And they’re everywhere at this time of year, popping up in churches, in stories and on TV.
But there’s so much more to them than just the Christmas link, according to Irania and Martin McGroarty, founders of the Farmersfield Rest Home for Elderly Donkeys at Dunscore.
Donkeys are a 365 days a year passion for the couple. As well as caring for the ‘beasts of burden’ in their twilight years, they also successfully use them to help others, through their Animals Supporting People therapy service.
Irania said: “They are very cute, they are fabulous, just amazing. Donkeys are so gentle, loving, playful and inquisitive. If if had been in that Bethlehem stable, the donkey would have been watching it all.
“We do animal assistance therapy with them and they lend themselves really well to it. People come here with intellectual disabilities, with autism, who have experienced trauma and the donkeys are very happy to be part of the healing process.”
Iraina and Martin have been running the charity since 2014 and it’s the only dedicated donkey sanctuary in Dumfries and Galloway.
“It’s a labour of love, we love it,” said Iraina. “They are our family.
“It’s a lifestyle, we are out in the fresh air all day, every day, it keeps us fit. We get so much fulfilment from the donkeys.”
Prior to setting up her own ‘rest home’, Iraina was a welfare officer for the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon.
But her affinity for the animal goes back to childhood: “My first memory of a donkey was I was three and wanted a donkey, I don’t know why,” she said. “When we moved from Glasgow, the first thing was to get one of our own, that was Daphne and very quickly her companion, Paddy.”
Their limit is 23 and they currently have 18 residents, with most having been pets previously and coming from across Scotland and the north of England.
Iraina said: “It’s not really about mistreatment nowadays, they tend to come from people whose lives have changed or have taken unwell or are downsizing.
“They are much loved pets that need a home. This is their permanent home until the end of life.”
According to the Donkey Sanctuary, the average lifespan is 28 years, but there’s a documented story of one reaching its early 50s and Iraina has known of donkeys in their 30s and even 40s.
As such, she wants potential owners to be aware of their requirements and said: “They are hardy but they do not have waterproof coats as they evolved from arid desert areas. They are designed for dry ground so on our wet ground their feet just soak up the mud.
“A further issue can be their digestive system, they are meant to survive on desert plants so can get obese easily and have huge problems with laminitis.
“We keep them well here and give them special diets. We look after their feet and teeth in particular. It’s constant.
“We do not breed though and all the boys are castrated.”
Further explaining about their nature, she said: “People think donkeys are lovely all the time, but that’s only the case if they are handled and treated with kindness and fairness.
“They can be extremely pushy, they are incredibly strong pound for pound and if not handled, they become thugs.
“They can kick and bite but a good donkey is wonderful.”
Three generations of the family live at Farmersfield and they have young volunteers who pop in through the week to help and regular visitors who love to spend time with the donkeys.
The animals are well known locally, too, Martin jokes they are even ‘local celebrities’, and have visited residential homes in the past and one even helped to draw a raffle.
It’s that local interest and support which is helping the charity through the current tough financial times.
A successful open weekend in November raised over £1000, which is much needed as feed and bedding costs rise.
“People are generous, they know every penny goes on the donkeys,” said Iraina. “We want them to have a high quality of life.”
And there’s always room for the Farmersfield family to grow, with anyone need to rehome a donkey, or looking for support, urged to get in touch through social media or the website.
