The PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary

Our hearts are breaking at PrimRose Donkey as PrimRose has passed away. PrimRose was Sheila’s first donkey and they had been together for 27 years. Before joining Sheila, Prim pulled a cart at Black Creek Pioneer Village and was moved to several different farms for about 5 years. PrimRose was the matriarch at the sanctuary. She was such a gentle donkey, many new donkeys would shadow her as she was calming and steady. Prim was a representative as well, walking in parades and fund raising...

Eddie was a beautiful roan hinny ( donkey mother/horse father) who came to the sanctuary very overweight. He was not fed the proper food which for a donkey is hay. Donkeys were originally desert animals grazing on scrub grasses with low calories. It is important that donkeys can graze continuously but not on high calorie food or they can easily become overweight. This can cause serious health problems such as laminitis and hyperlipaemia. With careful dieting Eddie lost some weight and was abl...

Sadly two of the many cats at the sanctuary have recently gone over the rainbow bridge. Noelle was so old Sheila liked to say she was not sure of her age. Noelle always came to greet me at the sanctuary and seemed to recognize the sound of my car. Her little tongue would stick out because she was so happy. She would often open her mouth as if meowing but nothing would come out. As she lost her teeth due to old age she would still chow down on soft cat food. I will miss her happy little face f...

Mule Tails

In the past mules ( donkey father, horse mother) were used by armies as pack and riding animals. In the USA mule tails were cut in bells to indicate training the animal had received. A green unbroken mule had it’s tail shaved. When it was broke as a pack animal a bell was trimmed into its tail. When it was broke to be driven a second bell was added and when it could be ridden a third bell was added. When a soldier looked in a corral full of mules it was easy to figure ...

Donkeys love being groomed with a brush by a human but sometimes it takes good hard donkey teeth to get that itch. It’s interesting to watch two donkeys as they get ready to mutually groom. They use their noses to gently move on the other donkey, seeming to ask if it is the right spot. Then they simultaneously begin to use their teeth. Usually it is a bonded pair that groom each other. Grooming helps with itchy skin, insect bites and removing thicker winter hair. Donkeys also use fence...

Carlos is a hinny (donkey mom, horse dad) who has been at the sanctuary for a few years. His previous situation must have been very frightening for him as he remains very cautious around humans today. It’s best not to look Carlos in the eyes and he has a very large personal space that nobody should enter or he walks away. If the person is carrying a halteror lead line that is the absolute worst thing and he runs away, very frightened and worried. Carlos has had various friends over the ...

Gordon is a hinny which means he had a donkey for a mother and a horse for a father. He has a slight cross on his back but when he brays there is definitely some horse neighing there too. When I started volunteering at the sanctuary 9 years ago Gordon was curious but very skittish around people. He has come a long way in settling down around people and sometimes even lets people pet him. He and his pals Austin and Wilson mules were separated from the donkeys for a few years as they were not g...

Sara, miniature donkey and Jack, large standard donkey are best friends. They came to the sanctuary together when their owners had to sell the

farm. Sara is a quiet Jennie but knows how to push in front of Jack if she wants grooming or a good scratch. Jack was a bit pushy when he came to the sanctuary but has settled down and waits his turn for hay and grooming although he does line up to remind you not to forget him. Sara and Jack are always together and show how donkeys need another d...

This is Lily a standard donkey and daughter of Sara Rose who has gone over the rainbow bridge. A standard donkey is usually 92-123 cm in height in between a miniature and mammoth donkey. Standard donkeys have been used as beasts of burden and pulling carts. As Lily gets older she’s starting to look more and more like her mother. She has a broad back and is dark brown. Lily has a wonderful personality: she is friendly and loves being groomed. She follows along when she wants something us...

Aggie is a mammoth donkey who lives at the sanctuary with her best friend Finegan. To be classified as mammoth a jennet(female donkey) must

be at least 13.2 hands high(137 cm). Mammoth donkeys were bred to be tall and strong to do agricultural work in the past. They were bred by mating several large European breeds such as Poitou and the Catalan donkeys. More recently mammoths have been used to drag selectively logged trees from forests. As both these tasks are not done using animals th...