Our Equine Care Programme Coordinator Elisa Geskou continues to maintain contact with Jani from Happy Ears, the donkey sanctuary providing a comfortable retirement for donkeys in Rhodes. Following the dentistry services offered by our dental technician Alkis in July, Jani requested our support with farriery. Consequently, farrier Vaios Bakratsas visited Happy Ears on the 7th of October 2025, to provide farriery services to 19 donkeys.
The donkeys in Happy Ears donkey shelter have ample space to move and exercise daily, therefore they required nothing more than routine hoof trimming. No significant hoof problems were observed, except for one donkey with thrush on the sole and another showing signs of seedy toe. Jani provides an excellent quality of life for these donkeys and very often receives applications from owners wishing to retire their animals to the sanctuary. However, it is not possible to accommodate all requests. Private initiatives such as Jani’s are commendable and make a significant contribution to the donkey welfare; however, local authorities should develop a plan to ensure proper care for the island’s working donkeys upon retirement.
The cost of the outreach was completely covered by the shelter.
Animal Action Greece and Happy Ears are looking forward to collaborate further in the future, to achieve the maximum in the welfare of working and retired donkeys in Rhodes.
