Sierou was saved from being shot
In Cyprus we were experiencing a mild start to the winter, but it was a dull overcast day when we received a telephone call from an elderly farmer who lived in the village of Malia, Limassol District. He had a female donkey which he no longer required for work and was unable to feed through the winter so his only solution was to shoot her. He had been talking about his problem in the local coffee shop in the hope a villager may take the donkey, fortunately he was overheard by the Mukhtar who told the farmer about the Donkey Sanctuary at Vouni.
We've never seen anything like this!
When it comes to animals, you never stop learning or seeing things new. This was particularly true when we received an unwanted donkey with a huge bony growth on the side of his lower jaw. Small ones can sometime be seen but this was enormous. One of the big concerns was that Nobby (what else could we call him!) could easily get the growth caught in fencing and even in his stable he knocked it several times and made it bleed. After taking x-rays and consulting with The Donkey Sanctuary UK Vet Department, the decision was made to remove it.
Emaciated and covered in cuts and scrapes
Glenn was found wandering in the road a few kilometres from the Sanctuary. Unable to find the owner, we went to collect him and were shocked at what we saw. Glenn was emaciated, covered in cuts and scrapes and had lots of bare patches of skin all over his body. He had obviously been a working donkey and was more than 25 years old and it was plain to see he had severe dental problems. Most donkeys, if they are abandoned, don't lose weight as they find plenty of vegetation to eat.
A sad ending
We had received a call from a resident in a village near Nicosia about a horse and a donkey that had been abandoned. Originally we were told that the horse had been roaming the area for about 6 months and the donkey had been there for 2 months.
The donkey that came and went
We received a call from an Englishman living in a nearby village about a donkey that suddenly turned up at his door. After calling us, several local mayors and police were contacted to try and find out who she belonged to. As we had no luck we collected the donkey, thanked the gentleman for looking after him and brought him back to the Sanctuary.
Unusual in Cyprus
We were contacted by an owner who could no longer look after his donkey. At the time our small Isolation Unit was full but the owner was able to wait a while until we had room. Our Welfare Officer, Gill, went off to collect the donkey and when they returned, I received a phone call from the Sanctuary, "nothing to worry about but we don't know what colour he is!".
Off I went to the Sanctuary somewhat bewildered, to find a very large, rather overweight gelding that, in the bright sun, looked rather pink!
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