It wasn't until 1980 when the first mediterranean miniature donkeys arrived in the UK, imported by Lord and Lady Fischer. Many of the mini donks here in the UK today can trace their ancestors back to these first imports and even back to foundation herds in the USA.
Numbers of donkeys in Sardinia and other parts of Italy have dropped drastically and export of these beautiful animals is no longer possible, but miniature donkeys have now spread around the globe as word of their affectionate, companionable nature grows.
True miniature donkeys must be under 36", with the majority of them being
between 31" and 34". The first little donks were dun (grey) in colour. Careful breeding in the USA with small standard donkeys produced the range of colours we see today, but affected the purity of the breed. We now have very strict standards for breeding miniatures in this country if they wish to be placed in the Registry.
