RIP Neggie

It is with a heavy heart and tear-filled eyes that we must report the passing of one of our oldest friends and most long term resident animals.

Neggie the ‘King’ of donkeys was sadly put to sleep last Tuesday 11th January. He was 46 years old, making him one of the oldest donkeys in the country. He would have been resident at Foal Farm for 30 years this year, arriving at the sanctuary in September 1981 after being abandoned by his previous keepers in Edenbridge. Old age finally crept up on him and his body gave up, though his mind was still strong. It will forever stand as the most difficult decision I have ever made to let the ‘Old Man’ go, but it was the right time for him. He died peacefully and with dignity.

He was one of the most remarkable animals I have ever met, and this planet will not live long enough to see his equal walk upon its ground. He was an intelligent, mischievous rogue who had a spirit that was never truly tamed. He bit, he kicked, he barged, he made you cry, and he jumped out on you in the dark like some long eared phantom. But he also inspired many a fond story, made you smile and laugh until tears of joy rolled down your cheeks, ‘sang’ to the music played in the stable yard and was even known to give a baritone accompaniment to the tin whistle or mouth organ. To win Neggie’s friendship was to work very, very hard to earn his respect which was quite the opposite in reverse; he commanded respect with ease by his very presence. If you were stood in the same field that he was in you always, instinctively, knew where he was.

Foal Farm has been the operational base of the Friends Of Animals League charity for nearly 49 years and Neggie had been an integral part of this for nearly 30 of them. He has been a constant, part of the heart of what we do, and a thread that can link so many people together with recollections and anecdotes of their experiences with him. Please, if any of you have stories to tell or pictures to share, don’t hesitate to let us all know. Let us commemorate his life by never forgetting him and remembering what a huge privilege it was to have shared time with him. You will be sadly missed my old friend.

Long live the King.