Expanding The Donkey-Sphere

The pro-donkey forces of the world took another step forward today. Ben and Jerry from PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary are now ensconsed in their new home. My horse friend Mosby, who along with his human, Emi, owns Serendipity Stables, officially has his own donkeys. Emi has been pondering the donkey question for years and last week, with considerable lobbying from Mosby, my woman, Sheila and her farm friends, Emi finally saw the light and recognized the great, unfulfilled need for donkeys in her life.

Sheila, and Al, who is the unofficial godfather at the sanctuary, chauffered Ben and Jerry to Mosby's place this morning, where a highly excited and enthusiastic welcoming committee awaited their arrival. They stepped off the trailer like two well-seasoned travellers and began exploring to a chorus of ooooos and ahhhhhhs from their admirers. As it should be, of course. Then they led the humans into the barn and were shown their new room, halters, leads, buckets and so forth. They tested all the flakes of hay that are put in front of the stalls for the horses' luncheon and tried out many of the stalls themselves. There was a mixed reaction of keen interest and sheer horror from the horses. The donkeys ignored them and carried on exploring.

Then, they led the humans into the huge indoor riding room and sampled the hay pile in there. They did a brief tour and marched the humans back into the barn. I am told that owing to a fit of the vapours suffered by two of the horses, who refused to enter the building and walk by Ben and Jerry, their living quarters have been switched to the far end of the other aisle. Fortunately they are small donkeys and can be housed comfortably in an already-full barn. In fact Colleen and Rob, the humans who live in the barn apartment, will surely see reason and invite them to live in there.

Sheila and Al then came by my place for a visit and there was an extremely touching reunion between Sheila and Jack. He stared very hard at the three humans as they made their way over to us and then his whole face lit up. "It's her, what saved me last year, I'd know her anywhere!" he said. When she walked through the gate he rushed over and buried his head in the front of her jacket and just kept smiling and smiling. He greeted Al, too, who spent a lot of time with him when he was so weak he could barely stand and who held his head up for dental work. Then back to Sheila he went to soak up some more bliss. We all wished they could have stayed longer but they will be back for my birthday party at Mosby's place.

The outpouring of generoisty and goodwill today does a donkey's heart good. Sheila left clutching cheques and cash and Canadian Tire money and those kind souls even filled her metal box on wheels with hay. I've been called many things, including a sceptic, on the subject of humanity, but today was an example of what kind hearts can do to change things for the better.