Here are a few suggestions for you as you are considering contacting us to adopt a donkey:
- We do not send out single donkeys to a home that does not already have a donkey or at least a horse. Even a horse or several horses will often not be enough to satisfy a donkey's need for companionship. Horses are behaviorally different by nature, and we often observe donkeys to remain lonely and/or bored - or worse, be picked on - in a herd of horses. Goats often do not make good companions for donkeys, either. Two of our past adopters returned donkeys to us that were given access to baby goats; sadly, in each case, one of the donkeys had killed a baby. This happens a lot, and you can get more information from goat breeders or others who have tried out donkeys as guardian animals or heard about such endeavors, or from the Donkey Sanctuary of England:
https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/sites/uk/files/2020-04/keeping-donkeys-with-other-animals-factsheet-march-2020.pdf
With this in mind, if you don't already have a donkey at home, we will ask you to adopt a pair.
- Also for the above reasons, we no longer adopt out donkeys as guardian animals, be it for goats, cattle, sheep or chickens. Many donkeys used to guard cattle have been seen chasing young calves around rather than actually protecting them. Donkeys have been reported watching their chicken being carried away by coyotes without bothering to interfere. And donkeys have been reported to kill goats or sheep, especially smaller ones. If you wish to read more about how donkeys do with other animals, here is a good article:
https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/sites/uk/files/2020-04/keeping-donkeys-with-other-animals-factsheet-march-2020.pdf
- We rarely have mini donkeys or mammoth donkeys larger than 14hh for adoption. If you don't see one listed here, we don't have one for adoption.
- Our donkeys are adopted out under a contract by which we intend to protect them in the long run. The contract gives both parties rights and obligations. The contract prohibits breeding as well as selling or otherwise passing on the adopted donkeys to another home or another person without our permission. It also requires you to return the donkeys to us or seek our written permission for a follow-up adoption of your choice in case you can no longer take care of them. If you are not willing to sign or abide by such a contract for the protection of the donkeys, then adoption is not for you.
- Donkeys require care and attention, and their proper maintenance does cost some money. If you cannot afford hay (hoping that you can let them graze off the ground in your yard or pasture instead), you should not adopt a donkey. Not only did we get donkeys returned whose adopters were mistaken in believing that what grows on their property can feed the animals properly, but at times the grass and weeds on a pasture - even in New Mexico - can become too rich in sugars and cause laminitis in donkeys. During such times, the donkeys need to be removed from pasture and kept in a dry lot most of the day. If you cannot provide this, then you should rethink your decision to adopt donkeys. The same goes if you cannot provide routine preventative vet care or vet care in an emergency.
- We have recently raised our adoption fees both because of the recent price inflation on Craigslist even for untrained donkeys and also in order to deter interested parties that may not have sufficient resources to cover routine veterinary care for adopted donkeys. It has happened too often lately that people expressed commitment to adopting donkeys and then never came through with the adoption fee. Our fees now vary from $800 to $1500 for a single donkey and $1600 to $3000 for a pair, depending on size and training status. In all cases, the fee includes ground training, recent Coggins, wellness exam, core vaccinations (rabies, tetanus, at least 2-way encephalitis, west nile in spring/summer/early fall) plus flu/rhino, dental float if needed, hoof trim, worming, and brand inspection/health certificate as needed.
- We conduct home inspections prior to adoption. We require sturdy and safe fencing (preferably no barbed wire), a sturdy, roofed shelter with at least 3 sides or a barn, usually at least an acre of pasture for 2 donkeys and, in addition, a smaller dry lot (or nearly dry lot) for training, vet care, farrier care or just to park the donkeys if they develop laminitis from too much pasture access or need to be separated temporarily. We will work with future adopters who still need to develop their facilities prior to the arrival of the donkeys. We expect adopters to continue providing at least the same quality of veterinary care for routine and emergency procedures that we have afforded their donkeys prior to adoption.
- We do not send out single donkeys to a home that does not already have a donkey or at least a horse. Even a horse or several horses will often not be enough to satisfy a donkey's need for companionship. Horses are behaviorally different by nature, and we often observe donkeys to remain lonely and/or bored - or worse, be picked on - in a herd of horses. Goats often do not make good companions for donkeys, either. Two of our past adopters returned donkeys to us that were given access to baby goats; sadly, in each case, one of the donkeys had killed a baby. This happens a lot, and you can get more information from goat breeders or others who have tried out donkeys as guardian animals or heard about such endeavors, or from the Donkey Sanctuary of England:
https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/sites/uk/files/2020-04/keeping-donkeys-with-other-animals-factsheet-march-2020.pdf
With this in mind, if you don't already have a donkey at home, we will ask you to adopt a pair.
- Also for the above reasons, we no longer adopt out donkeys as guardian animals, be it for goats, cattle, sheep or chickens. Many donkeys used to guard cattle have been seen chasing young calves around rather than actually protecting them. Donkeys have been reported watching their chicken being carried away by coyotes without bothering to interfere. And donkeys have been reported to kill goats or sheep, especially smaller ones. If you wish to read more about how donkeys do with other animals, here is a good article:
https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/sites/uk/files/2020-04/keeping-donkeys-with-other-animals-factsheet-march-2020.pdf
- We rarely have mini donkeys or mammoth donkeys larger than 14hh for adoption. If you don't see one listed here, we don't have one for adoption.
- Our donkeys are adopted out under a contract by which we intend to protect them in the long run. The contract gives both parties rights and obligations. The contract prohibits breeding as well as selling or otherwise passing on the adopted donkeys to another home or another person without our permission. It also requires you to return the donkeys to us or seek our written permission for a follow-up adoption of your choice in case you can no longer take care of them. If you are not willing to sign or abide by such a contract for the protection of the donkeys, then adoption is not for you.
