UK Registered Charity No.1136204

It started with one..............

Hope was our first rescue in January 2004, Dusty the second.
Since then over 400 donkeys have been taken into our refuge here in Corfu.

As a refuge we aim to give:

the old a safe and happy retirement;
the sick a chance of cure;
the injured the chance of recovery;
the abused the chance of regaining trust and hope
and the abandoned the feeling of security again.

By helping us do this, we/you are effectively stopping the transport of Corfu donkeys for slaughter in Italy.

The shelter was founded by Judy Quinn, an Englishwoman who had recently moved to the Island. Seeing the plight of the abandoned and unwanted donkeys, she was moved to help.

The Corfiot Donkey

The first donkey arrived on Corfu from Malta in the 1800’s. Since then they have been imported from mainland Greece, Albania, Cyprus and Eastern European countries. Used for transportation of people and in agriculture, seasonally for the olive harvest, the Corfu donkeys have had to work very hard. This is compounded by their very small size and the lack of equine knowledge to give expert veterinary, foot and dental treatment. Even the traditional Corfiot saddle, the samara, is so badly designed as to cause permanent damage to most donkeys at an early age.

The rapidly declining use of the donkey on Corfu and throughout Greece renders the animals valueless except for export to the Italian meat markets. Corfu Donkey Rescue’s main remit over the years has been to halt the exports by taking in the old, injured and sick donkeys and caring for them here. We believe that after 20 years hard labour they deserve a peaceful retirement as opposed to being discarded in a variety of inhumane methods.

This is an expensive business and has been fraught with difficulties in the past with officialdom and neighbours, not to mention financial problems. However, there is now much light on the horizon, we have opened a new shelter at Doukades, have government support (not financial) and a bright future ahead for the remaining Corfiot donkeys.

Through generous donations we have secured our own land, a large American Barn stabling complex and further shelters to house all the donkeys. However, we still are in need of support buildings; hay barn, feed room, store room and other very necessary buildings. And obviously running costs have to be found. We cannot continue, let alone expand without financial support. Please come and visit, see for yourself the work we do, and help us to help the donkeys. The new shelter is a beautiful place to spend a few hours to enjoy the peace and tranquillity that only a donkey can bring to a place.

Please read our monthly blog to keep up to date with all the latest news.

Friends of Corfu Donkey Rescue (FCDR) FCDR is a new charity that has been set up in UK with a full Board of Trustees. It is now a fully registered charity under the control of The Charity Commission, registration number 1136204. Its primary function is to support the activities of CDR and it will do this in two ways - it will raise money in the UK for CDR and it will provide a channel for those who are not sure how to send their donations directly to a bank in Corfu. A key advantage for UK donors will be the opportunity to contribute using Giftaid and other tax advantages which are not available if donating directly to a Greek registered charity. I have personally known the Board of Trustees for many years and I have been involved in the setting up of FCDR. I am more than happy to express my complete trust in this charity.

The new hospital/treatment stables

Hospital interior

The new donkey shelter

Feeding area

Wooded shady area