Hey Ya'll! I am so excited to say I have gotten a few donations already for my donkey! Thanks to Billie, Mokihana and Corrie for all sending their portion of love to help me fulfill my dream. :) I still need $ donations, as I am a few hundred shy of getting my Ju Ju Bean (that's code for my dream donkey!) In case you missed my first plea (and the amazing comments & stories)), here is a link to the post - also here is an excerpt too:*
"I am now accepting donations to help me buy a donkey! It all started a few years ago when I began having seizures and could no longer drive a car, or even ride as a passenger without causing serious medical discomfort. Soon after realizing my new isolating plight I met an old man on Reems Creek Rd in Weaverville NC who was raising midget ponies, he loved his midget ponies so much he teared up talking about them & he said they were his only joy... after hearing him talk a flash of brilliance popped into my travel weary mind that I needed something to ride on that was just my size! Over the years I kept my wish alive, letting it evolve with my changing life- but as my situation became more 'small pony' friendly the economy became a monster. A monster that gobbled up all my money and left me rather poor. Having a donkey to ride on would liberate my inability to get around very easily (I can only ride my bike so far in the rural mountains before I am exhausted completely). This would be a long term dream come true - some girls want fancy cars & a nice house, but I just want a donkey to be friends with."
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Donkey Donater Mokihana wrote a beautiful post about my donkey dream, and you can go read it at this link here. <3
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These fabulous pictures below are of Mr. Grady and Miss Lovely! They were sent by Donkey Donater Billie, they are her awesome donkeys out west, where she got them wild but eventually they warmed up to her, tamed by love. Here is a story Billie sent to me about just how funny and intelligent her donkey Mr. Grady is:::::
"I want to tell you a story to give you an idea of how smart donkeys can be... In our herd, which is two horses and two donkeys, Mr. Grady, our male donkey, is third in the pecking order (Miss Lovely, his mom is lowest in the order). Django, the lead horse, happens to be highest in the pecking order, and bosses poor Mr. Grady around all day long. But don't worry, Mr. Grady is actually smarter than Django....In the winter, we keep the horses and donkeys in stalls at night, and each morning my husband would clean out the stalls and put food to prepare for the horses and donkeys returning in the evening. Mr. Grady actually figured out how to open the stall doors to get to the food. Django, the lead horse, of course wanted to know what was going on when Mr. Grady was in the stall eating, so he forced Mr. Grady to leave the stall and went into the stall himself. While Django was eating, Mr. Grady closed the door on him so he couldn't get out. Seriously. At first we thought this was just an amusing coincidence, but no. Mr. Grady knows exactly what to do with those who boss him around. He actually did this several times in a row, and we finally had to put locks on the stall doors to keep Mr. Grady out. He can figure out how to open just about anything, so we have to keep locks on all doors and gates. Donkeys can be extremely curious, and most of them are very smart."
If you have extra cash, any extra quarters, anything to give - please send it my way for my donkey dream! This donkey will be me baby for the next 40 years and I can not wait to love him/her! You can donate by paypal donations using the button on the right hand side of this blog (it's totally secure and safe!), or you can email me privately about sending something in the snail mail to lesrichard {at} aol-DOT-com (it's written out like that so spammers don't gank my email address). Thanks to those who are already Donkey Donaters and to those yet to come!!!!!XoXo
Thanks to my cousin Rick for donating a lil' something for my donkey last night !!! Luvs you!
ReplyDeletexo
Leslie, the Donkey Dear!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad others have begun to blow love on your dreams. Yours is such a grand intent, and it makes me feel soooo good to know you will be riding JuJuBean in the next little while. Ummm ...
Mokihana
Here are two websites connected to some very nice people who are trying to help me locate a donkey to ride!
ReplyDeleteThis couple Rob & Jackie have an animal sanctuary in Leicester NC, that cares for all kinds of animals - they have their ears open for a riding donkey...
http://goatmountainsanctuary.org/index.html
Thomas is a livestock dealer in WNC who is a good solid trustworthy cowboy, with a good heart - he is looking to find me a good riding donkey too!
www.hayeslivestock.com
Fingers crossed!!!!
Ok let me get this straight.. you have a bunch of land but are so poor you can't afford a donkey? For some reason you are too poor to buy a donkey and people are supposed to give you money so you can get one... but who is going to pay for the vet bills? the worming? the hoof trimming? Are you going to whine for donations for that too? Or are you just going to skip any part that costs money in the upkeep of your beloved donkey? Taking care of a donkey is not a cheap thing, if you actually TAKE CARE of him. They are hardy little animals but still will require vaccinations, worming, hay,e tc. This is unbelievably ridiculous that you are on a longterm whine-session expecting people to buy you a donkey. How weird.
