Have you ever thought that your life was missing something … perhaps a herd of miniature donkeys in your backyard?
Well, it might be your lucky day.
After taking ownership of the donkeys earlier this month, the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) is accepting applications for adoption of the seven miniature female donkeys, which will be available as soon as they’ve been nourished back to total health this fall.
But you’d better take a number if you’re interested in adopting one ― or all ― of them. Since they arrived at the South Windham-based organization the first weekend of July, MSSPA has received about two dozen adoption applications for the donkeys.
“They are probably the most popular critters that we’ve had here in recent history. We’ve had a great deal of people come to meet them,” Meris Bickford, CEO of MSSPA, said.
The seven mini donkeys, appropriately nicknamed the “Little Women” by MSSPA staff, were surrendered to the nonprofit organization by a municipal animal control officer from a central Maine town, which Bickford declined to name. The original owner of the donkeys was suffering from health problems and was unable to appropriately care for the animals, and the town stepped in.
The MSSPA is an independent organization, but it works with state and municipal departments that seize animals ― primarily horses ― that are being neglected or cannot be cared for. While the organization does not accept surrendered animals from the general public, they do offer a matchmaking network for people who need to give up their animals.
When the Little Women were taken into the care of the MSSPA, they were in need of some serious tender love and care. While the animals were being fed, they had not been to a veterinarian in several years, were not up to date on vaccinations and their hooves were in desperate need of being clipped. Additionally, the teeth of horses and donkeys need to be filed down every so often, and unfortunately, this was not done on this group of mini donkeys, so they were having trouble chewing their food.
In the few weeks that they have been enjoying life at their new temporary home in Windham, the donkeys are doing much better, Bickford said, as the staff has invested money and time into rehabilitating these animals. With their friendly and quirky personalities, Bickford said visitors and staff have loved having the animals around.
“None of them are anything other than agreeable and very inquisitive,” Bickford said. “They’re painfully cute.”
While they won’t be able to leave the MSSPA until their rehabilitation is complete in early to mid-fall, Bickford estimates, the organization is accepting adoption applications for the donkeys.
The seven donkeys are a group of mothers and their daughters ranging in ages between four and late teens, however, they do not need to be adopted as a whole group. Mini donkeys can live into their late 20s and early 30s, and are on average under three feet tall weighing about 300 pounds, Bickford said.
Adoption applications can be filled out online through the MSSPA website and will be reviewed by the organization’s adoption committee. Bickford said they require references, as well as information on your veterinarian and your plans to house the animal as well as how you anticipate to get water to the animal, especially during the winter.
If you’re strongly considering adopting one of these “painfully cute” donkeys, Bickford said they require daily feed such as hay, and possibly a small amount of a grain supplement in addition to the hay. Mini donkeys, which are smaller than a Great Dane, do not require much grazing space at all. Bickford said at their farm, the seven donkeys have about a quarter of an acre of space to graze and that is plenty. In accordance with Maine law, it is required that equines ― which donkeys are categorized as ― have a three-sided shelter with a waterproof roof and sturdy footing, Bickford said. The donkeys will also require visits to the vet twice a year to file their teeth, as well as having their hooves clipped every six to eight weeks.
In addition to the adoption application, the MSSPA requires conducting a site visit to where the prospective adoptee plans to keep the donkey. People looking to adopt a donkey must also visit the animal at the MSSPA to see how the donkey matches with the person.
The adoption process at MSSPA is unique in that when someone adopts an animal, they are adopting with the organization, Bickford said, meaning that the MSSPA reserves the right to do post adoption visits both planned and unplanned. Additionally, the adoptees may not sell or breed the donkeys once they adopt them.
“We really put a lot of time and energy into bringing these animals back from the very dark places they’ve been,” Bickford said. “We’re not about to let them go back to that again.”