These animals have been rescued by Flicka from abuse, neglect and abandonment. Some have been rescued from live animal markets in the UK. Others have been exploited for intensive breeding purposes or as unlicensed beach donkeys. Some have been kept as pets and later abandoned or simply not taken care of properly.
The Flicka Foundation has rescued and rehabilitated over 800 animals since its inception, and has been instrumental in saving hundreds more. Its equine residents are free to live out their days in peaceful retirement, with their specialised needs catered for by an experienced team.
The sanctuary itself is home to over 100 donkeys and horses. Many more live in luxury in carefully selected “5-star” foster homes. The sanctuary is open to the public. It also provides educational group visits and therapy sessions. This allows people from all walks of life to feel the benefits of being close to a donkey.
In 2018, the Petplan Charitable Trust awarded the Flicka Foundation with a grant of £5,000. This has been used to purchase an automatic drinker system in the Flicka Foundation’s new “Donkey Activities Barn”. This area provides a large, sheltered and enriched area for the sanctuary’s donkeys and horses, improving their quality of life and protecting them from bad weather.
Without an automatic watering system, it was difficult for the Foundation to provide large volumes of shared water to the animals in the barn. Buckets easily get knocked over, and water tanks can grow algae and harbour insect larvae. The new system gives them a constant and easily accessible supply of fresh, clean drinking water. The automatic drinkers are stationary, durable and easy to keep clean. which means that the water itself also stays much cleaner. What’s more, the water stays cooler in the summer and warmer in winter.
“The new system greatly benefits the donkeys and horses. It also saves much-needed time and precious resources – for which we are so very thankful!” says Judy Giles, daughter of Flicka Foundation founder Mary Berryman.
The new system gives staff and volunteers more time to provide animals with the care they need. This means more time to concentrate on sick, elderly or special needs animals, as well as on educational outreach and rescuing more needy donkeys and horses.
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