At Christmas time, donkeys have always held a special place in our hearts, their gentleness, resilience and quiet strength. This winter, three little donkeys’ Happy Tail reminded us exactly why.
Tia and Tamera were just three months old when they were found alone in a flooded, run-down field, with no food, fresh water, or shelter. Still dependent on their mother, the two foals stayed by her side through the harsh Irish winter weather. Sadly, their mother had already passed away, leaving the babies exposed to the cold and elements back in January 2024.
When they arrived at our Longford Centre, both Tia and Tamera were severely underweight, weak and dehydrated. Immediate action was needed. They were placed on drips and bottle-fed every hour, with one of our dedicated equine staff staying with them throughout the night. That first night was touch and go, especially for little Tia, who was the weaker of the two.
They were given deep, warm beds, fresh food and water, and rugged up to keep them warm before being transferred to the equine hospital in Kildare for round-the-clock care. When they returned to Longford, they were brighter, stronger and slowly beginning to thrive though they still needed hourly feeds and lots of love.
Around the same time, Sophie arrived with her mother, who was suffering badly from overgrown hooves and was unable to produce enough milk. We supplemented Sophie with foal milk pellets, but heartbreakingly, her mother passed away when Sophie was just five months old.
In the weeks that followed, Sophie found comfort and companionship with Tia and Tamera and the three have been inseparable ever since.
This Christmas, we’re delighted to share that these three sweet girls are no longer facing winter alone. They’ve found their forever home, surrounded by warmth, safety, and love.
This is what their new family had to say…
“It was love at first sight when we saw the three little donkeys coming up the field to meet us. Our three children just loved them and straight away decided which donkey they wanted to call their own and help us look after them.
When we first got them home the three donkeys were a little unsure of us as they were not around children in the centre. It didn’t take long for Sophie the youngest to get up the courage to see what was going on and realise that she is very much loved and in the best home Tia and Tamera followed her lead.
My oldest girl was nervous of them to start but now loves to go out and groom Tamera (this is the one she choice as soon as they saw her) she is such a gentle donkey. Tia loves to be groomed and getting cuddles. The three of them are so sweet and we just love them and are now part of the family.”
We would like to give a huge thank you to Caroline, for giving us this wonderful update on how Tia, Tamera and Sophie are getting on! 💙
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Would you be ready to welcome a new furrever family member into your home? We also have lots of wonderful dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, horses, ponies and donkeys; and rabbits, ready to meet you. Please consider adopting and visit https://ispca.ie/adoptions 🐾
To find out more about the NSPCA, get involved or kindly donate, please visit www.ispca.ie
