April 28th

Monday afternoon we agreed to take in a owner surrender. 4 mini donkeys (two of which are very obese) living on over 15+ acres of field for several years. Due to unforeseen circumstances they couldn’t care for them and they were unable to give them the attention they needed. They had been allowed to roam free on a HUGE plot of land and if anyone knows anything about minis-is they get fat on air. They have to be kept on a smaller manageable lot. They can develop many issues including equine metabolic syndrome including fat deposits, inability to regulate insulin and laminitis. It literally can and WILL kill them. One problem however-they were almost impossible to catch!

These mini donkeys were very smart but had not been handled often. After several hours the first day we were able to lure 3 into a shelter with feed and treats and use a gate we brought to trap them. The 4th stood from afar, she was too smart for her own good. However we had to take the moment when we had it: one would scare the other to run out of the shelter and as time went on, they were playing Russian roulette picking when and who would go in and out. We knew we were better off catching 3 than one. They obviously hadent seen a halter or a lead in a while, if ever. It took 5 of us to load them into the trailer and they fought the whole way, if only they knew we needed to help them. They were 3 very strong and heavy minis.

We returned the 2nd day with 7 people/volunteers to try and catch the last mini but we spent hours and the field was too large and she knew how to get away at every moment. There was too much space uncovered and no real spot or corner anywhere to properly trap her. The 3rd day we returned with the help of 8 people. Animals like donkeys form strong bonds with each other. She had been alone in this huge field without her bonded friend and we knew it was a possibility she would get depressed and lonely as the days went on and stop eating and drinking. Many people are unaware that donkeys can essentially die of a broken heart. Unfortunately, donkeys are one of the most misunderstood animals. They are often thought of as being expendable, but they have feelings and emotions and love, it’s a real thing. We could not give up on her, we knew we had to help her, and we knew we were running out of options. She would not come near a single person. We had to hire the help of a professional-a real life cowboy-so we could get her the help she needed.

Now all of the herd are together and as happy as can be. They were just scared and unsure, as they haven’t had much interaction and attention in a while and we will work on helping them to trust us and feel safe. They all need to be vetted/ have their teeth floated as they have no idea how long it has been since they have even seen one. We will be working with them to get used to a halter and a lead. The white one has sunburn on the back of her ears and eyes so we will be working on helping her with her skin conditions. More importantly we will be helping them to lose the weight they so desperately need to become healthy again, hopefully before it causes too many problems that are irreversible. Special thanks to Sydney Peyton, Debby Jernigan Hoskin, Tori Besecker, Barbara Dameron and Deshaun Forbes for all your help over the last 3 days!

Please-any monetary donations towards their vetting and care would be very much appreciated so we are able to focus on their health!