Mildred
Mildred in May 2003
Mildred's story
Mildred was in her early twenties when she came to the Shelter three years ago. A lady had purchased a property in Daylesford and found Mildred abandoned there.She was surrendered to Donkey Shelter where she quickly settled in and enjoyed the company of the rest of the herd. She then found a home with a carer and she and another donkey went to live in Gippsland.
Unfortunately the carer could not catch Mildred, so she never bothered to get the farrier to attend to her hooves. This was noticed on one of Donkey Shelter's regular visits to check on Mildred's progress. In addition she was found to have lost a lot of weight, so she and her friend were returned to the Shelter.
Whilst she settled in again quickly, she continued to lose weight. The vet was consulted and he diagnosed a tooth problem: her back teeth were no longer able to chew grass or hay. Because of this she has to be fed chaff for the rest of her life.
Mildred was put on an intensive feeding plan with highly nutritious food several times a day. She started to recover and is now very well-conditioned. Although she will always have to be fed on chaff, and have regular dental check ups, her condition is now considered stable.
Mildred is a wonderful donkey. She is happy and content and because of her condition she will remain at Donkey Shelter for the rest of her life.
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