Meet the Donkeys
How Two Became Three…
And Our World Will Never Be the Same!
Click on image to read individual stories.
Meet and Greet. Beatrice Poppins Braymore.
We didn’t intend to bring an extra donkey home from auction, but six years ago when we saved Beatrice and Fig, we did just that and we didn’t even know it. Surprise! We had a stowaway.
Left in a pen at one of the largest 'kill' auctions around, a senior grey girl stood there with multiple at-risk donkeys, minis and ponies. Like most of the lives there, they had no representation and simply stood loose, hour after hour as lives were added to their pen. She was a bit underweight, infested with lice and blind in one eye. Calm and resigned among the commotion of auction, she stood with her friends, another gray whose story we will tell a different day, and a beautiful, dark male. Together they seemed to quietly ask us for help each time we made our rounds and we found ourselves checking in repeatedly, observing, scritching necks, lifting feet and making plans.
When they ran through the sale in a large group, we lifted our card bidding against a known dealer for choice and when our time came, we pointed at her and our other pick, the young black male she had stood with. Her gray friend has been “no saled” and not allowed to run through (again, a story we will save for a different day).
We won them, two special donkey rescues who, from that point forward, shed their auction numbers to become "Beatrice" and "Fig." Unlike many at the sale, they were safe and before they knew it, after a long effort to load them, they were on their way to the quarantine that would allow them to make their way to their forever home at Tomten.
Our first ever donkey rescues and the first saves we welcomed to New Hampshire, they did quarantine out of state and when we went to visit we looked at our senior jenny and we wondered, "Could she be?" But the quarantine vet dismissed our suspicions. Hmmmm. Not convinced I sent her photos to our awesome vet in Massachusetts and we agreed, quite possibly she was pregnant. When she arrived at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary after quarantine, I couldn’t wait to do a blood test. Looking at her several weeks after her save we thought, "She must be!" and two weeks later, the blood test confirmed it—our newest rescue, Beatrice Poppins Braymore was indeed, in foal.
What?! But when was she due and what was she carrying, a donkey, a hinny? A boy, a girl? And most importantly would she and the baby be ok? We worried about her age, we worried about the baby, we worried about the weather and hoped for a delivery before the depth and darkness of Winter set in. A donkey's pregnancy can last between 11 and 14 months, with 12 generally the norm and we had no idea when conception took place. It was an interesting wait.
But in the cold and the dark of night on November 7th, 2016, when all was still, we experienced a first of its kind, miracle here at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary. We welcomed life in a whole new way and we will be forever changed. We welcomed Baby Braymore, or as he was officially named, Braynard Boddington Jones. I missed the birth by minutes having run into the house for another layer of clothing and a phone charger. I should not have stopped to pee because in those few moments Beatrice quickly had her baby in what was quite possibly, the fastest delivery ever. He was beautiful though but more importantly, both Mom and baby were safe and he would never know anything but goodness and kindness and love.
I do not like to think of what would have happened had we not stepped up to save Beatrice, but I am pretty sure there would not have been a Baby B. He is one of the lucky ones and just another reason for all of us to keep trying to do more, be more and give more every day.
Thanks to people like you, he and his Mom have and will continue to remain here with their friend Fig (and now, much to their delight, six other donkey friends) for all of their days. Baby B has grown up knowing love and family and safety. He has grown up experiencing nothing but peace, protection and possibility and we hope he will enjoy it for the next 30 plus years.
Sustainable, responsible rescue is paramount as together we provide lifetime care for lives like these, thank you for helping us make their dreams come true.
Beatrice Poppins Braymore
Meet and Greet. Figaro Brayburn.
We didn’t intend to bring an extra donkey home from auction, but six years ago when we saved Beatrice and Fig, we did just that and we didn’t even know it. Surprise! We had a stowaway.
Left in a pen at one of the largest 'kill' auctions around, a senior grey girl stood there with multiple at-risk donkeys, minis and ponies. Like most of the lives there, they had no representation and simply stood loose, hour after hour as lives were added to their pen. She was a bit underweight, infested with lice and blind in one eye. Calm and resigned among the commotion of auction, she stood with her friends, another gray whose story we will tell a different day, and a beautiful, dark male. Together they seemed to quietly ask us for help each time we made our rounds and we found ourselves checking in repeatedly, observing, scritching necks, lifting feet and making plans.
When they ran through the sale in a large group, we lifted our card bidding against a known dealer for choice and when our time came, we pointed at her and our other pick, the young black male she had stood with. Her gray friend has been “no saled” and not allowed to run through (again, a story we will save for a different day).
