A couple of months ago, Lars and I visited El Refugio del Burrito (the Donkey Refuge) in Fuente de Piedra (not far from the Flamingo Lake). Established in 2003, it is actually a subsidiary of The Donkey Sanctuary in the UK. El Refugio del Burrito monitors about 350 donkeys and mules. Some of them were awaiting us upon our arrival.
You need to pay a donation of 2 euros as an entrance fee. At the entrance, you will also find a gift shop and some refreshments.
What exactly does El Refugio del Burrito do? According to their website:
The objectives of El Refugio del Burrito are the provision of care, protection and permanent security anywhere in Spain for donkeys and mules which are in need due to abandonment, mistreatment or neglect and the prevention of cruelty and suffering among donkeys and mules.
In order to realize these objectives we have identified the following key operational activities within the Charity:
- Provision of Donkey Care; to provide to every resident donkey within the refuge, expert and individual care through the provision of highly qualified motivated staff and optimum facilities to cater for the needs of our donkey population.
- Donkey Welfare Support; to provide a network of Welfare Officers across the country who follow up complaints by the public of ill treatment to donkeys and who monitor and develop foster home placements.
- Training, Education and Awareness; to promote donkey welfare practises by courses, publication or whatever means appropriate.
- Promote human- donkey interactions; with the aim to raise awareness about donkeys, build empathy and improve quality of life for both humans and donkeys.
There are several ways to help these donkeys and mules such as online donations, participation in the workshops, volunteering and adopting a donkey!
Lars and I visited the refuge out of curiosity, but we soon found ourselves bonding with the gentle animals. El Refugio del Burrito takes really good care of all the donkeys and mules.
You can find all the practical information on their website. Right now, they need help because of floodings caused by torrential rain.
