SIR, Once again Border Beasties would like to thank all our volunteers who have taken donations weekly to the Scottish Borders Donkey Sanctuary where they are always much appreciated.

Our thanks also once again to the wonderful staff of Peebles Sainsbury store who make this possible.

One little story, which illustrates how useful our donations are, involves some of the old donkeys who suffer from Cushings Disease, which can be extremely serious, if untreated, but can be controlled by diet and drugs. In the morning they have to have a pink pill! Each dose costs £5 and the pill was being put in a bucket along with some food, and of course, as you have probably guessed – the food was eaten and the pill carefully left in the bottom of the bucket! However, some of the bread the volunteers take down is cut up every morning into bite-size donkey pieces and the pill hidden in this treat! The result is they cannot wait to get their treat and the pill is swallowed as well! Normally they would not get bread, but a little bribery is fine to help them stay well and happy!

Some of our volunteers have sadly had to stand down for various reasons, so if anyone would like to pay a visit to the donkey sanctuary every six or eight weeks we would be glad to hear from you – you will enjoy it! There is always something new to see and donkeys to meet and greet you.

Contact for donkey rota is Amanda Clydesdale on 01721-720563 I am, etc, Alison Pearson Border Beasties