We won them, two special donkey rescues who, from that point forward, shed their auction numbers to become "Beatrice" and "Fig." Unlike many at the sale, they were safe and before they knew it, after a long effort to load them, they were on their way to the quarantine that would allow them to make their way to their forever home at Tomten.
Our first ever donkey rescues and the first saves we welcomed to New Hampshire, they did quarantine out of state and when we went to visit we looked at our senior jenny and we wondered, "Could she be?" But the quarantine vet dismissed our suspicions. Hmmmm. Not convinced I sent her photos to our awesome vet in Massachusetts and we agreed, quite possibly she was pregnant. When she arrived at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary after quarantine, I couldn’t wait to do a blood test. Looking at her several weeks after her save we thought, "She must be!" and two weeks later, the blood test confirmed it—our newest rescue, Beatrice Poppins Braymore was indeed, in foal.
What?! But when was she due and what was she carrying, a donkey, a hinny? A boy, a girl? And most importantly would she and the baby be ok? We worried about her age, we worried about the baby, we worried about the weather and hoped for a delivery before the depth and darkness of Winter set in. A donkey's pregnancy can last between 11 and 14 months, with 12 generally the norm and we had no idea when conception took place. It was an interesting wait.
But in the cold and the dark of night on November 7th, 2016, when all was still, we experienced a first of its kind, miracle here at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary. We welcomed life in a whole new way and we will be forever changed. We welcomed Baby Braymore, or as he was officially named, Braynard Boddington Jones. I missed the birth by minutes having run into the house for another layer of clothing and a phone charger. I should not have stopped to pee because in those few moments Beatrice quickly had her baby in what was quite possibly, the fastest delivery ever. He was beautiful though but more importantly, both Mom and baby were safe and he would never know anything but goodness and kindness and love.
I do not like to think of what would have happened had we not stepped up to save Beatrice, but I am pretty sure there would not have been a Baby B. He is one of the lucky ones and just another reason for all of us to keep trying to do more, be more and give more every day.
Thanks to people like you, he and his Mom have and will continue to remain here with their friend Fig (and now, much to their delight, six other donkey friends) for all of their days. Baby B has grown up knowing love and family and safety. He has grown up experiencing nothing but peace, protection and possibility and we hope he will enjoy it for the next 30 plus years.
Sustainable, responsible rescue is paramount as together we provide lifetime care for lives like these, thank you for helping us make their dreams come true.
Figaro Brayburn
Meet and Greet. Baby B (aka Braynard Boddington Jones).
We didn’t intend to bring an extra donkey home from auction, but six years ago when we saved Beatrice and Fig, we did just that and we didn’t even know it. Surprise! We had a stowaway.
Left in a pen at one of the largest 'kill' auctions around, a senior grey girl stood there with multiple at-risk donkeys, minis and ponies. Like most of the lives there, they had no representation and simply stood loose, hour after hour as lives were added to their pen. She was a bit underweight, infested with lice and blind in one eye. Calm and resigned among the commotion of auction, she stood with her friends, another gray whose story we will tell a different day, and a beautiful, dark male. Together they seemed to quietly ask us for help each time we made our rounds and we found ourselves checking in repeatedly, observing, scritching necks, lifting feet and making plans.
When they ran through the sale in a large group, we lifted our card bidding against a known dealer for choice and when our time came, we pointed at her and our other pick, the young black male she had stood with. Her gray friend has been “no saled” and not allowed to run through (again, a story we will save for a different day).
We won them, two special donkey rescues who, from that point forward, shed their auction numbers to become "Beatrice" and "Fig." Unlike many at the sale, they were safe and before they knew it, after a long effort to load them, they were on their way to the quarantine that would allow them to make their way to their forever home at Tomten.
Our first ever donkey rescues and the first saves we welcomed to New Hampshire, they did quarantine out of state and when we went to visit we looked at our senior jenny and we wondered, "Could she be?" But the quarantine vet dismissed our suspicions. Hmmmm. Not convinced I sent her photos to our awesome vet in Massachusetts and we agreed, quite possibly she was pregnant. When she arrived at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary after quarantine, I couldn’t wait to do a blood test. Looking at her several weeks after her save we thought, "She must be!" and two weeks later, the blood test confirmed it—our newest rescue, Beatrice Poppins Braymore was indeed, in foal.
What?! But when was she due and what was she carrying, a donkey, a hinny? A boy, a girl? And most importantly would she and the baby be ok? We worried about her age, we worried about the baby, we worried about the weather and hoped for a delivery before the depth and darkness of Winter set in. A donkey's pregnancy can last between 11 and 14 months, with 12 generally the norm and we had no idea when conception took place. It was an interesting wait.