ReplyDeleteHey Anonymous -
ReplyDeleteWow, you have alot of assumptions there and seem pretty angry about something unrelated to me -
but let me clarify something. I do not own the land I live on, in fact I live in a converted barn house that is owned by my friend - who happened to inherit this land from his father who passed away last year.
I understand about donkey care very thoroughly, but also did not have extra income to put out all at once to buy a trained riding donkey.I have gotten a few donations now, and feel really thankful for the kindness of my friends.
If you have never been poor, never had medical disabilities, and never have had to stay at home for years due to convulsive seizures and not be able to go anywhere, i think you ought to just shut the fuck up and maybe take that quiet meditative time to think about how each person has their own plight in life and how you will never be the ultimate judge of that.
ok. So you are living on someone else's land. That was my only mis-assumption. Yes I have been poor. I never begged for someone to buy me ANYTHING.. let alone something so impractical as a DONKEY!?!?!?!? If you can't put up money to buy one, you can't afford one single vet call. Heaven help you if it gets actually injured or sick. There are donkeys for $50-75 everywhere and those that need adopting from rescues. OH I guess if you want one already trained to ride that might be more. Would you like us to train it to jump and do tricks for you too?If you are not willing or able to purchase your own donkey, you will not be willing or able to afford to care for it.
ReplyDeleteThe petty part of me wants to infer things about the psyche of a person who goes around as "Anonymous" and posts hurtful comments.
ReplyDeleteBut the wiser part of me knows that this kind of behavior usually comes from a wounded creature ... and for that, I am sorry. I hope you are able to find peace.
oh and the "poor me because i have convulsive seizures" does NOT justify ownership of an animal that requires RESPONSIBILITY. What if "poor you with convulsive seizures" thought you should have a pet elephant? or a pet moose? Does that entitle you to one????? I sympathize with your situation. I do NOT sympathize with your irresponsible mooching attitude.
ReplyDeleteThe wounds I have seen and experienced are indeed there and were caused by witnessing what becomes of animals taken on by irresponsible people.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but any points you're trying to make are masked by a whole bunch of venom.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous posted some very good points about the care and vetting of a donkey. I 'googled' donkey rescue and got back 10 pages of donkey rescue websites that have all sorts (I checked out quite a few, but not all of course) of donkeys for adoption. Many of them have been rescued from homes where the owners would love to be able to care for their animals, but are financially and physically unable to do so (I have a cousin and two great friends that have seizure disorders, two have epilepsy and one has Crohn's and know how hard life can be with spontaneous seizures). I wish you luck in life and pray that if you are granted your dream of owning a riding donkey that it does NOT end up in a rescue because you are unable to get donations in order to feed Jack/Jenny or because your condition worsens and you become physically unable to tend to your beloved. Owning an animal comes with many responsibilities and now that I think about it, most rescues would probably be very hesitant to allow a person with such a disorder to adopt a pet when they do not have the means to care for it, hence the website and ad on Craigslist detailing your desires in hopes that someone else will provide you with one. On a final note, people cannot be too sensitive when posting ANYTHING on the World Wide Web. Everyone has an opinion and the internet allows anybody to say whatever they want whenever they want. Again, good luck and God Bless.
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate before deciding who I am, how responsible I am, how intelligent I am, and how I plan on caring for the donkey - that someone would either talk to me personally, or make suggestions in a helpful manner (like try listing your costs and suggestions in a non judgmental way.).
ReplyDeleteBeing rude and assuming I am not a responsible person and do not know how to treat or feed the animal is based on minimal info via internet (and is also wrong) -
so if you have helpful info, that's awesome! But if you enjoy being ugly then please refrain, cause it's not doing anyone good.
I have been learning donkey care and costs directly from a livestock dealer who has been helping work out the best solutions for me - he has dealt in livestock his entire life, does farrier work, and knows how to deliver helpful animal care info in a way that is humane to the human (myself) involved. I am glad I met up with someone willing to talk it through and work out the best plan first - before meeting people who prefer to just crush someone else's dreams & goals in life.
I would never abandon or mistreat an animal, and I have never done so in my entire life! I used to work for the animal rescue and investigation team, to stop animal cruelty when I lived in New Orleans.
