Making new friends at Flicka Foundation
CHRISTMAS is the perfect time for giving and sharing with loved ones and friends – whether you are human or equine.
Hearts at the Flicka Foundation in Cornwall have been warmed this month as a friendship between three of the charity’s smallest four-legged residents has blossomed, bringing some much-needed festive cheer after what has been a challenging year.
Miniature donkeys Tinsel and Sparkle found themselves homeless with an uncertain future when the failing health of their previous owners meant they could no longer care for them. The Flicka Foundation, based near Penryn, offered to give the mother and daughter pair sanctuary and they have been settling in well ever since.
Tinsel had to undergo surgery for an untreated ailment during lockdown, but she made a swift recovery in the charity’s special care area, with Sparkle duly keeping her company, so it was then decided to introduce the duo to some new friends.
Miniature mule Tinkerbelle was an obvious choice, with her friendly personality and similar stature. Tinkerbelle has already been living at the Flicka Foundation for a couple of years after she also found herself in need of help, when her owners could no longer care for her. She could not find a home anywhere and her future looked bleak, until the charity stepped in to assist.
As Charlotte Main, equine manager at the Flicka Foundation, explains, the introduction has been a success. She says: “It’s lovely to see Tinsel and Sparkle meeting our other residents and settling in so well. They have a home for life with us now and they are free to spend their days exactly as they please. They can graze in their paddocks, relax in their cosy indoor barn or play and socialise with their new-found friends!
“All three girls already had their names before they arrived with us, so it’s a lovely coincidence that they have become friends and can now be our donkey ambassadors for Christmas. It has been a tough year for us, but successes like this one are heart-warming and really remind us why we do what we do here.”
As well as a number of miniature donkeys and ponies, the Flicka Foundation’s site is currently home to over 80 other donkeys and 25 horses, many of which have been rescued from conditions of abuse and neglect. It is not currently open to visitors due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the charity’s staff say they are planning on opening in the New Year and look forward to welcoming visitors again.
For further information, to donate or to adopt a donkey for Christmas, visit www.flickafoundation.org.uk