Please buy a bale of hay or straw for our donkeys - a donation of 12 euros will do this.
Our donkeys thank you!
Our donkeys thank you!
SPONSOR A DONKEY
If you would like to sponsor one of our rescue donkeys please click on the name of the donkey (drop down menu on the left). You will be directed to paypal where you can make a secure payment of 80.00 euros.
We also accept bank transfers and Western Union payments
We also accept bank transfers and Western Union payments
GEORGE
Came to us in April 2005. We were told he was only 15 years of age but it soon became obvious that he was well into his late 20’s. He really is the epitomy of the ‘stubborn’ donkey and if he does not want to do something he refuses to move. So the 8 km uphill walk from his old village to ours took us many hours!
George suffers from arthritis in his hips and he is quite thin now but can still run very fast when he is called for supper. He lives in the ‘totteries’ stable and enclosure with Mackie, Bekko, and Coconut.
George suffers from arthritis in his hips and he is quite thin now but can still run very fast when he is called for supper. He lives in the ‘totteries’ stable and enclosure with Mackie, Bekko, and Coconut.
MELI
In October 2005 George ran away and found this little grey donkey. It was love at first sight and for the next 3 years he would not leave her side.
She was a badly treated donkey, sometimes left for days tied up with her saddle on and no water. When we found her she had an infected saddle sore on her back.
Her owner said he was going to shoot her or hang her so we agreed to take her and look after her. She had three happy years with us but sadly had to be put to sleep in August 2008 following a fall.
She was a badly treated donkey, sometimes left for days tied up with her saddle on and no water. When we found her she had an infected saddle sore on her back.
Her owner said he was going to shoot her or hang her so we agreed to take her and look after her. She had three happy years with us but sadly had to be put to sleep in August 2008 following a fall.
MACKIE
Mackie was brought to us in the back of this pick up truck. She belonged to an 84 year old man whose grandson came to see us. He asked if we would give her a home as he was worried that his grandfather was going to fall off the donkey.
Up until the autumn of 2009 Mackie was a great favourite for the children to ride. But now she has retired and lives with George, Bekko, and Coconut.
Up until the autumn of 2009 Mackie was a great favourite for the children to ride. But now she has retired and lives with George, Bekko, and Coconut.
COCONUT
Coconut was on his way to be killed when he was rescued. He is an old man who has arthritis and often has to be helped out of his bed in the morning. But once he is up he enjoys going for walks and finding nice things to eat. He can also move quite fast when he wants and one day we discovered him in our neighbours vegetable field eating his sweetcorn.
Now he has discovered human affection he just can’t get enough of it.
Now he has discovered human affection he just can’t get enough of it.
LOUKAS
We bought Loukas from a farm here when he was just 5 months old. He is now 3 1/2 years and is a typical toddler - always into everything and getting into trouble. He loves visitors, especially if he can steal their hats or their bags.
BEKKO
Bekko came to us from anatoli. He had been worked very hard carrying his owner and other things for many years. His owner decided it was time for a younger donkey to take his place and eventually agreed to let us give him a new home. He loves attention and especially getting his face rubbed.
He is retired and lives with the other 'old' donkeys
He is retired and lives with the other 'old' donkeys
MARKO
One cold wet day we found a very frightened donkey tied up outside our stable. We discovered that he had been dumped by his owner because he was ‘wild’. Now he knows that he is safe and won’t be hit with a stick anymore he is a lovely donkey and always the first to greet us in the morning with a loud eeeh orrr! He likes to play with Loukas. He is a good riding donkey and useful to me when I need to ride from the stable to the house. Marko is still very shy of strangers and will often try to hide at the bottom of his field.
TESSA
One day Alistair was approached by a lady in the village who we know as 'Mad Maria'."You must come and take the donkey away tonight", she shrieked in her strong Cretan dialect. After a little investigation we discovered that Giorgos (her husband) was in hospital having had an accident on the donkey after he had been told not to ride her bu the doctor. Poor Giorgos was very sick in hospital and his wife Maria did not want the donkey any where near her. She was very frightened when I went to get her (maybe because of the accident) but she is now calmer and we use her for our picnic walks as she is a youngish and fit girl. Occasionally Giorgos still asks if he can use her but his wife will not let him.
PENNY
Penny came from the village of Meseleri. Her owner became ill and his wife could not look after her. She wanted us to have the little donkey as she knew we would give her a good home. She is a sweet little thing and I am sure she will become a well loved member of the donkey family. She is quite shy of the other donkeys as she has spent many months standing tied up alone in her dark stable.She has now become firm friends with Tessa and they go everywhere together.She likes to trot which makes her a favourite with the older children who want to ride at a faster pace
MYRTO
Or the ‘big lady’ as we call her, came to us from a good home where she had been bought for the children to ride. But she had in fact done nothing but eat! She has the biggest ears you have ever seen and loves having them scratched inside. We think in a previous life she may have been used for ploughing. She is also retired now as her feet are so big she finds it difficult walking on the stony tracks and often stumbles.
BOOTS
We met Boots and his owners when we were helping the vet and farrier to treat the donkeys in the nearby village of Males. A year later we received a phone call saying that his owner was very ill in hospital and wanted his donkey to go to a sanctuary.
Boots is quite a young donkey and suzanne walked him to our farm over the mountains, a distance of about 15 kms. He enjoyed the walk and it became obvious that ‘Boots’ was going to be a useful member of our team. Not only does he take children for rides but he also is happy to carry a picnic if asked.
Boots is quite a young donkey and suzanne walked him to our farm over the mountains, a distance of about 15 kms. He enjoyed the walk and it became obvious that ‘Boots’ was going to be a useful member of our team. Not only does he take children for rides but he also is happy to carry a picnic if asked.
ZAK
We were alerted to the fact that a donkey was tethered on a small piece of land in a village near Macrigialos. The owner did not want the donkey and we were told he was not looking after him.
When we visited we found a donkey tangled in a shrubby piece of land, and tied with a thin rope to his foot. He could hardly move. On close inspection we saw that his feet were twisted and we could see where the owner had cut them with a saw. We realized that we had to rescue this donkey quickly before his feet became more twisted and the joints became damaged.
He has already had his first professional foot trim, teeth rasped and is best of friends with Coconut and Mia the dog.
When we visited we found a donkey tangled in a shrubby piece of land, and tied with a thin rope to his foot. He could hardly move. On close inspection we saw that his feet were twisted and we could see where the owner had cut them with a saw. We realized that we had to rescue this donkey quickly before his feet became more twisted and the joints became damaged.
He has already had his first professional foot trim, teeth rasped and is best of friends with Coconut and Mia the dog.