Irish woman to “brave the shave” in support of Donegal Donkey Sanctuary

Irish woman Anne Blemings is planning to shave her head as a way to raise funds for the Donegal Donkey Sanctuary, which is facing financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Donegal Donkey Sanctuary, run by Sandra and Danny Curran, rehabilitates and rehomes distressed and neglected donkeys in the undisturbed countryside of Castledooey, Raphoe.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sanctuary has been closed to the public in line with government restrictions and in order to maintain the health of both the staff and the donkeys in their care. The temporary closure means that the Sanctuary will not be hosting visitors during what is typically its busiest time of year.

Though closed to the public for now, Donegal Donkey Sanctuary has been keeping its dedicated followers and supporters updated on the wellbeing of its donkeys:

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Now Irish woman Anne Blemings is going above and beyond to not only raise funds for the organization, but to also raise awareness for the worthy cause.

On her GoFundMe, Blemings wrote: “Donegal Donkey Sanctuary is an amazing organization that provides safety, food, and shelter to animals that have been abandoned, un-cared for and in some cases abused. Sandra and Danny do a fantastic job of caring for these beautiful and gentle animals,  and we have seen how their hard work has brought so many donkeys back to good health.

“Because of the current Covid19 Pandemic, there are no visitors to the Sanctuary and funding is harder than ever.

“For this reason, I am braving the shave! I would love it if you could help me raise much-needed money for Donegal Donkey Sanctuary by sponsoring me to shave my head! We hope to raise at least £1000. The funds will be used to buy feed and cover costs of care for these lovely animals.”

As of July 9, Anne has already surpassed her goal of £1000, but is now hoping to double that to £2000.

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Sandra Curran told IrishCentral: “We are very impressed by Anne's decision to take part in a head shave for our donkey sanctuary. A truly brave decision. 

“We are struggling financially at the minute as a result of Covid restrictions and are currently still closed to visitors. This loss of revenue will severely impact our ability to care for a growing number of donkeys this winter. 

“Since March, we have seen a huge increase in the number of donkeys seeking sanctuary at our centre. Some of these arrive as a result of financial hardship caused by loss of income owing to the pandemic and sadly also as a result of Covid deaths. 

“At this time of year, we would normally welcome hundreds of visitors from all over the world including the US. Obviously this is not going to happen this year as a result of travel restrictions and we are struggling to manage this loss of revenue. 

In May, Sandra launched a COVID-19 appeal to help the Sanctuary's strained financial situation, but says she is "delighted" with Anne's additional efforts, saying the funds that she has raised so far "is just phenomenal!"

Sandra added: “Anne and her husband Jim (Blemings) are both dedicated supporters of our donkey sanctuary and often visit with their twin granddaughters, Olivia & Grace, who are 10 years old. Anne is a fantastic character with a big personality! She is 71 years old and has an appetite for life of a 21-year-old! She never fails to brighten our day with her sunny personality. A local hairdresser is going to supervise the head shave with the help of the twins!”

Anne Blemings is set to brave the shave for Donegal Donkey Sanctuary on July 26. You can support her here, and you can support the Donegal Donkey Sanctuary’s COVID-19 appeal here. You can learn more about the Donegal Donkey Sanctuary on its website and Facebook page.