Donkeys

Gomez could not even open his mouth to eat, which led to being hundreds of pounds underweight.  He had to be hand fed mush until the vet was able to grind down the three inch tooth that was stuck in his cheek and was preventing him from being able to open his mouth to graze and take in his senior equine nutrition.  He also had not had his hooves tended to in so long that his back legs are now permanently bowed.  Gomez has a very strong will to live and his donkey stubbornness  shows through!  His favorite things to do are to follow humans around, take long naps in his sand pit, and get lots of pets behind his ears.

Sampson (left) and Sebastian (right) came to us from a lot of research about donkeys helping to protect from predators, specifically mountain lions.  We learned that the loud noises they make and their ability to kick are great deterrents from a mountain lion walking off with one of our goats.  We set out to find rescue donkeys when we came across Donkeyland in Attwater, CA.  We explained what our needs were and Cheryl was able to help us adopt Sampson and Sebastian. Sebastian had been living with a family where the kids had grown up and they didn’t have interest anymore. When he came to us he was in desperate need of hoof care as his legs were bowed from neglect. Over time we have been able to correct his legs and his walking.  These two can be found frolicking in the lower pasture with the ponies or hanging out in the donkey barn with the mini-donkeys.  One thing is for sure...if you come across them you’ll walk away with a smile on your face!

Daisy (right) and Danica (left) were Morgan Hill local donkeys. They were rehomed here at ABAR when a senior could no longer care for them. When they arrived, Daisy and Danica were 50lbs overweight. They enjoy being brushed, given lots of attention, and snacks! Unfortunately, their snacks are limited due to their strict diet. 

Nelson and Mandy are mini donkeys and were purchased to be ABAR ambassadors.  Prior to Covid, we were putting together a school assembly program.  Easier and safer to transport than a full size donkey or horse, we had planned to use Nelson and Mandy to tell the stories of our other rescue animals.  However, when Covid hit we had to pivot from our original plan.  Now these two adorable goofballs are usually found hanging out with their goat, cow, alpaca, sheep, pony or big donkey friends.  They love hugs, pets and treats so they really love weekends when the volunteers are here to give them their undivided attention!

Meadow was born here at ABAR on May 7, 2023 and was an unexpected surprise! It all started with the adoption of Nelson and Mandy. Shortly after adoption, we had been told Nelson had not been castrated. After his examination, the vet confirmed that he was, and we thought nothing more of it. Then we noticed Mandy was putting on weight, and we started to adjust her diet. One evening when we called for Mandy, she was nowhere to be found. After searching for her, we finally found her in the meadow behind the barn next to a newborn baby donkey! One day while sitting with both Mandy and her baby, we decided the best name for her would be Bill’s Meadow Surprise. This name honors the previous owner of this amazing property as we always feel his love of animals and spirit here. It has been an amazing experience watching Meadow grow and getting to know her wonderful personality. She loves attention from everyone as well as, hanging out with Mom and the others here at ABAR.