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“The reality is that 2025 has been the yr during which many issues that we had been dreaming of and dealing in direction of for a very long time lastly started to materialise. If I had to decide on the achievements that fill me with most satisfaction and hope, they might be these 4.”
“The creation of our second sanctuary within the Serranía de Ronda, which can open its doorways in April 2026. After looking for nearly two years, we lastly discovered the proper place to develop. It’s an attractive spot surrounded by cork oaks and chestnut bushes, surrounded by three pure parks with extensive open pastures. We’re already within the last levels of making ready the paddocks and shelters. This new house will permit us to alleviate the stress on our rescue centre in La Cala de Mijas. Despite the fact that all our donkeys obtain veterinary care and the eye they want, as soon as they’re recovered lots of them will now have the ability to take pleasure in a lot bigger areas, way more freedom, and a way more pure life whereas they wait for his or her ceaselessly dwelling.
The rescue and rehabilitation of 8 donkeys from the Mijas burro-taxi service — six of them reported by SEPRONA
“This yr we lastly started doing what we had all the time supposed for the reason that very first day Donkey Dreamland was born: to present a second probability and a dignified finish of life to the donkeys working within the taxi service, free from ropes, from struggling, from the warmth and the onerous cobbled streets. That was, and all the time has been, the primary motive I began the sanctuary in Mijas. I all the time believed it will be doable to succeed in an understanding with the house owners and with the City Corridor to genuinely enhance the welfare of the Mijas donkeys.”
After 5 lengthy years of persistence — and above all of respect and endurance — we will now say with certainty: that is the start of the tip.
“Collaboration with the Benarraba City Corridor to include donkeys into the “goat firefighter” herd, a challenge that has already been working efficiently for 2 years. Our new sanctuary is situated within the municipality of Benarraba, the place Mayor Silvestre Barroso launched an attractive initiative that mixes ecology and animal welfare: a herd of fifty goats that clear the undergrowth to stop the horrible forest fires we undergo each summer time.
This previous summer time we carried out the primary trial of introducing donkeys into the goat herd, which allowed us to cowl a bigger space of cleared land. The Benarraba City Corridor has welcomed us with open arms, and we hope to regularly enhance the variety of “firefighting donkeys” all through 2026.”
Main adjustments within the board of administrators and a whole departmental reorganisation at Donkey Dreamland Mijas
“None of what we achieved in 2025 would have been doable with out one key one that is now formally accountable for the La Cala sanctuary: Martine Mejin. After two years with us, Martine has lastly taken the reins of the day-to-day working of the centre. She has managed to construct a staff of dedicated, organised volunteers like we had by no means had earlier than. Due to her professionalism and dedication, I’ve lastly had the time and power to concentrate on what I had needed to do for therefore lengthy: the growth of Donkey Dreamland.”
When she completed talking, Amaya smiled quietly and added: “I really feel deeply grateful. And on the similar time I’ve the very clear feeling that an thrilling — and demanding — yr lies forward of us. However all of the challenges share the identical objective: to rescue, to recuperate, and to rehome as many donkeys as we presumably can… and to present each single considered one of them the dignified, peaceable life they deserve.”
2025 has not solely been a yr of essential victories for the donkeys of Mijas. It has additionally been the yr during which Donkey Dreamland really started to develop into what Amaya had all the time dreamed it may very well be: a challenge able to altering the story of a complete forgotten inhabitants of animals, one rescue, one sanctuary, and one freed donkey at a time.
