A Vancouver Island man in ill health is looking for a new home for his unusual collection: 15 mini donkeys.
The tiny donkeys, whose ancestors were imported from the Mediterranean, generally stand about 3” feet tall at the whithers and are usually measured in inches. Adorably cute and amazingly docile, they are often afflicted with hoof problems.
The Vancouver Island man, whose donkeys do indeed have hoof issues, came to realize he would no longer be able to take care of them, and is desperately searching for someone who will take them in.
One option he’s hoping works out is the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge in Chase, British Columbia, located in a small village east of Kamloops in the South Thompson River Valley.
The Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge, which currently houses 41 donkeys, has agreed to shelter the tiny beasts, but is worried about the high costs.
Help rescue 15 mini-donkeys! "They are similar to large dogs"cbc.sh/OfCzRbl
— colin adair (@adaircolin) March 13, 2013
Robert Miller, who runs the sanctuary with his wife Shirley Mainprize, told the Province:
We don’t budget for 15 at once. This is gonna kick our donkey budget you know where.
The cost to transport the 15 mini donkeys to Chase is estimated at least $2,000, and it’ll cost $600 to treat the donkeys’ feet every 8 weeks, as well as $600 to have the 15 dewormed.
In order to be able to take the new herd on, Mainprize told the Province they’re going to do some fundraising.
They’re not a really respected animal. They’re always the butt of jokes. But they’re very gentle souls. They’re very smart, they have an incredible memory... they’re very humble — and they need our help.
They are hoping some kind-hearted souls take pity on the asses and donate to their refuge.
