The speed with which the two stables realized in 2008 have reached the maximum capacity convinced the Foundation Donkey Sanctuary to enlarge further the donkey shelter in Cernavoda. At the end of October, a DS team has built, in approximately 5 days, a third big stable and a smaller one for donkeys in quarantine. The well-made buildings have been located on the STD ground that already gives hospitality to 46 donkeys, 30.000 sq. m in all. The shelter managed in partnership by the two organizations, is the only one of its kind in Eastern Europe and in the future it could become a reference centre for onotherapy and for educational activities for young people. In the meantime, several requests of help for donkeys in trouble that could be welcomed in the new building have already arrived.

The inauguration of Il Rifugio degli Asinelli Onlus’, a non-profit shelter for Donkeys, held on Saturday, the 22nd of August on the occasion of its opening to the public, was a huge success. More than 1000 people took part in the event, including many children. The youngest were engaged in educational activities related to donkeys and everyone was able to get an up-close look at the shelter’s donkeys. The Donkey Shelter is open and can be visited everyday from 11:00 to 18:00.
For additional information, write to info@ilrifugiodegliasinelli.org or call 015 2551831.
In the photo: Trilli, the female donkey foal born on August 11th, was officially named during the inauguration. Her name was chosen from among the many suggestions made by the children present at the event. Photo Gallery

The two donkeys that have just been born at the Cernavoda shelter were named Maia and Jane. Their pregnant mums had arrived some months ago and were able to deliver in a safe environment, assisted by the STD veterinary surgeon. The Donkey Sanctuary has just decided to finance a third stable (to be built before the coming autumn) in order to enable us to welcome another 20 donkeys, seeing the great number of abandoned animals rescued by STD on an almost weekly basis. The pictures show the newborn together with their mothers.

Although winter is already over, work animals – usually “dumped” ahead of the cold season and which miraculously survive the freezing cold – continue to be abandoned. In some cases these animals are recaptured by their owners, who put them to work again. In other cases instead, they are forgotten and abandoned to their destiny. A few days ago we received a phone call from a village near Costanza, where a little donkey had made its appearance. The villagers realized that the animal had not been looked after and was in a bad way (malnourished and with deformed hooves), and contacted STD. Although the Cernavoda shelter had reached its maximum capacity of 40 donkeys, the Donkey Sanctuary Foundation had decided, last autumn, to extend its Romanian operation by building a third stable thus allowing STD to accommodate more animals than those initially predicted. Anyone willing to contribute to the donkeys project can make a donation that may enable STD to build the fence and a barn, works that would have to be implemented out of the association’s own resources.

He had been kept tied-up for a week, without any shelter and water. Non only that: he was kept next to a pit, one metre wide and six metres deep, where he could have fallen at any time. We called the Cernavoda
municipal police who allowed us to rescue the poor animal (renamed Aurelio) while we also noted its state of malnutrition. Aurelio was laced in quarantine in our shelter on the hills where, exhausted he stretched on a straw bed and was given hay at will. He was de-wormed and treated against skin parasites that had caused wide patches of
alopecia. We hope that the owner (a ROM known to STD for the awful conditions in which he keeps his animals) will refuse to pay the fine and release the animal to the care of the association.

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At 7 a.m some days ago, Medgidia staff were contacted by the local police with the news that a donkey had been found laying by the roadside, either victim of a road accident or exhausted though hunger and cold. The poor donkey,renamed Maria, had a wound on her back, while her legs were in pitiful conditions. Her faeces even contained pieces of plastic, probably eaten out of desperate hunger. Notwithstanding STD’s care, the female donkey died two days later at the Cernavoda shelter, where she had been transferred shortly after her admission..

Fiona, the donkey featured on many TV channels abandoned in Constanza, is fine. The picture above shows Fiona in her stable, where she enjoys a warm bed of straw and plenty of food. STD recently rescued a high number of donkeys abandoned by their owners: one of them is GicU (below), a foal who would not have survived the cold and the hunger.’ At present’ the shelter in Cernavoda, sponsored by the Donkey Sanctuary and managed by STD, hosts 24 donkeys.

Gicu

Thanks to a timely intervention, the poor quadruped avoided to get chilled. A few days ago the romenian channels Pro TV and Antenna 3 had appealed for a donkey abandoned in Costanza, hanging about shivered with cold in the vicinity of some blocks of flats. Abandoned by her master most likely because he was unable to mantain her, the she-ass would have starved and freezed to death soon if STD hadn’t intervene, taking her with its own van. The romanian TV broadcasted the rescue. The donkey is now in the stable destined to the quarantine, on the area owned by the Association in Cernavoda.]