Farewell Guinness

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On Friday the 3rd of February, 2017 we had to say goodbye to our one and only Guinness the donkey. Looking back, we celebrate all of the things that made him so very unique and special to all of us at AHT…

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”9606″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”img_link_large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Guinness, first arrived at AHT on July 1st 2013, but initially no one knew his name and so a contest was held to give him one. The winner of course was “Guinness” –  coming in at 29%. The runner up was “Murphy” at 24% in case you were wondering.

Prior to retiring at AHT, Guinness was a “guard donkey” in a cow field. A few years later (in 2015) AHT moved to a new location across the street from that very same cow field, and “Guinney” was reunited (sort of) with his cow friends.

This was also around the same time that the cow farmers started referring to him by his original name of Charlot (pronounced Char-LO)…so, now he had two names (three if you counted his nickname Guinney).

Being the first (and only) donkey at the rescue, he made an impact on all those who were fortunate to have come into contact with him. From teaching the importance of patience, to making us laugh, to showing affection, Guinness was a special soul.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][distance type=”2″][vc_column_text]In terms of patience, one always had to be sure to have enough time on their hands if they wanted to go for a walk with him or simply move him to a new location.

 

He clearly was not a horse when it came to being moved…he was definitely a donkey. If he didn’t want to move, well, you just had to wait, but at least you were in good company.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9596″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9592″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][distance][vc_column_text]In terms of making us laugh…[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]He could always make us laugh with a well timed bray, and almost always when you’d least expect it.

He once brayed during a radio interview![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][distance type=”3″][vc_column_text]In terms of affection.

Guinness had a special way of nudging you with his head…some of us called them “Love Shoves”.

No one else could shove you in such a way as he did, and he was pretty good at hugs too.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9595″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”9591″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][distance type=”2″][vc_column_text]Guinness was also a star of the theater.
For 3 years in a row, he was featured in the Hudson Community Baptist Church’s Walk to Bethlehem.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][distance type=”3″][vc_column_text]And who can forget those ears?

His presence at the barn is already missed. Guinney was always there by the front gate, standing guard and welcoming people as they arrived.

Now he can finally rest.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9593″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Below we share a few stories from AHT members.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator style=”shadow”][vc_column_text]So many great memories. He was such an adorable character.

What does stand out in my mind was his way to attract so many.

Last summer’s BBQ fundraiser. I was inside the barn with him. There was a non stop stream of people paying attention to him, touching him and he was so good through it all.

He had a good soul. I miss him very much.

– AHT Member – Lise[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][vc_column_text]I remember arriving to the old barn one day to find out that he had broken down the gates/tree trunk post of his paddock and was running loose… Guiness truly was the perfect example of a stubborn donkey and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
He’s running over that rainbow bridge, ready to bust some more gates!
Rest in peace Guiney, you deserve it

– AHT Member – Taylor[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][vc_column_text]I remember back to those first few days at AHT in the summer of 2013, the “donkey” himself had only just come to AHT a few weeks earlier.

It was a fine Saturday in July, when I got to the farm…and the donkey was refusing to leave the barn. They’d been trying to bring him outside for a while, with no success and so they asked me if I wanted to try to take him? So I said “sure”.

I pulled on the lead and of course, nothing happened. I tried again and nothing. I then looked at him and said some sort of nice words to encourage him and tried again. Nothing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”9653″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]That’s when I realised that I wasn’t going to win a battle of strength or will with this donkey. Instead I decided to be patient. If he wasn’t ready to leave the barn, I wasn’t going to rush him. And so we waited. And waited.

Eventually, he decided to move and I was so excited!
And then after about 5 feet…he stopped moving.

So, I waited again…said some more nice words to him, and eventually (20 minutes or so later) we made our way to his paddock.

No bribes, no fighting, just patience and respect.

From this point on, we had a sort of understanding, but more important, we became friends.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”9660″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Last weekend I arrived for the open house and walked over to him as he walked over to me. I could tell that he wasn’t himself, even last week. I went to give him a hug, and he didn’t try to shove or nudge. We just calmly sort of rested leaning into each other. We stood there for a few minutes like that and I said some sort of nice words to him. It felt nice and calm and peaceful.

I didn’t get to see him tonight to say my last farewell, but I will cherish that last moment, in the same way I will always cherish that special first moment.

– AHT Member – Darren[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][vc_column_text]To me Guinness was more than a donkey. We had so many good times together its hard to believe. He was also smart as they come. When he saw me having trouble on the fence I was climbing over he came and stood along the fence so I could use his back to get down.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”9597″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][distance][vc_column_text]When you tried to move him he would go so far and then stop. He knew we would bring him some sweet feed. His head butts were something else. I spent a few hours with him when he was having a meal. Being old, his teeth were not good so it was hard to get all his mash out of the bowl. He soon knew I would scrape it to the center for him.

In the three years he gave me so many laughs it was unreal. We even had some wresling matches when he would get loose…but never a bite or a kick.  I think he enjoyed them. I will never forget him. He took a chunk of my heart with him

– AHT Member – Rod[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9598″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9707,9606,9695,9696,9693,9694,9692,9691,9730,9690,9689,9688,9687,9685,9686,9684,9725,9683,9682,9681,9679,9680,9678,9594,9677,9674″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”9714″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column][/vc_row]