http://www.elrefugiodelburrito.com/en
The sanctuary is such a lovely place, set in the middle of the countryside, it is incredibly peaceful and it's always nice to just wander around watching the donkeys going about their business.
When we arrived it was feeding time so most of the donkeys were busy eating their feed, but several of them still took the time to come over to the fence of their paddocks to greet us!
As it happened, Jake, my husbands grandson, wasn't particularly interested in the donkeys, preferring to play on the childrens slide instead, but luckily Devlin was delighted to see them and really wanted to get 'up close and personal' with them. However, we had to be quite careful as the donkeys liked him a little bit too much and thought he'd make a tasty dessert after they'd finished their lunch!!
Devlin wanted to ride one of the donkeys but had to be content with pretending to ride, by sitting astride the fence!
Pausing at the Pozo de los Deseos, or Wishing Well.....I wonder what Devlin wished for?
These donkeys are part of the sanctuary's 'adoption' scheme. For a minimum donation of €15 you can 'adopt' one of the donkeys and you receive newsletters and a certificate. For several years we've adopted Leon who was rescued from Naples Zoo in Italy! Most of the donkeys are rescued from all over Spain and the rest of Europe. Sadly, most have been abused or neglected, but some are brought there by their former owners, who can no longer afford to keep them once the donkey is too old to work anymore.
Taking a respite from the heat! Devlin was glad of his cap but really should have worn a tee shirt rather than his hoodie!
A close up of my handsome blond boy from 1969!
After a stroll around the paddocks in the heat, we took a look in the Sanctury's shop, where they sell a selection of items to help raise funds for donkeys keep. Devlin finally got a ride on a donkey....although this one was made of woven straw!!!
