Remembering Ruby

Ruby had a history of severe arthritis and had been undergoing long-term treatment to help manage her condition. She also had another condition called Chronic Progressive Lymphedema, which caused painful sores on her legs, requiring daily treatment.

On Thursday 2 May, Ruby's grooms noticed she was lame on her left front leg, and our vets quickly diagnosed an abscess in her foot. Although our vets worked quickly to drain the abscess, Ruby did not respond to treatment as we’d hoped and sadly, her condition deteriorated over the following 48 hours.

Every donkey in our care receives expert veterinary treatment tailored to their individual needs. Due to her medical history and the abscess in her foot affecting her quality of life, our team made the heartbreaking decision to gently put Ruby to sleep. She passed away peacefully, with her friends Wonkey and Drizzle, and her loving grooms by her side. 

A tribute to Ruby

Ruby’s affectionate nature and ability to get up to all kinds of antics, made her a truly loveable and popular character at our Sidmouth Sanctuary for many years.

Maxine Carter, Slade House Farm Manager at The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth, fondly remembers Ruby: “She was one of the friendliest donkeys I had ever met. From the day she arrived to the day she left us, she filled our hearts with joy.

“Ruby always had the enthusiasm to test us by opening gates and letting all her friends out. She loved standing against the fence to enjoy scratches and cuddles from her adoring fans.

“There really was never a dull moment with Ruby, she had the most inquisitive nature. Shelter 1 will be lost without Ruby’s big heart.

"Ruby will forever be remembered as a very special donkey by all those who cared for her, and she will be missed dearly by all her donkey friends. Rest in peace dear Ruby.”

Life at the sanctuary

Born in Blackpool, Ruby was hand-reared by her loving owners when her mother rejected her. This made her very attached to people and she always liked to make her presence felt. She came into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary in May 2009 where she could get the frequent human contact she craved. She loved meeting people and always enjoyed lots of cuddles.

She was one in a million. Loved by everyone for her intelligence, she was always looking for a new way to grab the limelight. Ruby gained a bit of an adventurous reputation over the years for unlocking barn doors and taking entire herds out for evening strolls.

She became firm friends with Wonkey and after many years living in the Main Barn the pair were moved to Shelter 1 in March 2021, where Ruby, who was growing older, would appreciate flatter ground and a smaller group size. She was soon up to old tricks again, managing to open the summer paddock gates and giving grooms the task of ‘Ruby-proofing’ Shelter 1.

A firm favourite among adopters, visitors and webcam viewers alike, Ruby will be sorely missed by all.

Note to Ruby's adopters

We are so sorry to bring you such sad news, but please be assured that there is no need for you to do anything. We will write to you as soon as we can with more information about what this means for your adoption.

Please know that thanks to your generous support, Ruby lived a happy life at The Donkey Sanctuary, where she enjoyed the best care possible in a loving, secure environment.

If you have consented to receive updates from Ruby in the post, you will receive a Spring Update from her next week. Sadly, she passed away after her update had been sent to be printed and mailed and due to the complexities and extra costs involved, we were unable to remove Ruby’s update from this mailing.

In her update, you will read a story about Ruby having healthy hooves, which was correct at the time the update was printed. Unfortunately, her health declined soon after this.

We are so sorry if the update causes you any upset, but we really hope you find some comfort in reading Ruby’s last update and keep it as something special to remember her by.