I said goodbye to Simon once, and thanked him for his time with me. When an animal dies on a farm, there is a lot to do. Calling vets, figuring out what to do with the body, getting the other animals out of the way, letting people know who ought to know, comforting the animal, comforting the people. I looked out of the farmhouse window and saw the stroke come over him, saw  his head shake, by the time we rushed out to the pasture I knew how this story would unfold, Simon’s life was over.

So I put my camera down and said goodbye. Maria picked it up and took a photo of Simon and I, for which I am grateful. Simon had a great life, he was a lucky donkey, loved all over the world, celebrated in a book, his photos shared all over the Internet. He helped spread the word about donkey, he helped people understand what it really means to abuse an animal. Every morning here, he brayed a welcome for me, I kissed him on the nose.

I will miss that.