A year ago, it seemed like “The End” for London’s Storybook Gardens’ animals, after they were burned out of the Old MacDonald’s Barn at the west-end park on a frigid February morning.
A year ago, it seemed like “The End” for London’s Storybook Gardens’ animals, after they were burned out of the Old MacDonald’s Barn at the west-end park on a frigid February morning. (Original Fire – Feb 3, 2015)
The barn was reduced to rubble, but what became of the critters, you might ask?
Turns out that fire sparked a new beginning, a sequel for the animals now living at farms and sanctuaries outside city.
The barn’s three donkeys went to a donkey sanctuary in Guelph and the goats, sheep, rabbits and chickens to a farm in Campbellville, 25 minutes away, called Happily Ever Esther.
“They are able to do whatever they want, whenever they want, on their terms. The door to the barn is open, they can come and go as they want,” said Steve Jenkins, co-owner of Happily Ever Esther, which he and partner Derek Walter founded after crowd-funding a new home for their pet pig, Esther, when it outgrew their Georgetown home.
The Storybook animals got new names on arrival, he said, and all are thriving except for one rabbit, Benedict, which died in August.
The sheep are now called Luanne and Gladys — “Luanne . . . is shy,” said Jenkins. “Gladys is really affectionate, but Luanne won’t really have anything to do with people.”
The goats are Debbie, Jeanie and Diablo.
“I love him to death, but he can be a bit of a jerk to people,” Jenkins said of Diablo, a white goat with horns. “The other goats are so laid back, and he is wired for sound.”
The remaining rabbit is named Theresa.
“She has lots of friends,” said Kim Rushnell, also of Happily Ever Esther. “Theresa and Tulip are out in Bunny Town right now,” she said, referring to a sheltered, wooded area for the rabbits.
The chickens — Hope and Farley — have even taken a little chick named Heisenberg under their wings.
The animals live among dozens of abandoned and unwanted farm animals taken in by Jenkins and Walter since they registered their sanctuary as a charity in 2014.
The three donkeys — Minnie, Sugar and Brody — live a 25-minute drive away, at the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada in Guelph. They are three of 90 donkeys, but have a small following, said executive director Katharin Harkins.
“This past year, after the Storybook fire, we had an increase in (visitors) from London,” said Harkins. “There were people who knew about it, and followed up.”
She said the donkeys are doing “so well.” Brody, who used to be Buddy but got a new name because the sanctuary already had a Buddy, loves to run around with the other males, she said.
Jenkins said he heard about the Storybook fire when it happened, but it turned out to be a good news story.
“It was sort of nice to hear (the animal farm) was being closed. For a city-funded place, it can be really, really hard to maintain proper standards. The motivation for people having the animals there is not the same as in a sanctuary, where the focus is the animal.”
Happily Ever Esther runs on “sanctuary hours,” said Jenkins.
The animals get a breakfast of fresh fruit, veggies and hay “at a respectable human time, 8 or 9 a.m.,” and dinner is similar.
And between meals?.
“They do whatever they want,” said Jenkins, adding they’ve got “acres” of pasture and forest to explore, and access to hay.”
On days when the sanctuary is open to the public, visitors take their chances.
“If (the animals) want to see you, cool, and if they are out in the woods, well, maybe next time,” said Jenkins. “They come and go whenever they want.”
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For more details
The Donkey Sanctuary: thedonkeysanctuary.ca
Happily Ever Esther: happilyeveresther.ca
Source: Storybook critters enjoy Chapter 2 | The London Free Press
