Elisabeth Svendsen
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth Doreen Svendsen MBE
(January 23, 1930 - May 11, 2011) was a British
animal welfare
advocate
and former hotelier
. Svendsen founded The Donkey Sanctuary
, an animal sanctuary
headquartered in Sidmouth
, England
, in 1969 to help abused or homeless donkey
s. She also founded a related charity
, the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys, located in Ivybridge
, during the 1970s.
Svendsen was born Elisabeth Doreen Knowles in Yorkshire
on January 23, 1930. She spent her early career as a teacher
and secretary
. She then married Niels Svendson and had four children - Clive, Lise, Sarah and Paul. Together, the couple invented a dryer
specifically to dry cloth baby diapers. They sold the rights to their invention to a manufacturer and used their payment to purchase a hotel in Devon
in 1966. Elisabeth and Niels later divorced.
In 1969, Svendsen, a lifelong donkey
enthusiast, bought her first donkey, named Naughty Face. Soon afterwards, Svendsen noticed seven neglected donkeys housed in a small livestock pen in a market in Exeter
. She tried unsuccessfully to purchase the donkey in the worst condition of the group.
The experience of the neglected donkeys in Exeter led Svendsen to establish The Donkey Sanctuary
in 1969. She began taking in elder and disabled donkeys. She became responsible for the care of thirty-eight donkeys by 1973, an expensive undertaking. She was contacted in June 1974 by a lawyer for a late elderly woman named Violet Philpin, who had bequeathed Svendsen 204 donkeys. Svendsen gave up her hotel to work with The Donkey Sanctuary full time.
The Donkey Sanctuary, founded by Svendsen and headquartered in Sidmouth
, Devon
, has cared for more than 14,500 donkeys as of 2011. The sanactuary, which now has a veterinary hospital and overnight accommodations, employs approximately 500 people worldwide, including sixty in the United Kingdom
who investigate reported of abused donkeys. Svendsen expanded the sanctuary to Latin America
, Asia
and Africa
. She founded a donkey hospital with emergency room in Ethiopia
, where the lifespan of a donkey is just nine years. Mobile donkey clinics have also been dispatched in Mexico
, Kenya
and India
.
Svendsen established a sister charity to the Donkey Sanctuary, called the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys, during the mid-1970s. The trust provides riding therapy between donkeys and children with special needs. During her career, Svendsen authored more than twelve books, including two autobiographies, Down Among the Donkeys in 1981 and For the Love of Donkeys in 1993, as well as a series of children's books.
Svendsen became a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1980. In 2001, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
awarded her with the Lord Erskine Award.
Svendsen retired from full time work in 2007. In April 2011, Elisabeth Svendsen named an orphaned donkey foal
after Prince William in honor of the Prince's upcoming wedding
to Catherine Middleton. The foal had arrived at the Donkey Sanctuary on April 9 after its mother was unable to care for him. Svendsen said at the time, "It's a real honour to have Prince William with us and I can't think of a better name for him, thus to mark the occasion of the royal wedding."
Elisabeth Svendsen died at her home on May 11, 2011, after suffering a stroke
at the age of 81. She was survived by her four children - Clive, Lise, Sarah and Paul; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Her son, Paul Svendsen, is the head of The Donkey Sanctuary's European operations.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(January 23, 1930 - May 11, 2011) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
and former hotelier
Hotelier
Hotelier is a South Korean drama broadcast by MBC in 2001. Asahi TV of Japan later remade the series in 2007. Hotelier contains a total of 20 episodes. The word "Hotelier" literally means "a person who owns or runs a hotel"...
. Svendsen founded The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary is a British charitable organization devoted to the welfare of donkeys. The charity, which is based near Sidmouth in Devon, England, was founded in 1969. It is one of the largest equine charities in the world with an annual income and expenditure of £22 million.- History...
, an animal sanctuary
Animal sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death...
headquartered in Sidmouth
Sidmouth
Sidmouth is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon district, south east of Exeter. It has a population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1969 to help abused or homeless donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
s. She also founded a related charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys, located in Ivybridge
Ivybridge
Ivybridge is a small town and civil parish in the South Hams, in Devon, England. It lies about east of Plymouth. It is at the southern extremity of Dartmoor, a National Park of England and Wales and lies along the A38 "Devon Expressway" road...
, during the 1970s.
Svendsen was born Elisabeth Doreen Knowles in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
on January 23, 1930. She spent her early career as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
. She then married Niels Svendson and had four children - Clive, Lise, Sarah and Paul. Together, the couple invented a dryer
Dryer
A dryer most commonly means:* Hair dryer* Hand dryer* Clothes dryer, also known as a tumble-dryer* Belt dryer* Cereal dryer, for food preservation* Desiccant, a substance that absorbs or adsorbs water...
specifically to dry cloth baby diapers. They sold the rights to their invention to a manufacturer and used their payment to purchase a hotel in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in 1966. Elisabeth and Niels later divorced.
In 1969, Svendsen, a lifelong donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
enthusiast, bought her first donkey, named Naughty Face. Soon afterwards, Svendsen noticed seven neglected donkeys housed in a small livestock pen in a market in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. She tried unsuccessfully to purchase the donkey in the worst condition of the group.
The experience of the neglected donkeys in Exeter led Svendsen to establish The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary is a British charitable organization devoted to the welfare of donkeys. The charity, which is based near Sidmouth in Devon, England, was founded in 1969. It is one of the largest equine charities in the world with an annual income and expenditure of £22 million.- History...
in 1969. She began taking in elder and disabled donkeys. She became responsible for the care of thirty-eight donkeys by 1973, an expensive undertaking. She was contacted in June 1974 by a lawyer for a late elderly woman named Violet Philpin, who had bequeathed Svendsen 204 donkeys. Svendsen gave up her hotel to work with The Donkey Sanctuary full time.
The Donkey Sanctuary, founded by Svendsen and headquartered in Sidmouth
Sidmouth
Sidmouth is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon district, south east of Exeter. It has a population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, has cared for more than 14,500 donkeys as of 2011. The sanactuary, which now has a veterinary hospital and overnight accommodations, employs approximately 500 people worldwide, including sixty in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who investigate reported of abused donkeys. Svendsen expanded the sanctuary to Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. She founded a donkey hospital with emergency room in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, where the lifespan of a donkey is just nine years. Mobile donkey clinics have also been dispatched in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Svendsen established a sister charity to the Donkey Sanctuary, called the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys, during the mid-1970s. The trust provides riding therapy between donkeys and children with special needs. During her career, Svendsen authored more than twelve books, including two autobiographies, Down Among the Donkeys in 1981 and For the Love of Donkeys in 1993, as well as a series of children's books.
Svendsen became a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1980. In 2001, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
awarded her with the Lord Erskine Award.
Svendsen retired from full time work in 2007. In April 2011, Elisabeth Svendsen named an orphaned donkey foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
after Prince William in honor of the Prince's upcoming wedding
Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their...
to Catherine Middleton. The foal had arrived at the Donkey Sanctuary on April 9 after its mother was unable to care for him. Svendsen said at the time, "It's a real honour to have Prince William with us and I can't think of a better name for him, thus to mark the occasion of the royal wedding."
Elisabeth Svendsen died at her home on May 11, 2011, after suffering a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at the age of 81. She was survived by her four children - Clive, Lise, Sarah and Paul; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Her son, Paul Svendsen, is the head of The Donkey Sanctuary's European operations.