Donkey Rescue Underway

[LovinTheFarm]

Hey all, new to this forum but not backyard farming. I am part of a small local animal rescue group, right now our goal is to rescue a pair of donkeys who have been virtually abandoned. I'm looking for advice about what to expect...

I was contacted by someone at my local feed store, they told me that there were donkeys to be rescued at a local apartment complex nearby. We are in north Florida so it's swampy here. When I contacted the apartment complex, it took several attempts to get any information. Finally I found out that the donkeys have been on a 100 acre parcel behind the complex for an unknown amount of time (there used to be goats but who knows what happened to them). They haven't been cared for at all.... No food no water, no idea if they're still alive. The owner wouldn't speak to me directly, but passed a message through the receptionist that I was welcome to take them... Given I could find them.

I'm pretty horrified that the donkeys were left to fend for themselves. I would have marched off tonight, but I'm afraid there may be alligators and snakes on the property.

Comments, suggestions? How do I go about getting the donkeys, assuming they're still there? I'm worried they may be people shy.

 

[elevan]

Welcome to BYH! I can imagine what happened to the goats if you're worried about alligators on the property! Yikes!

I've never dealt with donkeys, so no real advice here but good luck.

 

[fluttervale]

Can you contact the local Animal Control?

At the very least, the so-called owners should be prosecuted for neglect.

 

[BHOBCFarms]

You should try to get a horseperson to help you with the rescue. You will need a trailer for transport. I assume in the meantime you made sure they have water and food?

 

[Bunnylady]

When I contacted the apartment complex, it took several attempts to get any information. Finally I found out that the donkeys have been on a 100 acre parcel behind the complex for an unknown amount of time (there used to be goats but who knows what happened to them). They haven't been cared for at all.... No food no water, no idea if they're still alive. The owner wouldn't speak to me directly, but passed a message through the receptionist that I was welcome to take them... Given I could find them.

Makes me wonder if they are even still there?

I hope that by tonight you'll at least have seen the donkeys, and have a better idea of what you are up against.

 

[LovinTheFarm]

I went out to the property this morning to see what I might be dealing with. I was surprised to find that they were standing in a large fenced pasture. They looked healthy to me from a distance, and we're certainly alert and active. A friend has a trailer for me to use, I tried contacting some local resources for help but didn't get any response. It seems like their basic needs are being met so I felt okay to leave them for the day. I'm going to buy halters and leads tomorrow and hopefully my friend will have the trailer ready to use. No sign of the goats, but the area didn't seem swampy at all... Thinking more snakes than gators.

 

[violetsky888]

You are rescuing them from what?? 100 acres and living wild isnt necessarily bad in the donkeys view. If they are healthy and happy what makes you think they will be better off somewhere else? There are plenty of equines living in small pens without food, that are stuck in overgrazed mudpens or locked in stalls that need rescuing, or go to any horse auction and outbid the meat buyers. These donkeys are better off where they are at, especially if they have been there years. Look at there topline. equines can have a big belly but if their spine is sticking out they are underfed. If anything the donkeys you are talking about are probably overweight. Donkeys have been overbred and are dirt cheap or free and won't be easy to place. If this pair isn't breeding more donkeys they have a good home. Don't put human feelings on animals. Its not very often an equine gets to roam on 100 acres, they would much prefer that than being stuck in a 10 foot square stall or small pen.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Violet has a good point. Your rescue at this point might only need to consist of seeing that they have an adequate water supply. Check on them occasionally.... perhaps bring a little grain so they get used to eating it and slip a pelleted de-wormer in it.

I commend you for being concerned and checking it out. Donkeys are tough and it sounds like these guys might just be living in their idea of donkey paradise!

 

[LovinTheFarm]

The area I observed them pastured in was definitely not 100 acres, more like 5 which would be comparable to where I would be bringing them. The big blaring issue is this supposed farmer wants to get rid of them and isnt caring for them, my fear is if someone responsible doesn't take them that they will end up as dog food. I do appreciate the input, and I will be thinking it over,

 

[Bunnylady]

Just how well-off these donkeys are is relative. They are probably quite content in their current situation. Clearly, they have some source of water, and it sounds like more grass than a donkey could (or should) eat. The also have companionship. Donkeys bond pretty tightly with their own kind, so if these animals are to be re-homed, they need to go together. Donkeys do not need grain - if they have adequate grass or hay to eat, grain just gets you into trouble with a donkey. A donkey can get too fat just on grass if there's enough of it, developing big, ugly pads of fat on the crest of the neck and the back. These fat pads are almost impossible to get rid of; I've seen donkeys that had their ribs showing, that still had big, lumpy fat pads on their necks and backsides.

These donkeys may have a serious internal parasite problem, or maybe not. Some animals are naturally resistant to worms, and just don't pick them up, even when they have herd mates with large numbers of worms. Equines tend to avoid eating near their own manure piles, and with only two animals in the pasture, they may not be reinfecting themselves much at all.

Is there any kind of shelter on the property? Donkey coats don't shed water as well as those of horses do, so a donkey tends to get soaked to the skin when it rains. Donkeys are a bit more prone to develop rain rot as a result, so they are much better off if they at least have a lean-to shelter where they can get out of the rain (though whether they'll use it is another matter entirely).

Donkeys have very tough hooves, because they evolved in a part of the world where the soil tends to be dry and rocky. Their feet can overgrow quite a bit if they don't have some means of wearing them down, which can really put a strain on the donkey's legs and eventually cripple them. On the other hand, donkeys are more prone to white line disease than horses are, and a foot that has this problem (living in constantly damp conditions can contribute to it) may be more brittle and break off in chunks, effectively self-trimming. So, these donkeys' feet could be a real mess.

Donkeys are supposed to get the same shots that horses do, which I'm assuming these donkeys haven't been. Most of the diseases they are inoculated against are mosquito-borne, and some can infect humans, so the shots aren't only for their protection. They would also need to have a Coggins blood test run before they can be put anywhere around other equines. Most of the donkey people I know agree that donkeys are allergic to pain, so getting this done will likely be a real circus.

Trust is huge with a donkey. Donkeys are very smart, and they insist on thinking for themselves. If a situation doesn't look safe to them, they will resist it with all of their strength (hence, their reputation for stubbornness). They have memories that will put an elephant's to shame, so keeping on a good footing with a donkey means a lot less work in the long run. A donkey considers approaching the head as a threat, so if these donkeys don't trust you, do not try to touch their faces. You need to approach at the shoulder first, and work your way up slowly to the head. A lot of people will grab and twist a donkey's ears in an effort to subdue it, so many are very protective of their ears as a result. Most horses don't mind having a halter pulled over their ears, but donkeys frequently do. It is much better to unbuckle the halter and buckle it on, than to pull it over the ears.