But in the cold and the dark of night on November 7th, 2016, when all was still, we experienced a first of its kind, miracle here at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary. We welcomed life in a whole new way and we will be forever changed. We welcomed Baby Braymore, or as he was officially named, Braynard Boddington Jones. I missed the birth by minutes having run into the house for another layer of clothing and a phone charger. I should not have stopped to pee because in those few moments Beatrice quickly had her baby in what was quite possibly, the fastest delivery ever. He was beautiful though but more importantly, both Mom and baby were safe and he would never know anything but goodness and kindness and love.
I do not like to think of what would have happened had we not stepped up to save Beatrice, but I am pretty sure there would not have been a Baby B. He is one of the lucky ones and just another reason for all of us to keep trying to do more, be more and give more every day.
Thanks to people like you, he and his Mom have and will continue to remain here with their friend Fig (and now, much to their delight, six other donkey friends) for all of their days. Baby B has grown up knowing love and family and safety. He has grown up experiencing nothing but peace, protection and possibility and we hope he will enjoy it for the next 30 plus years.
Sustainable, responsible rescue is paramount as together we provide lifetime care for lives like these, thank you for helping us make their dreams come true.
Baby B
About Elroy H. Johnson
(the H stands for HeeHaw)
We had every intention of going to auction the Spring of 2020 and stepping up for a donkey, a draft, or a mule in need and then, Covid-19 forced us to take a bit of a detour. At first, as contributions declined as the pandemic grew, we thought perhaps we would not be able to pull off our 2020 equine rescue, indeed, like most Rescues and Sanctuaries, we always worried about finances and daily care, but our concern had grown during such unprecedented times. But then, a force of light. You rallied beside us to provide peace, protection and possibility and we realized at such a critical time that the animals needed us to "do more, to be more and to give more" more than ever. Us not being able to personally attend the sales didn't mean there were not lives awaiting rescue and decreased auction attendance only meant that more animals were at risk.
So, when an out-of-state rescuer we knew stepped up for several auction lives from a trader eager to unload and simultaneously lifted her own card for needy brays at sale, we noticed. While there is a “shortage” of donkeys in the Northeast, in the Southern Central parts of the United States, there is a “surplus.” The few private auction buyers were and often are, mostly seeking horses and there were definitely far more donkeys in need than there were homes.
Normally, Tomten Farm and Sanctuary would never consider such a long-distance rescue. Yet with the New York auctions canceled, a trailer already headed for New England and an opportunity to allow another organization to step up for more from high-risk sales, we could not say no to needy lives awaiting care and their chance at a future of dreams come true. Via video we chose two, a spotted john (gelded male donkey) and a ginger/rose jenny (female donkey). We chose them not necessarily for their looks but for their curiosity knowing that their interest in the videographer would translate to friendliness with all of you.
There are indeed lives at risk everywhere and our preference is to step up for those in our community who need us before lives are shipped to sale. But auction is very near and dear to our hearts, the last stop for so many lives and we decided that if we could not be there personally, we would support someone who could be and extend her reach with our helping hand. It was a no brainer. Even with their save, the travel costs, a Coggins and a health certificate, the expense would be no more than it would have cost us to personally attend auction and rescue from those closest to us in NY or PA.
And so, that May we welcomed the first two rescues of 2020, the john is now called Elroy H. Johnson (The H stands for Hee Haw) and the lovely jenny, is now Ella Mae Braybelle. As it turned out Ella Mae arrived in foal and after her arrival to Tomten she unfortunately lost her baby, a beautiful chocolate girl whom we named Astrid Longear. It is a sad, sad thing to see a life lost but we are grateful that Ella made it through and has found her place in this world, a home here where she will be cared for and loved for the rest of her days.
After months of socialization, these two eventually settled into Tomten. Ella is quite at ease with donkeys and humans alike but Elroy has maintained a slight suspicion that we hope will continue to ebb a little bit every day. Donkeys have excellent memories and it may be years before he fully lets go of his past. Both have fully merged with the herd and after months of gradual introductions, Elroy and Fig, finally put their differences aside and sorted out the hierarchy while he and Baby B have become the best of friends. There is no doubt they too know that Tomten is their forever home.
It is a wonderful thing to offer friends who were saved together a home together and we have no doubt these two shared many stories on their journey here from Texas on a trailer we called The Donkey Train.
One must find a way to reach for the stars and make and make a difference even on cloudy nights and no matter how gray the day may seem, we try to always push to be more, to do more and give more to lives in need. Thank you for joining us and lighting their way.
