MLN-Burro1aug7-14Joan Dunkle and Fred Clark of the Scenic AZ. Satellite Adoption Center of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue were part of the final wild burro round up at the Sheldon Refuge near Reno.  The Adoption Center is located near Mesquite. Joan and Fred transported two mothers and foals with birth defects in their legs back to their facility in Scenic, Ariz., at the request of Mark Meyers, founder of the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue (PVDR). Due to these deformities, these burros would never have survived the trip to Texas in the large transport trailers.

The donkeys, Shelly and baby Reno along with Winnie and baby Amber are doing well at their new location.

“We are happy to bring these special mommas and babies to our location. We can’t wait to introduce them to the people who visit the satellite. We still have 3 burros – Cookie, Abbey, and Ferris, staying here from the roundup in October 2012.”

Working in conjunction with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, PVDR is once again responsible for the burros currently being removed from the Sheldon Refuge in Northern Nevada.

PVDR has been involved in this project since 2003 and has participated in 10 roundups and removals. This is the last roundup that PVDR will be doing at the Sheldon refuge. This year’s gather will include the removal of 101 burros in total.  Since 2003 422 donkeys have been removed. From those donkeys there have been 122 babies born at PVDR.

These burros were introduced into this region by Basque shepherds many decades ago. They are of a French strain and are heavily built with dark, shaggy coats. Because of the little interaction with people, these burros are easily gentled and PVDR has placed many in adoptive homes across the country.

With over 3,000 donkeys, PVDR prides itself on the quality of care that each donkey receives. All donkeys are micro chipped, vaccinated, de-wormed and the males are castrated upon arrival.

PVDR works with the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife as well as state and local law enforcement all across the country. PVDR specializes in abuse, neglect and abandonment cases as well as wild burro capture where the burros are under threat.

PVDR is funded entirely by private donations.

Anyone interested seeing the donkeys and in learning more about adopting or sponsoring one of the donkeys at the Scenic, AZ Satellite, please contact Joan and Fred at (928) 347-4506, or check out the Peaceful Valley website at www.donkeyrescue.org.