Island Life Magazine Ltd February / March 2016 | Page 74

FEATURE

Angus celebrating St Andrew’s Day

The good life

according to donkeys!
T

hose cute and cuddly residents at
the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary
have a big party to look forward to
next year, when the Wroxall-based charity
celebrates 30 years of caring for these
much-loved animals.
And there’s plenty to celebrate, because
since hitting a low point in its visitor
numbers and income levels during
the poor holiday season of 2012, the
Sanctuary has effectively reorganised and
reinvented itself - and is now definitely
back on the up and up.
Executive Trustee Carol Foote – one of
four very hands-on Trustees who now
runs the operation alongside Charity
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Manager Derek Needham – says the
registered charity has “changed beyond
recognition” in the past three years, being
run on more professional lines.
One of the biggest improvements
is the level of health care for the 93
abandoned, lost and re-homed donkeys
that live on the 60-acre site.
“It can rival anything that BUPA has to
offer!” laughs Carol.
Indeed, the donkeys get everything
from regular blood checks to twice-yearly
dental examinations and checks on their
feet four times a year.
Because many of the Sanctuary’s
inmates are elderly or have health

problems, they also have individual diets
– including a kind of porridge for those
who have lost their teeth – and antiinflammatory medication for those who
need it.
“We have a very robust welfare
programme to ensure that each animal
receives the best care for its particular
needs,” says Carol.
The layout of the site has also been
improved in the interests of both the
donkeys and the hundreds of visitors who
pour in every year to see them.
Previously, the donkeys were in two
huge fields, which meant visitors couldn’t
always get a good view, but now they