Elroy H. Johnson
About Ella Mae Braybelle
We had every intention of going to auction the Spring of 2020 and stepping up for a donkey, a draft, or a mule in need and then, Covid-19 forced us to take a bit of a detour. At first, as contributions declined as the pandemic grew, we thought perhaps we would not be able to pull off our 2020 equine rescue, indeed, like most Rescues and Sanctuaries, we always worried about finances and daily care, but our concern had grown during such unprecedented times. But then, a force of light. You rallied beside us to provide peace, protection and possibility and we realized at such a critical time that the animals needed us to "do more, to be more and to give more" more than ever. Us not being able to personally attend the sales didn't mean there were not lives awaiting rescue and decreased auction attendance only meant that more animals were at risk.
So, when an out-of-state rescuer we knew stepped up for several auction lives from a trader eager to unload and simultaneously lifted her own card for needy brays at sale, we noticed. While there is a “shortage” of donkeys in the Northeast, in the Southern Central parts of the United States, there is a “surplus.” The few private auction buyers were and often are, mostly seeking horses and there were definitely far more donkeys in need than there were homes.
Normally, Tomten Farm and Sanctuary would never consider such a long-distance rescue. Yet with the New York auctions canceled, a trailer already headed for New England and an opportunity to allow another organization to step up for more from high-risk sales, we could not say no to needy lives awaiting care and their chance at a future of dreams come true. Via video we chose two, a spotted john (gelded male donkey) and a ginger/rose jenny (female donkey). We chose them not necessarily for their looks but for their curiosity knowing that their interest in the videographer would translate to friendliness with all of you.
There are indeed lives at risk everywhere and our preference is to step up for those in our community who need us before lives are shipped to sale. But auction is very near and dear to our hearts, the last stop for so many lives and we decided that if we could not be there personally, we would support someone who could be and extend her reach with our helping hand. It was a no brainer. Even with their save, the travel costs, a Coggins and a health certificate, the expense would be no more than it would have cost us to personally attend auction and rescue from those closest to us in NY or PA.
And so, that May we welcomed the first two rescues of 2020, the john is now called Elroy H. Johnson (The H stands for Hee Haw) and the lovely jenny, is now Ella Mae Braybelle. As it turned out Ella Mae arrived in foal and after her arrival to Tomten she unfortunately lost her baby, a beautiful chocolate girl whom we named Astrid Longear. It is a sad, sad thing to see a life lost but we are grateful that Ella made it through and has found her place in this world, a home here where she will be cared for and loved for the rest of her days.
After months of socialization, these two eventually settled into Tomten. Ella is quite at ease with donkeys and humans alike but Elroy has maintained a slight suspicion that we hope will continue to ebb a little bit every day. Donkeys have excellent memories and it may be years before he fully lets go of his past. Both have fully merged with the herd and after months of gradual introductions, Elroy and Fig, finally put their differences aside and sorted out the hierarchy while he and Baby B have become the best of friends. There is no doubt they too know that Tomten is their forever home.
It is a wonderful thing to offer friends who were saved together a home together and we have no doubt these two shared many stories on their journey here from Texas on a trailer we called The Donkey Train.
One must find a way to reach for the stars and make and make a difference even on cloudy nights and no matter how gray the day may seem, we try to always push to be more, to do more and give more to lives in need. Thank you for joining us and lighting their way.
Ella Mae Braybelle
Meet and Greet. Margaux HemingBray.
2020 was Tomten's Year of the Donkey. We didn't plan for it, but nine lucky lives were very fortunate that it turned out that way.
Here is the story of four of them. When they arrived, Eliza, Amelia, Florence and Margaux were welcomed by previous Rescues Ella Mae Braybelle, her late baby-to-be and Elroy H. Johnson. During THEIR rescue, we had left two donkeys behind, the gray with the white face (now Margaux) and her gray friend (now Florence) and it gnawed at us. And there were two others. The other two had also been on our radar but, sadly, they were so mentally and physical taxed, they were not fit to travel. Technically they HAD been rescued (an uncertain pass from taking a short trailer ride over the border to a Mexican slaughterhouse), but they were still in serious need. They were still the donkeys that nobody wanted in an area where donkeys are not a novelty and are, in fact, often used for guardians and roping practice. In fact, they are frequently considered a pest. So much so that in 2018 Texas still said, "burros (our note: a burro is just a small donkey) aren’t a protected animal, which means it’s not illegal to shoot them if you have a hunting license and landowner consent." Even if you were seeking one as a pet, a troubled life that would not transition or trust easily, is not high on most people's wish list.
And so, they waited. You could call them the PTSDs (post-traumatic stress donkeys) of the southwest. Finally safe from the wheeler/dealer pipeline and a trip to slaughter but far, far away from home.
