Uplifting tale

FOLLOWING the sad news from Alora animal activist Pat Waterhouse that her rare white donkey, Sabino, had died, Pat has turned heartache into action by encouraging locals to help the next generation of animals in need.

Pat announced that Sabi­ no, who was an estimated 28 years old, had died on Wednesday, January 18 from colic.

She told her Facebook followers: “Sabino has been part of the family almost as long as I have been in Spain. [He] came here as an abandoned donkey in 2006 and we were told he was about 12 years old then.

Sharing an image of her late husband with Sabino, Pat added: “I have lots of pictures of him but this one always touches my heart.

“It was taken not long before my husband died. It was before we had a lot of dogs and Sabino used to follow him everywhere.”

In memory of Sabino, Pat has now asked members of the Costa del Sol community to make a donation to Donkey Dreamland Mijas, whose latest rescue, Valiente, arrived at the shel­ ter with extensive damage to his legs and needed urgent veterinary treatment.

Pat told the Euro Weekly News : “It just seemed more than a coincidence that I’d only just read about Valiente and then Sabino was put down shortly after. He died peacefully with me there and two lovely vets.

“It seemed a good idea to raise money after someone asked on Facebook if they could help. If it gets them a bit more money that’s great!”

Donkey Dreamland volunteer Montserrat Fabregas was touched to hear about Pat’s drive to help Valiente.

She told the EWN : “That’s amazing. Valiente is so lovely. He is such a happy young animal and it is fantastic that Pat is encouraging people to help him.”

To donate to help Valiente, or any of the 16 donkeys in Donkey Dreamland’s care, visit https://donkeydream land.com/donate/.

AN environmental initiative to encourage respect for the environment among the younger generation in Fuengirola has reached a monumental milestone. Authorities announced the 1,000th child’s plaque had been installed next to a tree in the city.

The ‘One Child, One Tree’ project was launched in 1996 and aims to create a special bond between children and nature by giving children participating in the scheme their very own tree. The goal of the scheme is to encourage the city’s youngest generation to respect and care for their local environment.

Each tree bears a plaque at its base displaying the child’s name, date of birth and the location of the tree.

Parents can request a plaque for their children by registering online or at the Environmental Department at the City Hall.