Gordon was a dappled gray, large Standard donkey with beautiful, shapely ears. He had dwelt for many, many years alone with a horse companion and we understand that their life was quiet, without dramatic incident. Then, one day, as happens to all creatures, unexpected change occurred. It had become necessary for their caretaker to move and she concluded that it would be best for Gordon if he were to be brought to The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada.
Looking back, we can see that it is in situations like this one that the Sanctuary provides an all-important service. We could accommodate Gordon and in mid-2005 he was moved to the DSC Farm. That process, however, was only the beginning. Animals cannot speak; they are unable to tell us how anxious they become whenever there is a change in their environment. Gordon was no exception. Although he was in good physical health, there was a shyness and reluctance that surrounded him like an aura. He was confused by the many new companions in his life and he coped with that by standing alone, preferring to view all of the activity from afar. Although he was gentle, his inclination, when approached, was to move away.
As the weeks passed by, and through consistent, gentle care, Gordon began to relax. In human society, there is a tendency to assume that the other animals can experience great upheaval with little affect to their behaviour or sense of contentment. At the DSC we witness, on a daily basis, that this is not the case. Like humans the other animals need time, a period of adjustment, whenever their world is irrevocably changed.
Gordon, who was born in 1975, lived contentedly at the Sanctuary Farm. Due to his considerable age, he preferred to live quietly in the barnyard amongst his older companions.