As luck would have it, there was one more trailer heading to New England transporting several saved lives. We had dubbed it "The Donkey Train" and there was room on it for these four needy lives! The total cost for each life including shipping, was again, as it had been for Elroy and Ella, less than if we had personally gone to auction and rescued them ourselves. Two of the jennies (females) had been waiting for homes with zero interest. Both were from the same dealer group Ella Mae came from and one had been a Tomten Board favorite when we first made the difficult choices. They were bonded, under-socialized and scared, and the thought of bringing them to Tomten and reuniting them with friends was something we could not let go of. They, like our recently rescued, Ella, were said to be bred. The other two lives were also jennies. They had no use for humans and were in desperate need of TLC and some very serious groceries. They were direct pulls from auction, so thin and so malnourished from starvation that one (the beautiful chocolate now called Eliza) had lost her foal directly after sale, shortly after she arrived at quarantine. It was suspected the other was also bred. The thought of these four kept us up at night.
Four donkeys, three of them potentially pregnant. How could we possibly, responsibly take on another seven lives? Perhaps, we thought, we could keep them at Tomten temporarily and adopt them and their babies out, hopefully, to stay with their babies for the rest of their days.
With a trailering deadline looming, we asked for support. And then we asked again and somehow, together we made the impossible possible for those needy lives. The Donkey Train came to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary.
While we may have planned to eventually adopt them, the universe had other plans. Multiple blood tests showed that despite what we had been told, not one was in foal. Some had been pregnant and perhaps even foaled but another, thankfully, had not even been bred. While we love baby donks, it was a blessing that these girls could simply rest without the responsibility of pregnancy and nursing. All were afraid of people and at first, not a one was interested in making friends. They would often run outside if someone entered the barn aisle or would run inside if we passed from the outside. It was truly a sad sight to see animals with so much concern. Eliza was so emaciated that we called our vet the moment she walked off the trailer. Amelia was so damaged that we could not imagine asking them to transition again.
As it turned out, Eliza was very much unhandled and had a heaping dose of fear and Amelia had obviously been very, very mishandled. She was broken beyond the condition of any life that we have ever welcomed to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary. Of the six donkeys we rescued that year, she obviously would have to work the hardest to overcome a very rough past. All signs led to a previous life where she had been a heeling or tripping/roping donkey, used again and again and again until she had completely shut down, her mind and body broken from abuse.
If you are unfamiliar with this popular but unsanctioned “sport,” let me fill you in on what Amelia probably endured. Shocked with a cattle prod so she would run, she was chased by two riders on horseback, one would rope her neck and the other her back legs in a timed event. Popular in Texas (the state from which she came), Arizona and others, this "sport" and its similar cruel method of training roping horses still occurs today, taking advantage of the docile nature of donkeys combined with their low monetary value and the ease of which they can be bought and then dumped at auction when they can no longer work (if they have not already passed from injury).
Today, Amelia lives with her friend, Eliza and they are never far apart but she is far, far from trusting us completely. A simple movement such as walking behind her can cause her to tuck her tail and scoot forward although she no longer squeals in panic. A line or halter in our hand still creates lots of suspicion, but we continue to make a bit of progress every day and know our efforts will someday override her memories. Peace, protection and possibility surround her and she is trying hard to trust that this really is how her life will always be. Just look at the difference in her expression. What a change!
Often on this journey there is already a destination; it just has not made itself known. This was the case with the four lives we almost had to leave behind. So, when we realized these four would not (by foaling) become another three more, it was decided that for Christmas, somehow with all of you beside us, we would once again find a way for all of them to stay. For all to remain together for the rest of their days. Yes, adoptions are so very important, but so are the gifts of friends and family and stability. These little lives had been through so very much and now it was time for them to heal.
Margaux HemingBray and Florence NightingBray have joined forces with Ella Mae Braybelle to become the three musketeers and we are certain eventually Eliza and Amelia will eventually merge with them and our others as one happy herd.
That holiday season they rejoiced at new beginnings, permanent roots and the love from all of you every day. There is nothing better than the gift of life wrapped in peace, protection and possibility that was made possible thanks to people like you—the magic-makers of each dawn and eve.
Thank you for being with us on this journey.
Margaux HemingBray
Meet and Greet. Florence NightingBray.
2020 was Tomten's Year of the Donkey. We didn't plan for it, but nine lucky lives were very fortunate that it turned out that way.
