What is it about Ed?

Ed is a spotted Standard donkey, on the slender side these days because we have had him on a special diet in recent months as a way to discourage his too frequent attacks of laminitis/founder.  Ed is a quiet creature, not given to quick movements or pushy ways.  He is just Ed.  And therein lies the mystery.

Like all donkeys he is preoccupied with satisfying his needs.  Food and water are crucially important, of course, and then there are those many hours each day when he stands and rests, often with ears at half mast, thinking about I-don’t-know-what. 

People often ask me, why donkeys?  Or, what is so special about them? 

Well, my answers are sometimes very long and somewhat convoluted as I search for adjectives to describe the way that I feel when I am in the donkeys’ company.  But they don’t need to be because it is really very simple.  All of the donkeys’ energy is concentrated on right now, this second.  Our western concept of time: past, present and future just does not work with them. 

 I do think that First Nations people the world over can understand ever so easily what needs to be said here.  For many of these groups (the Hopi, for instance), their languages do not  have words for past or future.  The closest they come to this are the words for ‘sooner’ or ‘later’.  Ed’s vocabulary doe not even include those.

Much of the time, Ed puts me under his spell at the drop of a hat.  His energy field is so very concentrated on just where he is at that moment that it can physically affect my rate of movement.  Yes, indeed, the Sanctuary Farm is a peaceful place as so many people have found it to be.  And it is caused by all of that good donkey energy just pulling us to be still and in the moment.

Thanks, Ed, for teaching me so much.

Sandra Pady, DSC Exec. Direc.

A Gentle Touch

We have all had the experience of reading something that moves us in a manner like no other. During the course of my work I encounter, on a regular basis, statements that are intending to persuade, to point out that we must always be aware of the impact we make upon other beings.

I don’t know who Elizabeth Goudge is but when I read the statement below it stayed with me like few others have.  I think that it is her judicious use of the word, ‘contempt’.  It is so powerful and so descriptive of care- less actions.  Indeed, the time is short and we should move with a gentle touch.

“Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a [person], a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because the time is short. Civilization is another word for respect for life….” –                   Elizabeth Goudge, Author

WORD POWER – Do you really mean what you say?

“She chickened out at the last minute!”

“Sheila and Joe can be very foxy.”

“He made an ass of himself in front of everyone.”

“During the meeting they bitched about everything.”

In our everyday conversations, at times we are so focused on the message we want to convey that we don’t pay attention to the words that we are choosing to make the point.  We forget that words can be descriptive, powerful and harmful – all at the same time.

Each example above describes human behaviour in a negative manner.  However, when we stop to consider the words that that have been used, we realize that the metaphors are denigrating particular animals at the same time.

As we all know, the behaviour of any creature is too complex to be reduced to a single, negative characteristic.  The movement of a chicken, the agility of a fox, the voice of a female dog, the comportment of a donkeys: each occurs in a specific context and for a specific reason.

Next time that you want to describe a person’s behaviour, think twice before you speak.  Be certain that your use of words does not does not harm or sacrifice the integrity of a fellow creature.

The Zen of Donkeys

During my yoga class this morning, as I lay in Shivasana pose, attempting to rid my mind of pesky thoughts, an image of the donkeys moved into view.  They were standing in the winter sun, as they often do, with their thick winter coats ‘fluffed up’ (How do they do that?  When a bare hand is held lightly on the coat, the heat that it traps tickles the skin.).  At that instant I became aware of a palpable feeling of relaxation: it was the stillness of the donkeys that was serving to soothe.

No matter the season, donkeys pass a significant amount of time each day just standing still.  I used to wonder what they might be thinking during those times but, then, after I started to practice yoga my impression changed.  I have concluded that, like yogic stillness, it is for them, as it should be for us, about be-ing.  Breathing in and breathing out.  Living in the now.  That is the gift of life.

