Posted on behalf of Edgewood Longears Safehouse in Edgewood, New Mexico (Note: This is where we adopted Buck.)

This post is for all the pregnant jennies that we at Edgewood Longears Safehouse rescued from Southwest Livestock Auction on November 8 and that haven’t found a home or sponsor yet, as well as for a husband-and-wife team from near Las Vegas, NM, that is expected to have a newborn foal soon. All of these jennies (and the one husband) need sponsors to help them get through the winter, so that they can give birth without worries and get ready for adoption to a new forever home. Please read their stories and consider sponsoring one or the other. We are private people and do not have access to most grants for which official rescue shelters can apply; hence our funds are very limited. 

Sponsoring an animal from our rescue herd would involve sending a donation of $50 (which covers all the groceries) or $40 (which covers most of them) each month either by check to our private address or (marked as a gift) by Paypal to longears.safehouse@gmail.com. We’ll keep you updated about your sponsored donkey and the progress she/he has been making.

Bonnie (the spotted one) and her man Gandhi were found abandoned near Las Vegas, New Mexico. The NM Livestock Board took them in, hoping to accommodate them at a local sale barn or rescue. But the official rescues were full and most NM sale barns no longer accept donkeys (Dennis Chavez’s being the main exception). Through another rescue we were asked if we could take them in. They received a Coggins test and Gandhi was gelded, all at the NM Livestock Board’s expense. 

When they arrived at our Edgewood facility, we noticed that their hooves were unusually short and their feet are hurting. We suspect that this may be from their wandering around on rocky terrain for too long; perhaps the coldness of the ground here in the wintry mountains adds to it. We hope it’s not founder. We are currently negotiating with some potential foster places further south to take them in for Bonnie’s foaling event. Gandhi is also feeling miserable right now as he is recovering from his surgery. They’re both on bute right now, and Gandhi is also on antibiotics. 

Bonnie is already bagging, so her foal will be there within a month from now; in fact, it could come any day at this point. We might have a great home waiting for this donkey family, depending on how well they recover from their various health challenges. Until then Bonnie and Gandhi each need a sponsor.

Bonnie and Gandhi are currently located at our Edgewood facility.

Update (11/28/11): Bonnie and Gandhi are both doing much better today, Bonnie’s feet are obviously better, and Gandhi is perkier, too. I stopped the bute for them, and they’re nonetheless fine. Can’t wait to see them run once they’re fully recovered!

Luna Belle was among those rescued from Southwest Livestock Auction in Los Lunas on November 8. She already has an album of her own, since she was found with the worst case of overgrown hooves that we have personally encountered. She was trimmed for the first time on November 14 and will need several more trims before we can say that she may have fully recovered from that neglect. 

Luna Belle is most likely pregnant but not as advanced as the others. She has become very friendly with humans after her trimming experience; before that she was pretty much untouchable. She is friends with Sheila, a paint jenny who is not pregnant at this point. We may put Luna Belle and Sheila up for adoption once Sheila has had her hooves done and received some gentling lessons. 

Luna Belle is located at our Tijeras facility.

This is Marylou, a large, big-boned brown and friendly jenny who may have another four or five months to go—possibly even longer— before she gives birth. She was among those that we rescued from Southwest Livestock Auction on November 8. She is coming along in her interactions with humans and should be easy to train soon. 

Marylou is currently located at our Tijeras facility.

This is Claudette, another pretty and friendly chocolate brown jenny far along in her pregnancy. She was among those that we rescued from Southwest Livestock Auction on November 8. She has terrible hooves right now and needs to get a trim soon. 

Claudette is currently located at our Tijeras facility.

This is Silver, another pretty jenny with a gray roan coat who is also far along in her pregnancy. She was among those that we rescued from Southwest Livestock Auction on November 8. She also needs a trim soon. 

Silver is currently located at our Tijeras facility.

This is Stella, our white pregnant jenny. She’s friendly and curious. A potential adopter in another state has expressed some interest in her, but nothing has been settled yet, and in any event she won’t be moving any time soon. It could be another 4 months before she gives birth. 

Stella is located at our Tijeras facility.

This is Champagne, a pretty rare pink jenny. When we picked her up at the feedlot she completely panicked near humans and wanted nothing to do with us. Today, for the first time, she touched my hand softly with her nose. 

Champagne’s pregnancy is pretty far along, too. 

Champagne is currently located at our Tijeras facility.