Here is the story of four of them. When they arrived, Eliza, Amelia, Florence and Margaux were welcomed by previous Rescues Ella Mae Braybelle, her late baby-to-be and Elroy H. Johnson. During THEIR rescue, we had left two donkeys behind, the gray with the white face (now Margaux) and her gray friend (now Florence) and it gnawed at us. And there were two others. The other two had also been on our radar but, sadly, they were so mentally and physical taxed, they were not fit to travel. Technically they HAD been rescued (an uncertain pass from taking a short trailer ride over the border to a Mexican slaughterhouse), but they were still in serious need. They were still the donkeys that nobody wanted in an area where donkeys are not a novelty and are, in fact, often used for guardians and roping practice. In fact, they are frequently considered a pest. So much so that in 2018 Texas still said, "burros (our note: a burro is just a small donkey) aren’t a protected animal, which means it’s not illegal to shoot them if you have a hunting license and landowner consent." Even if you were seeking one as a pet, a troubled life that would not transition or trust easily, is not high on most people's wish list.
And so, they waited. You could call them the PTSDs (post-traumatic stress donkeys) of the southwest. Finally safe from the wheeler/dealer pipeline and a trip to slaughter but far, far away from home.
As luck would have it, there was one more trailer heading to New England transporting several saved lives. We had dubbed it "The Donkey Train" and there was room on it for these four needy lives! The total cost for each life including shipping, was again, as it had been for Elroy and Ella, less than if we had personally gone to auction and rescued them ourselves. Two of the jennies (females) had been waiting for homes with zero interest. Both were from the same dealer group Ella Mae came from and one had been a Tomten Board favorite when we first made the difficult choices. They were bonded, under-socialized and scared, and the thought of bringing them to Tomten and reuniting them with friends was something we could not let go of. They, like our recently rescued, Ella, were said to be bred. The other two lives were also jennies. They had no use for humans and were in desperate need of TLC and some very serious groceries. They were direct pulls from auction, so thin and so malnourished from starvation that one (the beautiful chocolate now called Eliza) had lost her foal directly after sale, shortly after she arrived at quarantine. It was suspected the other was also bred. The thought of these four kept us up at night.
Four donkeys, three of them potentially pregnant. How could we possibly, responsibly take on another seven lives? Perhaps, we thought, we could keep them at Tomten temporarily and adopt them and their babies out, hopefully, to stay with their babies for the rest of their days.
With a trailering deadline looming, we asked for support. And then we asked again and somehow, together we made the impossible possible for those needy lives. The Donkey Train came to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary.
While we may have planned to eventually adopt them, the universe had other plans. Multiple blood tests showed that despite what we had been told, not one was in foal. Some had been pregnant and perhaps even foaled but another, thankfully, had not even been bred. While we love baby donks, it was a blessing that these girls could simply rest without the responsibility of pregnancy and nursing. All were afraid of people and at first, not a one was interested in making friends. They would often run outside if someone entered the barn aisle or would run inside if we passed from the outside. It was truly a sad sight to see animals with so much concern. Eliza was so emaciated that we called our vet the moment she walked off the trailer. Amelia was so damaged that we could not imagine asking them to transition again.
As it turned out, Eliza was very much unhandled and had a heaping dose of fear and Amelia had obviously been very, very mishandled. She was broken beyond the condition of any life that we have ever welcomed to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary. Of the six donkeys we rescued that year, she obviously would have to work the hardest to overcome a very rough past. All signs led to a previous life where she had been a heeling or tripping/roping donkey, used again and again and again until she had completely shut down, her mind and body broken from abuse.
If you are unfamiliar with this popular but unsanctioned “sport,” let me fill you in on what Amelia probably endured. Shocked with a cattle prod so she would run, she was chased by two riders on horseback, one would rope her neck and the other her back legs in a timed event. Popular in Texas (the state from which she came), Arizona and others, this "sport" and its similar cruel method of training roping horses still occurs today, taking advantage of the docile nature of donkeys combined with their low monetary value and the ease of which they can be bought and then dumped at auction when they can no longer work (if they have not already passed from injury).
Today, Amelia lives with her friend, Eliza and they are never far apart but she is far, far from trusting us completely. A simple movement such as walking behind her can cause her to tuck her tail and scoot forward although she no longer squeals in panic. A line or halter in our hand still creates lots of suspicion, but we continue to make a bit of progress every day and know our efforts will someday override her memories. Peace, protection and possibility surround her and she is trying hard to trust that this really is how her life will always be. Just look at the difference in her expression. What a change!
Often on this journey there is already a destination; it just has not made itself known. This was the case with the four lives we almost had to leave behind. So, when we realized these four would not (by foaling) become another three more, it was decided that for Christmas, somehow with all of you beside us, we would once again find a way for all of them to stay. For all to remain together for the rest of their days. Yes, adoptions are so very important, but so are the gifts of friends and family and stability. These little lives had been through so very much and now it was time for them to heal.
Margaux HemingBray and Florence NightingBray have joined forces with Ella Mae Braybelle to become the three musketeers and we are certain eventually Eliza and Amelia will eventually merge with them and our others as one happy herd.
