Jack is an 18 year old gelding (male) donkey standing at 10.2 hands. He was rescued with three other donkeys in
1995 from a village near Blackwood in the Rhondda Valley. At the time, he was suffering from malnutrition and had severe pneumonia due to prolonged exposure to wind and rain with no shelter. Unlike horses and ponies, donkeys do not have such an effective natural waterproof protection in their coat.
Upon arrival at the Sanctuary, Jack was examined by a vet and received treatment for worms and ticks as well as antibiotics for his pneumonia. Today he is a very fit and healthy donkey. Jack shares a stable with his close friend Charlie, with whom he was rescued. They have a very happy and peaceful life at the Sanctuary and have forgotten the neglect they suffered together in the past.
Jack enjoys going out to country shows and steam rallies. He is an important member of our donkey working display team who demonstrate how donkeys were kept as working animals in the days before mechanisation.
Jack has also been seen on television. In 1997, Jack and three of his donkey friends from the Sanctuary were involved in filming the BBC1 children’s series The Phoenix and the Carpet. Despite the distractions of the cameras, people, lights and even wind machines, Jack behaved himself impeccably.