Animals
Meet Zayna’s other-than-human residents!
Currently, we live together with two dogs, Segu and Seba, and two donkeys, Fiona and Fiorella
Segu
Segu is about 11 years old, and she once roamed the streets of Chile. When Irene and Segu met, Segu was about one year old. After spending some time together in Chile (a story in and of itself) Segu was taken across the ocean to live with Irene in Amsterdam, and later, joined by Majed and eventually also Leela, in Muiden. And now, Sardinia. Segu has come full circle: she spends her days roaming freely again. She howls like the countryside dogs of Sardinia, a testament to both her wild roots and her adaptability. Segu hasn’t worn a collar in over a year, because even when we go for walks or bike rides nearby, she remains attentive to where her humans are, moving independently but in connection.
Seba
Seba joined us last summer and is 1.5 years old now. He comes from a shelter in Cagliari, and we have little information about his life before that. What we do know, however, is how we experience him now: a being in full force! Oh, how he loves going on adventures, though he always comes back; how he loves attention, but will never sit still for a human-style cuddle; how he loves to play, but doesn’t really seem to know his force. While we humans are still figuring out the best co-living situation with him, Seba and Segu have much less trouble establishing rules and boundaries between themselves.
Fiona & Fiorella
Fiona (in the back) and Fiorella (in the front) are inseparable sisters, around nine years old, sharing the same father but different mothers. Their start in life was very hard. After experiencing neglect, they were rescued by a local donkey shelter where they found safety.
When we heard they were in urgent need of a new home, everything fell into place. It was the kind of call Irene had always hoped to say “yes” to, and with our new life in the countryside, we were finally in the position to do exactly that.
Now it’s time to discover their personalities and preferences, something we’ll gently take our time with. And as a beautiful surprise: Fiona arrived pregnant… so we’re expecting a baby donkey in the summer!
I (Irene) invite everyone who visits us to rethink human-animal relations. As my friend Fernando put it, this might be the beginning of a Zaynctuary: a playful blend of Zayna (our name, which also means ‘good/beautiful’) and sanctuary. I long dreamed of starting a micro-sanctuary, yet I’m mindful that it’s not a label worn lightly. Perhaps that’s why a made-up term like Zaynctuary feels just right: light and emerging, yet also fragile and inherently imperfect. But not less real.
