Rosie, with love……………by Marleen

Rosie when she first arrived.

Marleen encourages Rosie to stand.

Luis and Marleen with Rosie

Donkeys and visitors together

Saying goodbye to Rosie was hard for me; writing about her isn’t easy either. She meant a lot to all of us.

Four years ago we collected her from a place where she had nothing: no food, water, cover or care. Due to long-term neglect she was forced to step on the front of her hooves, which meant that she couldn´t move at all.  Also she was infested with fleas.

Our farrier made her special irons with high heels and her feet were encouraged back into normal position slowly, bit by bit.  Slowly also, she regained her confidence in people.

Years passed in which Rosie enjoyed her life in the Donkey Paradise. Gradually, walking became more difficult for her, yet she liked to walk up the hill to graze every day.  Last summer she became the emblem of Ian and Louis´s action ´Caring for Rosie´, which raised 1600€ for all the donkeys. A fantastic result!

When donkey baby Rocco arrived, Rosie was appointed to adopt him, because he lost his mum too early on.  She did that with increasing patience and commitment but her feet and legs started to give her more and more pain.  In the end she stopped walking altogether and just spent her days in the yard. When she also stopped eating with pleasure, we knew it was time for her to go to the real Donkey Paradise… She didn´t go alone, though, for much love from all the volunteers accompanied her. Rosie will never be forgotten.