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The Sanctuary Residents
As at June 2026, the sanctuary in Israel is home to 49 donkeys and 3 horses, most of the them have been rescued in Israel or the Palestinian West Bank from appalling circumstances, abuse or because they were abandoned, plus 40+ rescued cats and 2 rescued dogs. Here, we would like to introduce you to many of the equine residents and their stories.
Printable Donkey Book
One of our loyal supporters, Biggi, who has been out to volunteer at the sanctuary on many occasions, has kindly put together a printable booklet containing most of the sanctuary's donkey residents as of July 2020. All you need is Acrobat Reader. The file size is approx 9MB.
Chips
Chips came to us in Spring 2023 together with his owner Eyal. Chips became an orphan as a baby when the 'donkey dealer' who owned them sold the mother, leaving Chips all alone until Eyal heard about him and bought him from the dealer. When Eyal was looking for somewhere to leave Chips while he worked, he found us on Facebook, In exchange for his help with repairs and building things as well as providing security at night, we offered for him to move onto the premises with his caravan.
Rolo
Rolo, so named because he’s brown, small, round and sweet, was seen pulling his cart at a busy market, being repeatedly beaten. He needed a safe place where he could be treated and taken care of, so Lucy was asked if she could take him to the sanctuary. He has been living a happy life at the sanctuary ever since.
Sergio
Sergio was found running terrified on a busy main road narrowly missing a collision. He’s another adorable soul, approximately 7 years old. Due to space issues he was stabled with recent rescue Chico who, being a youngster, at first tried asserting his authority over the older gentleman. Be he soon realised that to just relax and munch hay with Sergio, occasionally grooming him, would be far better! Now the two are pretty much inseparable.
Leah
Leah who was around 15 when she was rescued in October 2020 probably came from a Bedouin camp in the desert near Bethlehem. She is has a hole in her head, most likely caused by being bludgeoned with a hard metal object. Her left eye is damaged (perhaps due to the bludgeoning or something else) and she has no sight. It looks as though the eye has somehow been deliberately dug out, definitely not surgically removed. She also has an old, internal fracture injury to her left front leg.
Charlie
Charlie was found wandering terrified on a main road through the nearby Arab village of Qalansuwa, at night. When he was found, he was already gelded and his general body condition was good but he is extremely afraid of people and tends to cower when approached. He is also very stubborn, possibly due to the fact that he has some blindness which may be a reason why he was unwanted and so left abandoned on the streets. We believe he was around 12/13 years old when we rescued him in late 2025.
Elsa
Elsa was found wandering around the streets in an industrial area in the town of Hadera. Fortunately, she was taken in by a kind man who called us for help. Elsa had a little sign tied around her neck with a phone number and a warning not to touch her as she bites... she doesn't. She's a gentle little soul. We did call the number over the course of a few days but nobody ever answered.
Lily
Lily was badly abused by young boys and was very timid. It's likely that she has only ever experienced beatings and rough handling, no gentle hand to stroke her or soft words in her velvet ears. For that reason, it took her a little more time to accept and understand that nobody would hurt her ever again, and that she is safe and her every need will be provided for.
Erika
When Erika was rescued from the Palestinian city of Tulkarem, she wasn't even a year old, but was being brutally beaten and ridden by young boys. Thankfully her wounds weren't too deep and she healed very quickly. Perhaps because she was rescued so young and hadn't yet endured a lifetime of abuse, she very quickly showed trust and appreciation towards her rescuers and now lives a content life at the sanctuary.
John and Siggi
Siggi was seen by one of the border patrol army units standing harnessed to a cart for two days under the boiling sun with no water. The unhitched her harness and cart and led her away. Her feet were a bit overgrown and she had a wounded nose but thankfully it was just superficial from chafing, nothing deep. Lucy cleaned it and applied cream and it has healed beautifully since. Siggi was about 6 or 7 years old and pregnant when she was rescued and later gave birth to her beautiful foal, John.
Bilbo
Bilbo's mother Crystal was pregnant when she came to the sanctuary with her daughter Bella in 2016. Crystal and Bella were inseparable so lucky Bilbo had two doting mummies until, sadly, Crystal passed away unexpectedly in early 2020. Bilbo has grown into a confident young donkey.
David
David and Barbara were confiscated from a Jewish settlement by the authorities after complaints of "two donkeys running around the streets and boys riding and mercilessly beating them", but the boys found where the donkeys were kept overnight, broke in and took them back. A wonderful teaching named Daniel and his little group of animal protection warrior boys, however, noticed this and took the donkeys back and kept them safely until Lucy and her team arrived to take the donkeys to the sanctuary.
Bear
Bear's owner was arrested by the Israel Border Police, and Bear was then passed by the police to an army outpost where the soldiers found themselves stuck with a donkey they didn't know what to do with. We were called to the rescue and took Bear back to our little sanctuary. He is a beautiful soul. He's in a good condition and is so friendly. He sort of resembles a big brown bear so we decided to name him 'Bear Grylls' after the British Adventurer and TV presenter.
