Pandora, Tessa and Bonnie:
PANDORA
September 2002. Pandora was relinquished to the Sligo SPCA by the Gardai after she was left unattended following her owner's death.
An elderly fawn coloured mare who had been a working donkey. She had bad feet but good body condition. Very timid and weepy eyes.
She settled in with the ‘golden oldies’ but remained timid so it was decided that she would benefit from a more one-to-one relationship. She was fostered with Bonnie and Tessa, with whom she spent most of her time, to a family in Glencar, Co. Sligo in June 2005. She has since grown enormously in confidence.
TESSA
She was relinquished on the 5th November, 1997 from Enniskillen.
A dark brown 8 year old (?) mare with a 4 year old companion, a mouse grey gelding called Benny.
She is a delightful, very gentle, little mare who has obviously been abused. She is frightened of men and barren.
She suffered a serious cut to her knee capsule while out grazing. Benny brayed for help when it happened and stayed with her, encouraging her to walk down to the yard and stable for treatment, after which he returned to play with his companions.
Benny remained attentive but gradually became independent of her as she spent more time with the older mares. Tessa was finding it difficult being in a herd so she was fostered with her friends Pandora and Bonnie, as above, where she is extremely happy and settled.
BONNIE (Passed away March 2007)
29th February 2000. A small dark brown mare originally rescued, in poor condition, from a brutish owner, and homed for five years with a friend. The friend then had to move premises and was unable to keep Bonnie or her other horses any longer.
Bonnie was in excellent condition on arrival. She had a slight twist in her near front hoof and a quidding problem, despite having her teeth rasped. During November 2002 she was attended by an equine dentist and had a large molar extracted, after which the quidding stopped and Bonnie was able to eat normally.
She was always a little delicate and inclined to be irritable around too many other donkeys or visitors so she was fostered with Pandora and Tessa in June 2005 where she seemed much happier and more contented.
She died, suddenly, at a great age, in March 2007. A much loved, and much missed, long eared person.
