Ios businesswoman looks after 17 abused donkeys - See photos

The image most of us have of donkeys is of them standing still for hours, tethered in some field, or overloaded with goods climbing the steps of some island under the hot sun.

The incidents of abuse that become known from time to time against these playful, tender, kind, social and curious animals are disgusting.

At a time when we read about the mistreatment of the animals, 17 donkeys that have lifted countless tons of building materials, green waste and people on their backs, with the threat and use of the whip, enjoy the care and hospitality of an entrepreneur on the island of Ios, Vasiliki Petridou.

In an amazing area overlooking the sea in the Koumbara area of Ios, donkeys roam freely without halter and saddle, patiently waiting for the woman who freed them from their daily suffering.

She brings them their favorite carrots in a sack, addresses them by their names, caresses them and takes care of them personally, even though she has her own occupations and responsibilities.

Vasiliki Petridou envisioned a space in which they could care for the well-being and rehabilitation of donkeys in need, since usually the working and living conditions of these misunderstood animals.

So the expression "from the whip to the carrot" fits perfectly in the case of these compatible four-legged friends, since they endured for years a difficult and painful situation and now their lives have become pleasant with a not inconsiderable prize... the carrot!

READ MORE: The organic donkey milk that is produced in Kozani.