Forever Home Donkey Rescue

By the time we got on the road the weather was getting a little iffy.  We drove thru squalls 3 or 4 times.  Actually they were deeply appreciated, since it was pretty hot, & the rain or threat of rain, cooled it off quite a bit.  

Found the place, asked the lady if she had seen them today & she said no.......!!!  So we started figuring out our plan of attack, with T-posts, barbed wire, & corral panels.  The area is about an acre fenced in with chain link.  Of course the pine trees weren't together, so we had to fence 3 areas.  

John just happened to look down the road to a grassy area & look what he saw?  

 It was about 1/4 mile away, so I took off with my camera & a container with Strategy in it.  I took this picture when I got close, I figured if they took off I'd at least be able to show they existed.  (G)   When I got a little closer I shook the container & here they came......!!!!   Me thinks, they've heard that sound before.  They came right up to me & expected to be fed, thank you very much.  And we hadn't even been formally introduced........!!!!  

I turned around & headed back down the road towards the house, looked around & sure enough, they are right behind me.  An occasional sharing of the Strategy kept them right with me.  

John said he looked up & here I came like the Pied Piper with my little following of two.  They were going to go wherever that Strategy was that's for sure.  So in the gate we went.  We had brought a bale of hay but there is plenty of bermuda grass growing everywhere, so I don't think they would have cared for our offering.  They did like the salt block though..

It took about a 1 1/2 hours to get the trees fenced in.  Unfortunately John has all the lightweight  panels protecting some of our trees, so the 6 panels he took are HEAVY ones.  All the time we were carrying them & wrestling them thru the grass, & over hill & dale, we kept saying, "you know the way things turned out we could have brought the stock trailer instead of corral panels & probably had them loaded & gone in a lot less time".  SIGH...!!!  

So tomorrow after chores we will head out again, only this time with 2 vehicles, the stock trailer, & the car trailer to bring back the corral panels.  Actually we've hauled panels in the stock trailer before,  but can't do it if you have animals in it.

We were thrilled to find out they are 2 young jennies about 2 to 3 years old.  If they don't have a name I like to name them on the way home.

Falena

Selena

 They are in good shape & very pretty girls.  Don't think much of ropes so they might have been used as roping donkeys.  Stuck their heads in the halter.  In fact they pushed each other's head to see who would get it on first.  It's really difficult to put a halter on 2 donkeys at the same time. .......!!!   So I'm hoping tomorrow they also know how to lead & will follow the Strategy into the trailer.  If not we have the corral panels there to make a chute with.  

Falena has a deformed foot on the left rear.  It looks like she's had it for a long time, when she walks it turns under & she walks on the front of the hoof wall.   But it doesn't keep her from going where she wants to & doing what she wants to do from what I've seen so far.  

Tomorrow I will call the Livestock Inspector & find out what I need to do to make sure, I don't get accused of "rustling" in case someone does show up & says they are their donkeys.  I doubt it would happen, unfortunately  there are people that have taken advantage of the fire & evacuating to get rid of animals they don't want to feed anymore.