‘Out of sadness a wonderful friendship has blossomed’: abandoned donkey finds new friend in loving home

A donkey who was abandoned while pregnant and who lost her friend has found a loving new home – and a new soul mate.

Young jenny Mia was taken in, heavily in foal, by World Horse Welfare’s Belwade Farm after she was abandoned last summer. She is now living with rehomer Alicia, whose donkey Duffy had lost her friend at about the same time Mia lost her companion Molly.

“Out of sadness, a wonderful friendship has blossomed,” a World Horse Welfare spokesperson said. “Mia and Duffy bonded very quickly and are now thriving together.”

World Horse Welfare groom Jodie worked with Mia before and after the birth of her foal Peanut.

“When Mia first arrived, she was very cautious of people – it took a long time to gain her trust,” said Jodie. “To catch Mia and her friend Molly, who was abandoned with her, for the vet the first time we had to use special treats and all our powers of persuasion! Mia was also very protective of her tummy and hind end and before she had Peanut, she would kick out at anyone who went near either area.

“With a lot of time, patience, and careful training, Mia’s relationship with people has completely transformed. Seeing her go from being so apprehensive to enjoying a cuddle and being ready to rehome has been amazing. It’s been a very rewarding journey with Mia and I’m so happy that she’s found a loving home.”

Alicia, who had already rehomed a horse from the charity, took Mia in last month.

“Mia is adorable,” she said. “She and Duffy spent five minutes zooming around together when they were first introduced, then they had a bit of a chat together, and that was it: best friends immediately.

“They’d both sadly lost their friend at a similar time – I hadn’t the heart to rush straight into finding a new donkey and I knew Duffy needed time to mourn. When I felt the time was right, Mia came up for rehoming just a couple of days later.

“Having already rehomed from World Horse Welfare once, I was pleased to do my bit by rehoming again to make space for another animal in need to be rescued. I also knew that Mia would have been fully checked over and that any considerations would be disclosed. Jodie explained that I’d probably need food to catch Mia, but after a couple of weeks in her new home she’s very happy to be caught without it. The team at Belwade Farm has done a great job with her and she’s lovely to handle. She’s a very sweet, gentle little donkey and she loves a fuss. I’m so pleased she and Duffy have bonded so well.”

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