This Sunday (August 20), PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary in Roseneath is celebrating a very special occasion: the 49th birthday of the sanctuary’s late namesake, the very donkey who started it all.
All are welcome to visit the sanctuary at 1296 Bowmanton Road in Roseneath for an afternoon of celebration with cupcakes, lemonade, iced tea, and the chance to interact with the sanctuary’s donkeys.
The PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary is a registered charity that takes in abused, neglected, and rescued donkeys. Every Sunday and Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., the sanctuary is open to the public to pet and interact with a few animals and to learn all about them from the volunteers. Guests can also book hour-long private tours to see the whole six-acre property including the barn and farm.
PrimRose the donkey was 20 years old in 1994 when Sheila Burns, the sanctuary’s founder and proprietor, adopted her after moving to Georgetown. She wanted to house some animals in her barn, so when the opportunity to adopt some donkeys came up, she warmly welcomed PrimRose and her four-month-old daughter Jilly.
At the time, Burns had no idea that the two animals would eventually encourage her to start her own sanctuary. Before PrimRose came into her life, she had never so much pet a donkey let alone cared for one.
“The two of them taught me everything that I know today,” explains Burns, adding that she got a “warm fuzzy feeling” when she first met PrimRose. “She was just so easy to get along with. She was so patient and understanding.”
VIDEO: PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary (2015)
After her experience with PrimRose, Burns couldn’t say no to adopting more donkeys. She says she would go to farms with the intention of picking up one or two donkeys, only to return home with four.
“These animals are amazing and they’re so misunderstood and so ill-treated,” she points out.
While still living in Georgetown in 2000, she and her husband were visiting her parents when they came across a property for sale in Roseneath. Though they had no intention of moving, they decided to take a tour and ended up purchasing the property within three days.
“It just all kind of fell into place,” Burns recalls. “It was meant to be. I believe there’s a reason for everything in my life. And there was a reason why we turned right on Bowmanton Road that day. It just started the whole deal.”
Though she was moving to Roseneath with 12 donkeys in tow, she had no intention of starting a sanctuary. But within a few days of being there, people were already reaching out about abused and neglected donkeys. She continued to take them in, before eventually deciding to become a sanctuary in 2001 and then a registered charity in 2005.
Now, despite the constant flux of getting new donkeys and then adopting them out, Primrose Donkey Sanctuary has upwards of 60 donkeys and mules. The charity also makes space for a few other animals and is the current home of a potbellied pig named Dave, a sheep named Lamont, a goat named Preston, and roughly 20 cats.
With so many animals to care for, Burns relies on help from the community for donations and volunteer support. She says she’s very grateful to have a line-up of more than 30 dedicated volunteers who regularly come to the farm to help with its day-to-day function — including some who have been helping at the sanctuary for over 15 years now.
“The donkeys just take everybody’s heart, so every volunteer has a favourite donkey, and that makes them want to come,” she explains, adding that the volunteers often become very close with each other. “The volunteers are so dedicated. I depend on them all greatly.”
Along with feeding the animals and cleaning up after them, the volunteers alert Burns if any of the animals are acting strange or seem unwell.
“Donkeys can withstand pain more than other animals,” Burns notes. “You don’t know if they’re sick until it’s almost the bitter end, so you really got to keep your eyes open. You have to know your donkey. You have to know what their day-to-day behaviour is so you can figure out what’s going on with them.”
To express her gratitude to her volunteers, Burns tells the story of Holly, a donkey she welcomed to the sanctuary back in January 2022. Holly was sick and thin, with her hips in such poor shape she couldn’t stand. The resident vet said Holly wouldn’t survive for more than four days.
But, between Burns and one volunteer who stayed by Holly’s side every morning for three weeks, Holly eventually stood up and remains healthy to this day.
“She looked at me and she almost said like ‘Hi, mom. I’m good’,” Burns recalls of Holly’s recovery, adding that seeing animals recover is her favourite part of operating the sanctuary. “And now she’s out there, she’s feisty, she’s got personality, she’s got attitude.”
In fact, Burns says each one of the donkeys at her sanctuary has a distinct personality.
“We’ve got some that are nudgers (and) some that might just stand beside you and kind of lean on you. There are others that really don’t want to give you the time of day, until they come up to you on their terms. A lot of them have been through difficult situations and we’ve had to take the time to reinforce that they’re in a safe place, and that no harm is ever going to come to them.”
As for this weekend’s honoree, PrimRose, Burns says the donkey showed her creative and independent personality with her signature look: she always wore her halter off centre.
“That was her fashion statement — if you straightened it out, two seconds later, it was on an angle again,” says Burns with a laugh, adding that PrimRose also dressed up in pearls and a tiara every year for her birthday celebration.
Living under Burns’ care for 27 years before she passed away in February 2021 in her 47th year, PrimRose was the sanctuary’s representative or “ambassador donkey,” and would frequent community events and fundraisers. Burns says PrimRose held this role by being a very “stoic” and calming presence.
From 1 to 3 p.m. on August 20, PrimRose’s legacy will be celebrated with cupcakes, iced tea, lemonade, and a granola cake made especially for the donkeys — just as PrimRose would have wanted.
“PrimRose loved cake,” Burns says. “She loved cookies, cupcakes … anything (like that). Anything with an icing, she loved. You had to really watch her around it.”
Burns says she’ll never stop celebrating the birthday of her beloved donkey that started it all.
“She was such a big part of my life and such a big part of establishing this sanctuary for other donkeys. It’s hard to not miss her. It’s hard to not miss an animal that you’ve loved so dearly and has been such a big part of what you’ve become.”
Following PrimRose’s birthday party, you can find Burns with the sanctuary’s new resident ambassador donkey, Raspberry, at the Port Hope Fair in September. The next sanctuary gatherings will be an early celebration of World Animal Day on Sunday, September 24th and the ninth annual evening of holiday caroling with the donkeys on Sunday, December 10th.
PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary is located at 1296 Bowmanton Road in Roseneath and is open for curbside visits from the public every Thursday and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. Personal tours are also available for $20 per person.
The sanctuary is always looking for more volunteers to care for the animals and to look after visitors. To learn more about PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary, or to sign up as a volunteer or make a donation, visit www.primrosedonkeysanctuary.com.
For the latest updates, you can follow the sanctuary on Facebook.
