Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue - PVDR Fall Newsletter

Peaceful Valley Gazette

News, tips and more for PVDR adopters and donkey lovers

Fall 2020

Donkey Health and Well-Being

Falling for Donkeys

(Photo credit: Courtesy of Hee and Haw’s adopter - July 2019 Michigan)

With the first day of fall officially here, we have some seasonal reminders and suggestions for our adopters and donkeys owners.

Worming: Fall is typically considered the best time to use a “Boticide” type wormer. (We don’t name brands here as we don’t endorse anything except for keeping your donkeys healthy and happy.). It's always best to talk to your vet about a worming plan - there is no one size fits all when it comes to worming.

Vaccines: Donkeys typically have amazing immune systems and likely only need annual vaccines. However, vaccines, like most things, depend on where you live, issues you may be having with disease carrying insects, and the donkey's health. It’s always best to check with your vet. Many of our adopters give the mosquito borne illness vaccines in the early spring - right before the mosquito hatch, then rabies in the fall to split things up. That also gives your vet a good look at your donkey(s) twice a year to check for health issues before they have bigger problems.

Dental Checks: While there is no ideal time to do dental checks on your donkey, some would say that right before any pasture is gone and the donkeys are only eating hay makes a great time to check their teeth (maybe when the vet comes out to do Rabies shots?). While we recommend annual checks - floats may only be needed every other year. However, older donkeys likely will need work annually as teeth start to come loose and cause other problems. Also, don’t forget your youngsters. They probably won’t need a float until they are at least 5-7 years old, but they could have other issues. We’ve seen terrible things, like sticks stuck in their teeth, or more often baby caps wedged between adult teeth.

Blankets: We know for most of you reading this right now, the last thing you are thinking about is blanketing your donkeys - and in most cases blankets aren’t needed - not even in the coldest climates. BUT, it’s better to be prepared in case your donkey does need one. Blankets that fit donkeys can be very hard to find in the winter, so order early if you don’t already have one. For information on measuring for blankets and knowing when you need one, there are many good resources on the internet.

What do you do with a donkey?

Hee Haw Hikes

Fall is typically a fantastic time to do something fun with your donkeys. The cooler weather and change of the leaves (if you live in certain parts of the country) makes for a great back drop for some donkey fun.

Nothing beats hiking horse friendly parks with your long eared friend. You’ll be amazed at how much your donkey enjoys the adventure and spending quality bonding time with you. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you might even try camping with your donkey.

We'd love to see photos of you and your long ears hiking! Post them on our Facebook pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the Most Important Thing Adopters Need to Know?

That is a loaded question. There is so much to know about donkeys, but, that is why we are here. Adopting a donkey from PVDR is just the start of our relationship - not the end of it. Check out the resources on our website, like Ask a Donkey Vet, and our news and blog entries, or ask your adoption center.

The most important thing to know is that we are here for you and your donkey! And, if life gets in the way of keeping your donkey, your donkey always has a home with us .. in fact, it's in our contract that the donkey must come back to us if you can't keep it. It's built in lifetime protection for your long eared friend.

From the PVDR DREAM Team

Preparing for the Fall Fire Season

(Photo: Evacuating donkeys with the orange, smoke filled sky in the background)

Fall has a tendency to bring dry grass, high winds and fires to a large part of the Western side of the county. Our Donkey Rescue, Emergency and Management (DREAM) team would like to remind you to have an emergency plan in place. If you have your own trailer, do your donkeys load well? What about in a crisis situation? If you don’t have a trailer and need to evacuate, what will you do?

Having a plan in place now may make the difference in life or a devastating loss. Read here about one family’s lessons learned.

If you need help with an emergency plan, please visit donkeyrescue.org/projects/dream for assistance.

Best of Social Media

Happy Birthday Jobe!

We had some awesome, fun photos this summer from our locations across the U.S. Did you know we have 45 Facebook pages - one for each of our Satellite Adoption Centers, Regional Offices, and specialty divisions?

However, the best post was a combination of all of those locations wishing PVDR old timer, “Jobe” a happy 40th birthday in this fun video clip.

Meet Mr. Walter and his buddy Jacques

(Photo: Mr. Walter (left) with his new best friend, Jacques)

In addition to our many adoptable donkeys, we have a group of donkeys that due to age or special needs, will remain with PVDR for the rest of their lives. Our Fall Featured donkey is one of them; meet Mr. Walter! Mr. Walter is a 30+ year old mammoth gelding.

Featured special needs donkey of the quarter

Mr. Walter came to us through an animal control assisted case in Sorrento, Florida where he lived alone and neglected in a pasture. However, he lived across the street from an elementary school and the children, their parents and the teachers “adopted” Mr. Walter and made sure he was fed and loved. However, health issues forced them to seek help and Mr. Walter eventually came to PVDR for surgery, recovery, and long term care.

Mr. Walter is doing great currently, and he’s healthy and happy with his new best buddy, Jacques. Walter had a huge following in Florida. He was a local celebrity as well as a much loved fixture in the community. We created a group page for him on Facebook so all his friends and kids that loved him could keep in touch. All are welcome at “Fans of Mr. Walter”

Learn more about our special needs donkeys and sponsoring Mr. Walter