The Miniature Mediterranean Donkey originated on the island of Sardinia and was later introduced to Sicily. In 1929, a stockbroker on Wall Street imported 6 jennys and a jack to the US. He had heard about the wonderful little animals during a trip to Europe, and without even seeing the donkeys he purchased and arranged their shipping through an agent in Paris. Their adorable nature lead to other enthusiasts importing and breeding Miniature Donkeys. Over the next 70 years the numbers were to steadily grow - today we believe there are around 10,000 in America alone. Sadly during this time they have nearly become extinct on their native islands.

The true Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys in the UK have originated from bloodlines in the US and Canada. In the UK there are well over 300 Miniatures now. They are predominately grey dun in colour as were the original donkeys from Sardinia. You will find a few other colours such as black, brown, sorrel and even spotted. To qualify as a Miniature, a donkey must be under 36": The majority of Miniatures in this country are between 30" - 34". A Miniature Mediterranean Donkey would normally attain 95% of his final height in the first 12 months and can be considered as mature in height at 2 years old.