- Donkeys require care and attention, and their proper maintenance does cost some money. If you cannot afford hay (hoping that you can let them graze off the ground in your yard or pasture instead), you should not adopt a donkey. Not only did we get donkeys returned whose adopters were mistaken in believing that what grows on their property can feed the animals properly, but at times the grass and weeds on a pasture - even in New Mexico - can become too rich in sugars and cause laminitis in donkeys. During such times, the donkeys need to be removed from pasture and kept in a dry lot most of the day. If you cannot provide this, then you should rethink your decision to adopt donkeys. The same goes if you cannot provide routine preventative vet care or vet care in an emergency.
- We have recently raised our adoption fees both because of the recent price inflation on Craigslist even for untrained donkeys and also in order to deter interested parties that may not have sufficient resources to cover routine veterinary care for adopted donkeys. It has happened too often lately that people expressed commitment to adopting donkeys and then never came through with the adoption fee. Our fees now vary from $800 to $1500 for a single donkey and $1600 to $3000 for a pair, depending on size and training status. In all cases, the fee includes ground training, recent Coggins, wellness exam, core vaccinations (rabies, tetanus, at least 2-way encephalitis, west nile in spring/summer/early fall) plus flu/rhino, dental float if needed, hoof trim, worming, and brand inspection/health certificate as needed.
- We conduct home inspections prior to adoption. We require sturdy and safe fencing (preferably no barbed wire), a sturdy, roofed shelter with at least 3 sides or a barn, usually at least an acre of pasture for 2 donkeys and, in addition, a smaller dry lot (or nearly dry lot) for training, vet care, farrier care or just to park the donkeys if they develop laminitis from too much pasture access or need to be separated temporarily. We will work with future adopters who still need to develop their facilities prior to the arrival of the donkeys. We expect adopters to continue providing at least the same quality of veterinary care for routine and emergency procedures that we have afforded their donkeys prior to adoption.
You can check out our current Guide for New Donkey Owners with some useful information about basic donkey care here. An electronic copy of the official Donkey Care Handbook from the Donkey Sanctuary of England, and a current generic version of our adoption contract, can be viewed and/or downloaded below:
adoption_agreement_generic.pdf | |
File Size: | 114 kb |
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donkey_care_handbook.pdf | |
File Size: | 5736 kb |
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adoption_application.pdf | |
File Size: | 134 kb |
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AVAILABLE DONKEYS SUMMER 2024
CHLOE
ASCIENTA & MARCELA
Originally from Texas, Ascienta and Marcela have been in various of our rescue, rehab, and adoption programs since 2012. The two were at first almost feral and very difficult to interact with. After their initial rescue they spent about 5 years as cattle guardian donkeys at a large ranch in Quemado until the ranch manager was replaced by someone who did not think the donkeys were effective at doing their job. They were returned to us in 2017 and started ground training at that time. After several foster homes and two adoptions - both ending due to divorce/separation - they're back with us and ready for a new adoption better trained than at any time before. The two girls are fairly easy to halter and enjoy brushing, especially during the shedding season. Both stand well for the farrier. Ascienta leads better than Marcela, but we're still continuing their training. They're also still learning to load onto a trailer without much fuss and to stand still for being blanketed in the winter (though at our climate here in central New Mexico it would not be necessary if they have proper shelter).
The two girls have been very bonded for a long time and should never be split up. They are affectionate with humans and enjoy human interaction. Marcela very easily puts on weight (and will be tested soon for metabolic issues because of that), so the two girls should go to a home where their access to pasture, especially lush pasture, is restriced and where they will have no access to alfalfa hay. A large dry lot and straw as their main source of nutrition, otherwise just grass hay combined with a good mineral tub (no starch or molasses!), salt, and vitamin supplement would be perfect, with or without additional pasture to roam on. They do need enough space to run around and kick up their heels from time to time. As to their ages, Marcela is about 13 years and Ascienta about 18 years old now.
Marcela and Ascienta are up for adoption to the right home as we are completing their ground training with more leading and trailering practice. Their adoption fee as a pair is $1,600, which includes recent Coggins, core vaccinations plus flu/rhino, general check-up, insulin and thyroid blood tests for Marcela, recent teeth exams and floating as needed, recent worming and hoof trims. We can deliver the girls to their new home free of charge if it is not too far and for a small fee to cover fuel if it is further away. We are looking for a stable home that is not likely to fall apart within the next 2-4 years... While the two have always been welcome back here, and will always be welcome again in the future, they deserve a home where they can settle down for good and form a bond with their special people.
The two girls have been very bonded for a long time and should never be split up. They are affectionate with humans and enjoy human interaction. Marcela very easily puts on weight (and will be tested soon for metabolic issues because of that), so the two girls should go to a home where their access to pasture, especially lush pasture, is restriced and where they will have no access to alfalfa hay. A large dry lot and straw as their main source of nutrition, otherwise just grass hay combined with a good mineral tub (no starch or molasses!), salt, and vitamin supplement would be perfect, with or without additional pasture to roam on. They do need enough space to run around and kick up their heels from time to time. As to their ages, Marcela is about 13 years and Ascienta about 18 years old now.
Marcela and Ascienta are up for adoption to the right home as we are completing their ground training with more leading and trailering practice. Their adoption fee as a pair is $1,600, which includes recent Coggins, core vaccinations plus flu/rhino, general check-up, insulin and thyroid blood tests for Marcela, recent teeth exams and floating as needed, recent worming and hoof trims. We can deliver the girls to their new home free of charge if it is not too far and for a small fee to cover fuel if it is further away. We are looking for a stable home that is not likely to fall apart within the next 2-4 years... While the two have always been welcome back here, and will always be welcome again in the future, they deserve a home where they can settle down for good and form a bond with their special people.