PROPERTY VS SENTIENCE

In the 19th Century, when federal legisation was first enacted regarding the Criminal Code: Crimes Against Animals Section in Canada, animals were viewed as property.  They were put into the same category as furniture or machinery, able to be bought and sold with no strings attached and with the assumption that the right of ownership conferred absolute control over the lives involved. 

 This was allowed because general assumptions in that era were that animals had no souls and, therefore, that they were subhuman, unable to experience pain or feelings.  Animal abuse was generally ignored in courts of law.

Nowadays, in the 21st Century, we know better.  Both anecdoteally and scientifically, the proof is overwhelming: animals are sentient creatures, just like humans are.  Both feel pain, both experience loss and both welcome pleasure.

So, what are we to do with these facts?  They are impossible to ignore and they are the reason why we are so frustrated in our attempts to revise and amend the 19th Century legislation.  Attempts at change revolve around penalties and definitions of ‘wilful neglect’ when they should, firstly, address the basic assumptions.  Owning something that is called ‘property’ requires no particular ethical behaviour on the part of the owner.  Caring for a sentient creature demands an entirely different degree of responsibility and suggests a need for effective controls over aberrant behaviour on the part of the care giver.

The reality of sentience forces one to make a dramatic shift in standards and expectations when it comes to  relations with the other animals on this earth. 

What does its general acceptance mean to our country’s approach to matters of animal welfare?

Sandra Pady, DSC Executive Director

Rescued

They are a jennet and her foal and they are alive today because a few people cared enough to intervene.  The donkeys were living on a farm in Ontario where the owners were only in residence on weekends.  The fact that there was no one on site for much of the time was the first milepost on the road to neglect and abuse.  The second was reached when the owners failed to leave food and water before a significant snowfall occurred.  The third, as bad as the others, was that the donkeys had no shelter.

Fortunately, for these helpless creatures, some observant neighbours recognized that the animals were in need and so they contacted the local SPCA.  Days passed while proper procedures were followed; a notice of abandonment had to be posted; and then, finally, the donkeys were trailered to safety and proper medical care, both weak and emaciated and the mother unable to stand.

We will wait to see if the owners are held responsible for their care-less behaviour.

In the meantime, it is best for us to concentrate on the heroic actions of the rescuers.  They were determined that the donkeys should be moved to safety and allowed to live under positive conditions of care.  These people did not give up and they stayed as closely involved as they could while the legal process ground on.  These responsible citizens deserve our highest praise.

Sometimes we have to push and push in order to save animals’ lives.

Sandra Pady, DSC Executive Director

donkeys and christmas

It’s such a familiar image: a little donkey carrying a pregnant woman on its back, while a man walks ahead, hand lightly on the rein. The next scene, of course, is the interior of a stable where several animals, the donkey included, surround a manger that holds the new born child.  A child destined to become a man whose message would change the world.

I have often marvelled at the fact that a donkey would be such an integral part of the Christmas story.  Then, again, we are told that Mary and Joseph were peasants and so the choice of the donkey becomes clear serving, as it does, to signal their poverty and their insignificant place in the general society.

At the same time, though, there is another dimension to that familiar image.  You see, it was thanks to the donkey’s strength and fortitude that the trip could even take place.  Without the contribution of that stoical beast of burden, the humans would not have been able to play their part in those awe – some events. 

Just by shifting the lens a little, the picture changes and suddenly there is importance, significance where there was none before. 

The human effort, worthy as it is, is not everything.  We depend on so many other creatures of the earth as we move along the road of life.  And now, more than ever before, our future depends on our recognition of the interconnectedness of all beings.  Mary and Joseph – and a donkey – made the trip to Bethlehem.

Welcome to The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada’s blog.

We are new to the world of blogging, but have significant experience in the realm of animal welfare. The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada has been rescuing donkeys, mules and hinnies since 1992, and we are committed to not only the well-being of all animals, but also to the promotion of humane education. We strive to make the world a better place for animals and humans alike. We look forward to sharing our thoughts with you.