Rescue donkeys are living the good life

CORNWALL — The six donkeys who found a home at West Cornwall’s Trinity Retreat Center are continuing to thrive in their picturesque setting, settling into a routine of feedings, brushings, walks, and accepting the admiration of occasional visitors.

Farm Manager Laura Alexander, who accepted the position in November 2021, oversees their care. She served for several years in a variety of responsibilities at the center.

Thanks to the eager help of volunteers and visitors to the retreat center, the brushing, feedings and walks are well looked after.

During a visit on Saturday, July 9, Alexander joined the Rev. Joseph Rose, executive director, to provide an update on how the resident donkeys are faring.

About five years ago, five donkeys were awaiting their fate in a structure called a “kill pen,” valued solely for their hides. Trinity rescued the five, but as one of the donkeys was “expecting,” the five became six soon after their arrival in Cornwall’s sanctuary. And, the six remain today, serving in what Rose describes as the “agrarian ministry program.”

“Through the program, we saved some donkeys and we created jobs along the way,” Rose noted.

One of their main tasks that comes naturally to them is to offer protection to the farm’s chickens. They possess a talent for seeing that predators do not approach.

Alexander said that five are female, one is male, the one born at the center. Rose indicated that the center does not mate the donkeys. The number will remain at six.

Each donkey has a name and a distinctive personality, Alexander said, adding that a donkey’s instinct is to conserve energy.

All enjoy human interaction. They go for walks during the week, mostly along River Road and sometimes as far as the covered bridge in West Cornwall.

The donkeys at the retreat center are estimated to range between 5 and 14 years, the eldest thought to be “Fern.”

A donkey can be expected to live for 25-30 years, although it can be difficult to discern a donkey’s age, Alexander explained. The smaller donkeys will age faster than the larger ones, she added.