On the Homefront: Meet Minnie and Pearl!

Minnie the mother donkey is on the left, and Pearl her daughter is on the right.

I have been meaning to introduce the latest addition to our animal family, but I adopted Minnie and Pearl just a week before my dog Ruby's health began to decline so it has taken me a while to get to this post.  I got this mother-daughter bonded pair of spotted donkeys from a donkey rescue called The Longears Safehouse, which is near the small town of Estancia to the east of Albuquerque.  After my horse Nick passed away in December, I knew that I would most likely not be riding any longer because of joint issues, so I had no need for a riding horse.  I had been thinking about getting donkeys but wanted to make sure they would have a place to go if something happened to me, as I am getting on in years.  The donkey rescue will take donkeys back if you can no longer care for them - in fact, it is in the contract you sign when you adopt from them.  Even though Minnie is twenty years old and Pearl is about sixteen, donkeys can live a long time, even into their forties, so it is a relief to me to know they will always have a home even if they outlive me.  I also feel good about the fact that I can provide loving care to two donkeys that have been shuffled around to various owners over the years and really needed a more secure environment where they will hopefully be able to live for most if not all of their lives.

It has been fun getting to know these girls - Minnie, the mother donkey, is the more outgoing of the two and settled in quite quickly.  Pearl is a bit more aloof and it took her a while to get used to me, but she finally seems to trust me and is becoming much easier to approach and handle.  They are both good about being groomed and letting me clean their feet, and did well in the trailer ride over to our property.  They will be getting a visit from my farrier soon, and I was told that they are used to getting their feet trimmed so should be good with the farrier as well.  Other than being a bit pushy at feeding time they are very easy to handle, and I think we will get on well together.

By the way, if you know of anyone in the New Mexico area who would like to adopt donkeys and has adequate facilities to do so, I highly recommend The Longears Safehouse as the place to go.  The donkeys are not adopted out until they receive proper veterinary and hoof care, and have also undergone basic training for handling and any behavior issues.  Maybe the new owners of the HGTV Smart Home 2023 would like to welcome a couple of rescue donkeys into their lives as well (if they are properly zoned, that is)!