsor one of our donkeys. Once we receive your completed form, we will send you a beautiful photo of your chosen animal, a sponsorship certificate, details of this donkey's life and an invitation to come and meet your donkey. You will also receive a news letter from your donkey.
For £100 you can become a Lifetime Supporter of our work. You will receive photos of our sponsored donkeys, a Lifetime Supporter Certificate, an annual newsletter and an Invitation to a Special Supporters' Day each year at the farm.
Which donkey should I choose?
We currently have a choice of 2 donkeys :
Doris, really called Iris (Jenny)
Date of birth:03/06/1996
Doris was one of the first Poitous we bought. She came to us in an awful state, and had a total fear of people touching her anywhere on her body or legs. Her feet were a total no-go area. With time and patience we have now got her to accept grooming and cuddles, but we still cannot touch her feet without sedation. She has arthritis in her legs and so is on pain killers every day. Doris will not be able to have any more foals, but she makes a lovely Auntie when the foals are weaned. We have never seen a jenny be so lovely to foals who are not her own, including letting them suckle. We want Doris to really enjoy the rest of her life, since her early years must have been so hard.
Kado (Jenny)
Date of birth:15/06/1998
Kado was bought in 2007. Annie saw her standing in a field all alone, her feet in an awful state, and wanted to give Kado a better life. She was sold pregnant, but unfortunately, because we had to bring her over in a very hot July, her foal died during the trip. She developed a uterine infection which was treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately too much damage has been done and Kado has never had a foal for us, and probably never will. We keep trying, and having overcome her fear of being mated she is quite happy. Kado also has problems in her front legs as a result of the state of her feet, and is on pain killers for her arthritis. She has an absolute fear of injections. and so isn’t a donkey we would ever re-home. She loves Izzy, and Nestor, and so will stay here for the rest of her life.