Donkey supplies shipped to Romania by Sidmouth charity

SIXTEEN tonnes of supplies, including pre-fabricated barns to house up to 40 donkeys, were shipped to Romania by Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary on Friday.

The supplies are to equip the charity's latest holding base for abandoned and neglected donkeys.

As well as the pre-fabricated barns, fencing materials and a donkey care equipment pack, including everything from head collars to tools, is being shipped to Cernavoda where 27 donkeys currently live.

All have been rescued from the Constanta province during the last six months in cooperation with Save the Dogs and Other Animals association.

The Sanctuary's Romanian holding base provides key respite care to rescued donkeys too ill to travel to its Italian counterpart, Il Rifugio Degli Asinelli, in Sala Beliese near Turin.

A task team, led by the Sanctuary's European project manager Andrew Judge from Sidmouth, will meet the delivery on Thursday October 23 in Cernavoda to unload the supplies and construct the barns.

Andrew Judge says: "The present facilities are very basic so we need to get these barns constructed before the winter really sets in. There's a real need for our presence in this part of Europe - the supplies will provide permanent facilities which will be utilised for years to come."

Nicole is one of the donkeys currently at the holding base who will benefit from the new facilities. She had been abandoned and her foal was sadly killed by a pack of dogs. She has since become a surrogate mother to an orphaned foal also at the holding base called Ernest.

To find out more about the Sanctuary's work in Romania or to make a donation towards the cost of this special project, visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk or call (01395) 578222.