Noah
Noah was confiscated by the Israeli Army from his Palestinian owner when he was seen cowering as his owner beat him. He's a dear boy despite having been so badly abused and when he arrived at the sanctuary, he waled in as good as gold amidst lots of ee-oors! He has quite a scarred nose and has very wrinkled skin because of his multiple chains that were used to 'control' him, but body condition-wise, he is quite good.
Moses
Moses was a very badly abused donkey who was found being brutally beaten, and Lucy took him whilst he was still half harnessed. He has a scarred nose from his chains and initially was so afraid of people that he used to hold his little tail between his legs when Lucy approached him, however, calmly and slowly she tried to do it. With a lot of patience and love, he has come round to understanding he is not going to be hurt ever again.
Ginger
Ginger was found abandoned in the Palestinian city, Qalqilya. She is very small and looks as though she was separated from her mother at too early an age but just like our little Fresco, she learned early on to be independent and survive agains the odds. She has a wonderful ginger brown cross on her back and ginger streaks through her mane and on her strikingly beautiful ears!
Barbara
Barbara was confiscated, along with David, from a Jewish settlement by the authorities after complaints of "two donkeys running around the streets and boys riding and mercilessly beating them" but the boys found where the donkeys were kept overnight, broke in and took them back. A wonderful teaching named Daniel and his little group of animal protection warrior boys, however, noticed this and took the donkeys back and kept them safely until Lucy and her team arrived to take the donkeys to the sanctuary.
Gretel
A lady in Tara told us she had seen a donkey abandoned in an open area with a rope tied tightly around her front leg and wounds on her body. We think she was a working donkey who had been left by her Palestinian owners for the weekend while they crossed back over the border from Israel to the West Bank for a few days, until they would return. But of course the donkey was left without any water, food or shade and we took her with us.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah was confiscated by the Israeli Army at the border in November 2017. He belonged to children who were beating him on his raw open wounds! Thankfully, they called Lucy who took him in. It took a while and a lot of care, but finally his wounds healed and he is enjoying life at the sanctuary. He is the sweetest, gentlest boy, despite what he's been through.
Mac
Our beautiful, golden Mac was found, a little lost, wandering donkey in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya. Luckily he was seen by our Palestinian farrier and outreach assistant, Khaled, who took him back to his yard until we were able to pick him up. Now he loves playing and having fun and games with our other boy donkeys.
Chico
Chico was helped by a kind lady living next to the border between Israel and Palestine in September 2020, at which point his age was guessed at about one and a half years old. He had lots of scars and smaller cuts as well as quite a deep saddle pack wound to his back which was immediately treated with antibiotics, a special wound healing cream, dressings and bandages. As he was an entire male, he was also gelded at the sanctuary and has since made lots of lovely, new animal friends.
Shanaya
Sweet Shanaya was was left tethered with chains and ropes around her neck, under the sun in the boiling July temperatures, without water. Thankfully the police were called to make sure she was guarded until we could arrange for her to be safely brought to Lucy's sanctuary, where she seemed to immediately feel comfortable, had a long drink of water and a lovely munch of plentiful hay. Although she is still only young, it’s clear to see she’s already led a hard life.
Shayne
Shayne was confiscated by the Israeli police when he was seen being abused while pulling a cart in a local village. He’s strong and well built and for that, he’s so obviously been fully taken advantage of. He’s been worked so hard and has such a badly scarred nose caused by the chains used to control him, yet he’s the sweetest, gentlest soul and is so grateful to be with us.
Stevie (Little Stephen)
Stevie was rescued by a kind Bedouin man in Southern Israel who had seen local children riding and abusing this donkey. He offered the youngsters money just to get Stevie away from the daily torture he had to endure. Though still young, Stevie has some an eyesight degeneration and has had to live his life at the ‘mercy’ of his abusers, despite the fact that he can barely see. His body is covered in scars but despite all he has been through, he’s calm and seems to appreciate a gentle human touch.
Gideon II
Gideon II was rescued after two kind people spotted him stranded in the heavy pouring rain and floods with ropes around his neck in January 2020. He was soaked to the bone and turned out to be an ungelded male with a round tummy, rather than a pregnant female as his two rescuers first believed! After settling in, he was gelded a couple of days later. He was named after Lucy's beloved rescue donkey Gideon who has been missing since the arson attack on the old sanctuary in the summer of 2017.
Arnold
Dear old Arnold was terribly abused at a market after being left abandoned in torrential rain. He was found by youngsters who decided to torment him and stone him and it took a week or so to secure his rescue. He is so grateful to be at the sanctuary, despite the abuse he’s suffered and the discomfort of his wounds and scars. He is a gentle and calm little donkey who has immediately found his place within our herd.
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