This Smiling Donkey Couldn’t Have Been Happier to Be Rescued

When the Animal Heaven Rescue Centre in Kerry, Ireland, received a call about a drowning donkey on Sunday, rescuer Suzanne Gibbons responded immediately. The distressed animal became stranded after a nearby river flooded his field. The Centre posted on Facebook to request the help of a volunteer with a boat. “At first I couldn’t find anybody willing to help me go in because the river was flooding really badly,” Gibbons told BuzzFeed News.

But luckily, two local men soon came to Gibbons’ aid.

The group was then able to get the donkey to safety using only a dinghy and a life ring.

When he was finally back on shore, his expression of gratitude said it all.

The centre later announced that they had named the donkey Mike after one of the volunteer rescuers and that he was doing great. “He is now dried with towels, eating a hot mash, all cozy and warm and our vet has seen him and started him on antibiotics to prevent pneumonia,” they said.

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