Five donkeys and two miniature horses have a new lease on life after being surrendered to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham in November.
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| Surrendered donkeys Kevin and Diane are all ears as they settle into their new paddock at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham. The animals were part of a group of seven equines who arrived for care and rehabilitation at MSSPA in November. COURTESY PHOTO |
Peg Keyser, MSSPA Advancement Director, said that the donkeys and miniature horses had not had veterinary care in a very long time.
“Two donkeys, a mother and son, Olive and Yahtzee, and two miniature horses, Harry and Marv, came directly to the MSSPA and three donkeys, Finn, Kevin and Diane, all traveled directly from the site of the surrender to a nearby vet for immediate care,” Keyser said. “Diane is 15 years old and had terribly overgrown feet. She had not been handled much, and initial foot care needed to be done under sedation at a veterinary hospital. Diane also needed extensive dental care which was also done under sedation.”
Keyser said that Kevin, also 15, needed to be gelded which is something that is more of a major surgery when an equine is older. Finn, only 18 months old, was gelded as well. Both Kevin and Finn had their feet done under sedation as well.
“About five days after the first influx of these angels, Finn, Kevin and Diane also came to the MSSPA from the vet hospital,” she said. “They were officially the first residents of the MSSPA’s new McCulloch Family Barn, A Safe Place to Land, and their arrival marked all seven angels being in residence here at the farm.”
Since their arrival, the little herd is adjusting to life at the MSSPA farm having finished a quarantine period and are being integrated into the MSSPA larger herd. Each equine in the group has their own rehabilitative plan, such as the miniature horses were quite overweight and needed to lose some weight which is not typical of MSSPA’s incoming equines.
“Olive and Yahtzee were weaned, a routine process of separating mother and offspring, and Yahtzee joined Finn together in a paddock,” Keyser said. “They are like two brothers. And they act like two brothers and happily greet visitors at the fence. There is little that is cuter than a ‘baby’ donkey like Yahtzee, and we are pretty sure he knows it.”
She said that Olive is enjoying her new space and is doing well. She now shares a paddock with Kevin and Diane.
“Diane had substantially corrective trimming on her feet, and when she arrived, you could tell it felt different, and good, to be walking normally. However, you can imagine that it will take time for her legs and muscles to adjust which is what is happening,” Keyser said. “Diane, who wanted very little to do with humans when she got here, is slowly warming up to staff and volunteers and quietly shows interest in interacting with humans. Kevin had a more difficult time healing from his gelding surgery as an older equine, and this surgery is harder to heal from. It took him a while, but with patient care, he is now doing beautifully and has fully recovered. Finn and Yahtzee are soaking up whatever sun appears in this cold weather and enjoying each other’s company.”
Keyser said that the donkeys are smart and strong.
“Since this little herd had not been handled much, MSSPA’s staff has worked to halter and lead them which at times has taken two staffers,” she said. “They are all so loveable and staff have wasted no time enjoying their company. They each have lovely personalities. So far, they have settled right into life at the MSSPA. There is a great deal of interest in these donkeys. Their adoption timelines will be different for each one, based on the care and rehabilitation that they will still need.”
According to Keyser, Harry the miniature horse weighed 375 pounds when he arrived, nearly 100 pounds more than he should weigh.
“While most of our arrivals present in various stages of starvation, these two miniature horses needed to lose weight. They both also needed immediate farrier care as their feet had not been attended to in years,” she said. “Both Harry and Marv settled right in, have had their feet done, and are slowly shedding the pounds, although it is hard to tell this with their very thick winter coats currently in place. They have also been moved into the bigger herd and joined matriarchs Cherry and Autumn in their paddock.”
Based in Windham, the mission of the MSSPA is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected. The MSSPA’s goal for each horse or equine is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.
Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director, said taking in the surrendered donkeys and miniature horses demonstrates the organization’s commitment to preserving equine lives.
“The MSSPA exists to protect equines from abuse and neglect, and this case is a powerful reminder of why that work matters,” Woodbrey said. “Today, these donkeys and miniature horses are safe, receiving the care, training, and patience they need to heal and thrive. Now, that comes with extensive rehabilitative costs – both at the outset and going forward – but because of the generosity of our supporters these equines will have a second chance at futures they deserve. All of us at the MSSPA are deeply grateful to the compassionate community that makes this life-saving work possible.”
She said that if the public wants to help support the rehabilitation of this herd, they can make a donation through the MSSPA website at https://www.msspa.org/give/. <