That holiday season they rejoiced at new beginnings, permanent roots and the love from all of you every day. There is nothing better than the gift of life wrapped in peace, protection and possibility that was made possible thanks to people like you—the magic-makers of each dawn and eve.
Thank you for being with us on this journey.
Florence NightingBray,
Meet and Greet. Amelia Braybelia.
2020 was Tomten's Year of the Donkey. We didn't plan for it, but nine lucky lives were very fortunate that it turned out that way.
Here is the story of four of them. When they arrived, Eliza, Amelia, Florence and Margaux were welcomed by previous Rescues Ella Mae Braybelle, her late baby-to-be and Elroy H. Johnson. During THEIR rescue, we had left two donkeys behind, the gray with the white face (now Margaux) and her gray friend (now Florence) and it gnawed at us. And there were two others. The other two had also been on our radar but, sadly, they were so mentally and physical taxed, they were not fit to travel. Technically they HAD been rescued (an uncertain pass from taking a short trailer ride over the border to a Mexican slaughterhouse), but they were still in serious need. They were still the donkeys that nobody wanted in an area where donkeys are not a novelty and are, in fact, often used for guardians and roping practice. In fact, they are frequently considered a pest. So much so that in 2018 Texas still said, "burros (our note: a burro is just a small donkey) aren’t a protected animal, which means it’s not illegal to shoot them if you have a hunting license and landowner consent." Even if you were seeking one as a pet, a troubled life that would not transition or trust easily, is not high on most people's wish list.
And so, they waited. You could call them the PTSDs (post-traumatic stress donkeys) of the southwest. Finally safe from the wheeler/dealer pipeline and a trip to slaughter but far, far away from home.
As luck would have it, there was one more trailer heading to New England transporting several saved lives. We had dubbed it "The Donkey Train" and there was room on it for these four needy lives! The total cost for each life including shipping, was again, as it had been for Elroy and Ella, less than if we had personally gone to auction and rescued them ourselves. Two of the jennies (females) had been waiting for homes with zero interest. Both were from the same dealer group Ella Mae came from and one had been a Tomten Board favorite when we first made the difficult choices. They were bonded, under-socialized and scared, and the thought of bringing them to Tomten and reuniting them with friends was something we could not let go of. They, like our recently rescued, Ella, were said to be bred. The other two lives were also jennies. They had no use for humans and were in desperate need of TLC and some very serious groceries. They were direct pulls from auction, so thin and so malnourished from starvation that one (the beautiful chocolate now called Eliza) had lost her foal directly after sale, shortly after she arrived at quarantine. It was suspected the other was also bred. The thought of these four kept us up at night.
Four donkeys, three of them potentially pregnant. How could we possibly, responsibly take on another seven lives? Perhaps, we thought, we could keep them at Tomten temporarily and adopt them and their babies out, hopefully, to stay with their babies for the rest of their days.
With a trailering deadline looming, we asked for support. And then we asked again and somehow, together we made the impossible possible for those needy lives. The Donkey Train came to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary.
While we may have planned to eventually adopt them, the universe had other plans. Multiple blood tests showed that despite what we had been told, not one was in foal. Some had been pregnant and perhaps even foaled but another, thankfully, had not even been bred. While we love baby donks, it was a blessing that these girls could simply rest without the responsibility of pregnancy and nursing. All were afraid of people and at first, not a one was interested in making friends. They would often run outside if someone entered the barn aisle or would run inside if we passed from the outside. It was truly a sad sight to see animals with so much concern. Eliza was so emaciated that we called our vet the moment she walked off the trailer. Amelia was so damaged that we could not imagine asking them to transition again.
As it turned out, Eliza was very much unhandled and had a heaping dose of fear and Amelia had obviously been very, very mishandled. She was broken beyond the condition of any life that we have ever welcomed to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary. Of the six donkeys we rescued that year, she obviously would have to work the hardest to overcome a very rough past. All signs led to a previous life where she had been a heeling or tripping/roping donkey, used again and again and again until she had completely shut down, her mind and body broken from abuse.
If you are unfamiliar with this popular but unsanctioned “sport,” let me fill you in on what Amelia probably endured. Shocked with a cattle prod so she would run, she was chased by two riders on horseback, one would rope her neck and the other her back legs in a timed event. Popular in Texas (the state from which she came), Arizona and others, this "sport" and its similar cruel method of training roping horses still occurs today, taking advantage of the docile nature of donkeys combined with their low monetary value and the ease of which they can be bought and then dumped at auction when they can no longer work (if they have not already passed from injury).
