Meet Puck, Othello, Hamlet and Bottom, the Shakespeare Boys. We’ve had our four teenage donkeys for nearly four and a half years. They were abandoned and we adopted them from Bransby Horses in Lincoln through their ‘Friend for Life’ programme. The folk at Bransby Horses have a great sense of humour – hence the Shakespearian names!

When feeling a little stressed they look at me and I hear them say, “take it easy, eat some grass!”

Let’s pray this prayer, remembering Saint Francis, the Patron Saint for Animals, in response:

God our Heavenly Father,
You created the World
to serve humanity’s needs
and to lead them to you.
By our own fault
we have lost the beautiful relationship
which we once had with all your creation.
Help us to see
that by restoring our relationship with you
we will also restore it
with all your creation.
Give us the grace
to see all animals as gifts from you
and to treat them with respect
for they are your creation.

We pray for all animals
who are suffering as a result of our neglect.
May the order you originally established
be once again restored to the whole World
through the prayers of Saint Francis
and the merits of your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ
Who lives and reigns with you
now and forever.
Amen.

Bransby Horses:
http://www.bransbyhorses.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Charles Waller Photography: https://www.charleswallerphotography.co.uk