Donkeys to Sponsor
When donkeys come under the care of the Trust they are uplifted and relocated to a guardian who may also be the owner of a Rehabilitation and Rehoming Centre (RRC), a Trustee or Trust representative. These volunteers agree to take on the care of these donkeys and the Trust raises funds to contribute toward the costs of looking after them.
In some instances, the donkeys are short term residents until they are rehabilitated and subsequently rehomed. However other donkeys due to health or behavioural issues are unable to be rehomed and remain permanently under the care of the guardian.
Donkeys under the care of the Trust can incur a range of costs before they can be rehomed, if they can be rehomed at all. These may include (but not be limited to) vet fees for gelding, dentistry, pregnancy, wounds, x-rays, and treatment for hoof issues. Usually, a farrier is required for frequent and regular trims to correct any hoof deformity.
Furthermore, a donkey, due to its prior history, may have behavioural issues which might mean the donkey cannot be rehomed immediately.
Throughout their rehabilitation donkeys require hay, straw and hard feed depending on the age and condition of the donkey, and if a permanent resident, these costs are ongoing for the life of the donkey.
By sponsoring a donkey, you are providing regular support, in the name of your sponsored donkey, to help all donkeys under the financial care of the Trust which is vital for the Trust to continue its work.
Below are the profiles of donkeys available for sponsorship. Please select “your” donkey and click to sponsor for $1/day ($30 per month) or another amount.
The Trust will send a quarterly update to you with news about all sponsored donkeys, including the donkey in whose name you are providing the sponsorship.
All sponsorships are a donation to the Trust and can be claimed as a tax rebate.
Mintie
Age:
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Mintie arrived at Mamaku Donkey Sanctuary as an unhandled Ponui jack. He needed to be gelded and handled. He eventually was trialled at a new home but regressed to his wild ways so was returned to Mamaku where he has made friends with Weatherby.
Weatherby
Age:
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Weatherby’s trust issues mean that we cannot rehome him. The last home he had he ran through fences to escape and ended up with a number of cuts and lacerations. He is friends with Mintie and no longer wants to escape.
Indi
Age:
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Indi arrived with her mum Violet as their elderly owner passed away. They had not been handled and suffer from laminitis if not managed carefully. It is still very difficult to trim Indi’s hooves.
Neddy
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Neddy arrived at Mamaku Donkey Sanctuary with signficant trust issues. He was rehomed together with another donkey he became friendly with but his trust issues resurfaced and he was returned to Mamaku where he will live out his days.
Ester
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Ester has weight and hoof issues which made her too difficult for her owner to cope with. So Ester was surrendered to the care of Mamaku Donkey Sanctuary. She still battles her weight and hoof issues and recently had a nasty growth removed from her forehead. She remains upbeat and very interested in dinner.
Flo
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanant
Dear sweet Duchess Flo was surrendered to Mamaku after having many foals and not being given sufficient care. She has no teeth and therefore requires daily hard feed in order to maintain a healthy weight. But like many neglected donkeys, she stills loves people despite her previous experiences
Chester
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Chester arrived at Mamaku Donkey Sanctuary when he was very young with his mother, best friend Nibby and three others in his family. His mum died when he was quite young and consequently he became very bonded to Nibby. As they were so young when they arrived, they were trained to go on visits and parades and are now often out and about promoting the Trust.
Violet
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Violet and her daughter Indi (above) arrived at Mamaku Donkey Santuary. Due to the age of their past owner they were not handled for a long time and have trust issues along with health concerns. They went on trial to a new home but had to be returned due to severe laminitis. They will now remain under the expert care at Mamaku.
Nibby
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Nibby’s best friend is Chester (above). Nibby is a wee tough fella who has to put with a lot from Chester who is taller and plays rough like many geldings. But they are both great ambassadors of the Trust getting out and about raising awareness.
Eve
Location: Rotorua
Residency: Permanent
Eve was recently surrendered by their owner along with another jenny, Jody. Eve is 28 years old. She arrived in poor condition. She has no top teeth and therefore eating short grass is virtually impossible for her. The Trust has decided not to rehome her as she will require regular hard feed morning and night and access to long grass.
Artemis
Location: Wairarapa
Residency: Permanent
Soon after Artemis (Arty) came under the care of the Trust she developed severe colic and spent 9 days at teh Equine Hospital at Massey University in Pamerston North. She is back with her guardian now but will be a constant risk of developing colic so will remain under teh care of the Trust. Her full story can be found here