Fergus and Yorkie Boy help guardian Paula keep going

A pair of donkeys who moved to Northumberland as part of our rehoming scheme have been credited as saviours by their Guardian during the most difficult period of her life.

For three joyous months in 2021, Paula’s life was bliss. She had achieved her lifelong ambition of caring for donkeys, welcoming two long-eared friends through our rehoming scheme.

She had completed the purchase a new house in Northumberland, complete with spacious land where her equine companions, Fergus and Yorkie Boy, could explore and play freely. Paula was looking to the future.

Then disaster struck overnight.

Paula’s husband of 27 years Phil had a stroke, which required immediate hospitalisation. Phil’s health was already fragile – in 2008, he had developed severe rheumatoid arthritis, which had caused further problems with his spine in later years.

Tragically, nine months after Phil’s stroke, Paula said her final goodbyes to her beloved husband, who never made it home.

It was a devastating blow for Paula, but she kept going for the sake of Yorkie Boy and Fergus.

She credits the donkeys as ‘saviours’ and the driving force behind her remarkable resolve during the most difficult period of her life.

“They were my reason to get up every morning,” she says. “And my reason to keep pushing on.”

Smiles in Sidmouth

Caring for donkeys had always been high up on Paula’s list of life goals. “I’ve loved donkeys ever since I was a child,” she says. “I have always likened myself to a donkey, as they are always carrying heavy loads.”

Five years ago, Paula and Phil shared a special experience at our Sidmouth headquarters as part of a VIP visit, when they were given the opportunity to help move some donkeys from one paddock to another.

Being up close and personal with such special animals kickstarted Paula’s dream of owning donkeys, and upon returning home, she and Phil set out to purchase a property with them in mind.

Their search began in Devon, but eventually took them all the way to Northumberland, where they purchased their dream property.

They then got in touch with us and stated their intention to join our Guardian scheme.

“Phil originally suggested we move to Devon so we could be closer to The Donkey Sanctuary,” Paula recalls. “I said I would only move if we could take in two donkeys.

“He made it his mission to find a property with a field that could house two donkeys. As luck would have it, the property we found in Northumberland was only a short walk away from my sister.”

After navigating a tricky period of two lockdowns enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic, Paula and Phil finally became Donkey Guardians through our rehoming scheme.

It was all systems go at their home as well. The pair constructed a purpose-built stable and installed hardstanding on their property, before meeting with Donkey Welfare Adviser Sally Bamforth, who informed them of two donkeys who were looking for a new home.

“Before we even saw the donkeys, we said yes!” Paula says. “We had waited for this for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I was ecstatic, so excited. It was a magnificent feeling, knowing that my dream was eventually about to become real.”

Two long-eared arrivals

On 21 July 2021, Paula’s lifetime goal of caring for donkeys was realised.

The doors of the transport vehicle swung open and Yorkie Boy and Fergus gently made their way down the track to their new home.

“I had been on tenterhooks all day,” Paula recalls. “Then we saw the transport vehicle reverse down the lane and knew what we had been waiting for, for so long, was happening.”

It didn’t take long for Yorkie Boy and Fergus to become settled in their new home.

Paula and Phil worked diligently to provide them with the best life possible, occasionally calling on Sally’s expertise when they had any questions or issues.

“When we first welcomed Yorkie Boy and Fergus, we were going through all the Guardian training we had completed, ” Paula says. “We were giving them distance when walking around their rumps, we made sure we groomed them as we were taught.

“Everything was by the book and replicated from the day of training we took part in at The Donkey Sanctuary. We were so conscious about everything they were doing, and how we were acting.

“It’s funny in a way, because now I know what Yorkie Boy and Fergus like and what they are going to do before they even do it. I can read their body language – the ear flicks and the swish of their tails – and know what they are going to do and why they are going to do it.

“We know each other so well, and have grown together so much.”

From happiness to heartbreak

In the three months following Yorkie Boy and Fergus’ arrival, life couldn’t have been better for Paula. But her world turned upside down following Phil’s stroke in mid-October and eventual passing in July the following year.

In the nine months between Phil’s stroke and his death, Paula had to split her time caring for Yorkie Boy and Fergus, working in her profession and visiting her husband, firstly in the hospital and then at a residential home where he received round-the-clock care.

“So much was happening all the time,” she recalls. “Then, one day I noticed a small lump on Yorkie Boy’s stomach.”

Paula arranged for a vet to visit her home and the lump was diagnosed as a sarcoid – an invasive localised tumour that could have life-threatening consequences if left untreated.

“Yorkie Boy required surgery on the sarcoid,” Paula says. “Then we found two further sarcoids that needed to be removed.

“I remember coming home and having to treat this large post-surgery wound on Yorkie Boy’s underside, not really having a clue what to do.

“Phil had been moved to a residential home and was completely bedbound. I had also lost one of my cats who had been pining for Phil.

“I felt like one of those inflatable tube men you see outside car dealerships. Every day, something would smack me and knock me over and I’d be forced to get back up with a smile on my face.

“Without Yorkie Boy and Fergus, I would have crumbled. Every day, they gave something back and kept me strong.”

Even though Yorkie Boy and Fergus were still settling into their new home, their innate sense of empathy was displayed in a particularly touching moment that Paula will never forget.

“It’s one of my most vivid memories of that time period,” she says. “It was the Sunday morning after Phil’s stroke. I hadn’t had much sleep, and I went down to the boys in the morning.

“I remember just crying and they both immediately came up to me. Fergus nuzzled in for a cuddle, and Yorkie Boy gently rested his chin on Fergus’ rump.

“We were all still and silent in that moment, and it felt like the donkeys had come to cry with me. To share in that experience, so early on, was special and something I’m never going to forget. It’s that very moment that reinforced my drive to keep going – I needed that affection to stay strong and they gave it.

“There were moments that I had been worried I wasn’t giving the boys enough time and attention. Because of what they had given me and how much they helped me, I had to continue.”

Keeping each other happy

More than two years on from Phil’s passing, Paula dedicates her time to ensuring that Yorkie Boy and Fergus lead their best lives in Northumberland.

“Hopefully we’ll have many happy years together,” she says. “I am sure they enjoy living here. They are so chilled, despite being teenagers, and they are very content in each other’s company.

“Phil went out of his way when he was here to find us our home and get a stable built so we could care for donkeys.

“I think he would be really pleased to see that we are keeping each other happy.”