Helping donkeys in distress
If you love animals, you’ll love Liberté des Anes, a donkey sanctuary near Montaigu de Quercy in the north of the Tarn etGaronne
The instructions told us “continue on through the woods and you think, do they really live here? And at the end of that track is our house!” Very true. Finding the Liberté des Anes donkey sanctuary is a bit of an adventure in itself, but it’s worth it.
Jan Lemmy had worked in the renowned Donkey sanctuary near Sidmouth in Devon for 20 years. It was natural, therefore, for her to want to continue this useful work in France. In 2009 she and her partner Gerrit Hemeltjen set up Liberté des Anes to give a home to donkeys who needed one.
Liberté des Anes is a registered charity. It takes in mainly donkeys, but occasionally horses, mules and ponies, who have been ill-treated or who have been sent to the abbatoir to be killed for meat. if they are injured or do not have the relevant papers then the butchers often get in touch to see if they can offload that particular animal as a donkey with an injury — in their system it would not pass the high levels set for meat at the abbatoir !
The animals then receive whatever treatment is necessary to restore them to the best possible health. They spend their days grazing in open fields and are given all the love and affection they may have lacked in the past.
“Finding donkeys to live in the sanctuary isn’t difficult,” said Jan. “We save some from the butcher’s yard or the horse market, which sends horses and donkeys to Italy for meat. Others come from homes where they were neglected and left to run wild with no handling. When this happens, the donkeys develop overgrown hooves and are often in a lot of pain.”
Twenty-four donkeys and horses live in the sanctuary’s 11 hectares of land. They are divided into various groups and spend lazy days outdoors. It can take some time to nurse a sick donkey back to reasonable health. When Myrte first arrived, his hooves had not been trimmed for a long time. He needs regular farrier treatment to help him walk properly. It took a while before his legs and tendons are free from pain.
Loic and Fabien came from the same place. Loic had been left to run wild in a
field and Fabien had been neglected. Fabien had been in a large barn, when its tin roof fell down and he is now is easily frightened. Both donkeys are enjoying their new life.
Newcomers often need a lot of dental treatment. Babouche, an elderly white donkey, had never visited the dentist in her previous life so she required extensive treatment when she arrived. Savane, a large grey donkey, has top front teeth that have worn down to nothing, yet still manages to give a gummy smile.
Jan and Gerrit always keep an eye open for donkeys in distress. “If you see a donkey being ill-treated, please e-mail us. Either we’ll pay a visit ourselves or send someone to visit the owner. We do need precise directions, as being told there is a donkey in a field near, say, Caylus is not very helpful.”
The sanctuary also provides shelter for horses and mules. Thalie is a very large brown mule. When she retired, she came to join her former working partner Bimbo. They had been the front pair of a team of four driving horses. It was touching to see their reunion, when Thalie was reunited with Bimbo. They now live contentedly in the same field rolling in the mud ,whenever the fancy takes them.
“We found Rosalie at the butcher’s yard, when we were collecting a donkey with terribly long hooves,” said Jan. “She is just a young horse, three years old. As we have handled her with care, she stays quiet. She lives with Rapiette a miniature Shetland pony. Rapiette has bad hips and needs pain killers for them. We have another Shetland pony called Toffee after her toffee colouring. She lives with Lilly a dark, brown donkey. They both came from a couple who could no longer keep them. Since Toffee and Lilly are over fond of their food, we have to keep them on a diet.”
A rewarding side of the sanctuary’s work is finding homes for animals restored to good health. When I visited last year, there were six donkeys looking for loving, caring homes. They included Blanchette, who was found in a very unhappy state, blind in one eye and very lame, and Ninon a young mule, who worked in a circus. You would need a couple of acres, a field shelter or barn — and a love of donkeys of course.
Looking after the animals is expensive. It is expensive paying for hay as well as medical and farriers’ bills, so any contributions are welcome. If you want to help the valuable work being done, you can become a “Friend of the Donkeys” for an annual donation of €25 euros — only €5 for children. Alternatively you can become a member of “Liberté des Anes” for a monthly minimum donation of €10 euros (€120 a year).
Open days are held regularly to enable people to meet the donkeys and learn about their care. An excellent, good value lunch is also available and there are furry animals toys, bric a brac and books for sale. The address is Liberté des Anes, Lavolvene, 82150 Belveze.
The email address is libertedesanes@gmail.com and the website is