PS- Anonymous - Do you sell donkeys? And HA! About wanting elephants !!!
I have never been a mooch a day in my life, if anything I have been mooched off of most of it- it wasn't an easy thing to just ask for a little extra help.
Patricia whoever is right... if you are on the internet, you are asking for criticism, especially if you are being foolish. If you dont want people to respond, then don't post a blog. I don't care who you know or what they do. If you can't afford to buy a donkey, you can't afford to take care of one. I don't sell donkeys. I have bought 2. I also have 3 horses. Equines are NOT cheap pets/hobbies. The initial cost is nothing compared to the financial responsibility of continued ownership and if you are trying to get freebies on obtaining one, how on earth do you plan to provide vet care? You want specific costs? It cost about $20-30 to get a decent farrier to just come out and another $20 to for him to trim a donkey. (but then if you have some good ol' boy down the road, you can surely get something cheaper). If you get a jack, and have it gelded like a responsible owner would, that is quite expensive.. probably close to $200 if it is a mature jack because you cannot just suture them as you can with horses, they must be also cauterized. (MIght wanna do some homework on that before you get the good ol' boy down the road to do that one for you). Worming costs about another $50 at least a year... Vaccinations are about another $50. Other than hay and a salt/mineral block that's about it. But as I said, heaven help you (and the poor donkey) if he becomes ill or injured as you obviously have ZERO financial plan to cover anything that may come up. I guess you will look to other "friends" to bail you out. To dream of owning a donkey and expecting others to make it happen for you is just ridiculous. I find it very difficult to believe that anyone who has worked in ANY kind of rescue would be considering the ownership of an animal they cannot even afford to BUY.
ReplyDeletea livestock "dealer"????? geez that sounds like a great place to get credible info.
ReplyDeleteCool- thanks Ann, cause I have enough money to do all that. Writing it out like that was really helpful- and I feel alot better about your previous warnings.
ReplyDeleteHeaven help you too that you dont ever get sick, in a car wreck, or die either!
PS- the 'livestock dealer' has worked with horses , goats and other domesticated animals since he was a child on his farm, i have no idea what you would be inferring about another person you do not know (again), but he is excellent with animals and great about sharing the things he's learned to avoid pitfalls.
PSS- just cause you can tell people your opinions in an ugly way over the internet doesn't mean anyone should.
Thanks again.
Xoxo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75dTEJImXeQ
ReplyDeleteHey Ya'll check out all the cute donkeys my vegan friend took a film of in Morocco, where people mostly ride donkeys and they park them in a place in town!
It's only 8 seconds but all the donkeys look so sweet.
Three cowards three cunts
ReplyDelete"Anonymous"
Patricia Presley
Anne Logan
Three more reasons to get a donkey...
Priceless
No one has the right to come and take a poop on someone else's blog. No one. This was not constructive criticism about the care of donkeys from Anon et al, this was mean spirited vitriol meant to hurt. Shame on you.
ReplyDeletemy dad always says "when you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME" this is very appropriate to this, and pun intended. Anon needs a life. And Leslie has a business that will pay for the maintenance of the donkey. and Leslie, I will paypal you $50 for the worming when that donkey arrives. You have helped me when I was broke. You are a wonderful person and a true friend. Anonymous is nothing...an empty venomous VACUUM and you should steer clear so as not to get sucked in. xoxox gab
ReplyDeleteI can see why you would like a donkey. They are wonderful creatures. I have 3 mini donkeys and I would love to have a donkey to ride, as well.
ReplyDeleteHere is the problem...your critics are correct. Donkeys are expensive. Soon I will drop $1000 for their winter hay. The farrier comes out next week--$70. Shots are due --$300 plus.
Donkeys are sensitive creatures. My one donkey took a year to warm up to me. Now she is like a "lap donkey." She would be so sad to leave her donkey friends.
Where would your donkey come from? do you know Donkey's are pack animals and they can become very depressed when removed from friends and left in a field with no other pack animals to be with?
Here is what I suggest....Call Hope for Horses or some rescue group and see if there is not a donkey you can help take care of at one of these rescue places. You can then have your donkey, but not the expense.
Best to you!
Heres alittle help....With your knwoledge and learning abilities that i see you are extremely determined ..You can learn to do your own trimming of hoofs at this site for free...Been doing my horses hoofs for quite some time..
ReplyDeletewww.barefoothorse.com
Theres that $50.00 savings..Now go get em..!!!!!!!!