Shaggy's Story

Shaggy was a tiny, young, and fearful donkey in a group of about 10 other donkeys. We drove to a little town outside of Cooperstown, NY where the owner had a breeding operation for donkeys. When we arrived, we noticed the area was run down, there were large trailers spread around the property, they were used as shelter for horses and donkeys!  The fences were dilapidated, the water source was a small muddy pond, and the attitude of the owner was harsh.

I knew I needed to play a friendly – trusting roll with the man so I could save at least two of the young donkeys. He was obviously not trusting of people, and he was guarded with me too. He told me if I could catch two, I could buy two, but only the jacks (non-gelded males) because he was using the jennys to breed. The problem was, all the young donkeys were basically feral, they did not have halters on, nor had they ever had one on. Catching them meant coaxing them up onto our trailer. After a few attempts, the two precious donkeys, loaded up, I gave the man some money and off we were to Peaceful Acres Horses.

Shaggy and his brother Yukon, as we named them, were the most adorable little beings we had ever had at Peaceful Acres Horses, they were our first mini equines, and all the kids were absolutely fascinated by them. Finally, the kids had someone at the farm that was kid size. But despite their small stature, they were strong, and it would take some time to train them to lead and stand to be groomed. The kids in our equine-guided emotionally supportive programs were up for the task!

Weekes and months went by, and Shaggy and Yukon became the favorites to all the kids and volunteers too. They became very social, animated, and loved to call out in sing-song brays.  Through Shaggy and Yukon, the kids found a best friend, someone that they could walk with, talk with and find a calmness in a stressful, oftentimes sad childhood.

Shaggy loves to visit with people and especially loves feeding time! All of our volunteers have to follow a strict rule for Shaggy, even if he brays and tries to convince anyone to give him treats, treats are off limits. If Shaggy was a person, he would love the bakery! He is perhaps the most adorable of all of our rescues, and he sure knows how to mend broken hearts.  Shaggy is pure sweetness!

If Shaggy’s story has touched your heart and you would like to help support his feed and care at PAH, please consider becoming a Feed Partner, Care Sponsor or Shaggy’s Champion Contributor. Through your support of Shaggy, PAH can keep our promises to him and his lifetime care.