Today, Amelia lives with her friend, Eliza and they are never far apart but she is far, far from trusting us completely. A simple movement such as walking behind her can cause her to tuck her tail and scoot forward although she no longer squeals in panic. A line or halter in our hand still creates lots of suspicion, but we continue to make a bit of progress every day and know our efforts will someday override her memories. Peace, protection and possibility surround her and she is trying hard to trust that this really is how her life will always be. Just look at the difference in her expression. What a change!
Often on this journey there is already a destination; it just has not made itself known. This was the case with the four lives we almost had to leave behind. So, when we realized these four would not (by foaling) become another three more, it was decided that for Christmas, somehow with all of you beside us, we would once again find a way for all of them to stay. For all to remain together for the rest of their days. Yes, adoptions are so very important, but so are the gifts of friends and family and stability. These little lives had been through so very much and now it was time for them to heal.
Margaux HemingBray and Florence NightingBray have joined forces with Ella Mae Braybelle to become the three musketeers and we are certain eventually Eliza and Amelia will eventually merge with them and our others as one happy herd.
That holiday season they rejoiced at new beginnings, permanent roots and the love from all of you every day. There is nothing better than the gift of life wrapped in peace, protection and possibility that was made possible thanks to people like you—the magic-makers of each dawn and eve.
Thank you for being with us on this journey.
Amelia Braybelia
Meet and Greet. Eliza Braylittle.
2020 was Tomten's Year of the Donkey. We didn't plan for it, but nine lucky lives were very fortunate that it turned out that way.
Here is the story of four of them. When they arrived, Eliza, Amelia, Florence and Margaux were welcomed by previous Rescues Ella Mae Braybelle, her late baby-to-be and Elroy H. Johnson. During THEIR rescue, we had left two donkeys behind, the gray with the white face (now Margaux) and her gray friend (now Florence) and it gnawed at us. And there were two others. The other two had also been on our radar but, sadly, they were so mentally and physical taxed, they were not fit to travel. Technically they HAD been rescued (an uncertain pass from taking a short trailer ride over the border to a Mexican slaughterhouse), but they were still in serious need. They were still the donkeys that nobody wanted in an area where donkeys are not a novelty and are, in fact, often used for guardians and roping practice. In fact, they are frequently considered a pest. So much so that in 2018 Texas still said, "burros (our note: a burro is just a small donkey) aren’t a protected animal, which means it’s not illegal to shoot them if you have a hunting license and landowner consent." Even if you were seeking one as a pet, a troubled life that would not transition or trust easily, is not high on most people's wish list.
And so, they waited. You could call them the PTSDs (post-traumatic stress donkeys) of the southwest. Finally safe from the wheeler/dealer pipeline and a trip to slaughter but far, far away from home.
As luck would have it, there was one more trailer heading to New England transporting several saved lives. We had dubbed it "The Donkey Train" and there was room on it for these four needy lives! The total cost for each life including shipping, was again, as it had been for Elroy and Ella, less than if we had personally gone to auction and rescued them ourselves. Two of the jennies (females) had been waiting for homes with zero interest. Both were from the same dealer group Ella Mae came from and one had been a Tomten Board favorite when we first made the difficult choices. They were bonded, under-socialized and scared, and the thought of bringing them to Tomten and reuniting them with friends was something we could not let go of. They, like our recently rescued, Ella, were said to be bred. The other two lives were also jennies. They had no use for humans and were in desperate need of TLC and some very serious groceries. They were direct pulls from auction, so thin and so malnourished from starvation that one (the beautiful chocolate now called Eliza) had lost her foal directly after sale, shortly after she arrived at quarantine. It was suspected the other was also bred. The thought of these four kept us up at night.
Four donkeys, three of them potentially pregnant. How could we possibly, responsibly take on another seven lives? Perhaps, we thought, we could keep them at Tomten temporarily and adopt them and their babies out, hopefully, to stay with their babies for the rest of their days.
With a trailering deadline looming, we asked for support. And then we asked again and somehow, together we made the impossible possible for those needy lives. The Donkey Train came to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary.
While we may have planned to eventually adopt them, the universe had other plans. Multiple blood tests showed that despite what we had been told, not one was in foal. Some had been pregnant and perhaps even foaled but another, thankfully, had not even been bred. While we love baby donks, it was a blessing that these girls could simply rest without the responsibility of pregnancy and nursing. All were afraid of people and at first, not a one was interested in making friends. They would often run outside if someone entered the barn aisle or would run inside if we passed from the outside. It was truly a sad sight to see animals with so much concern. Eliza was so emaciated that we called our vet the moment she walked off the trailer. Amelia was so damaged that we could not imagine asking them to transition again.
As it turned out, Eliza was very much unhandled and had a heaping dose of fear and Amelia had obviously been very, very mishandled. She was broken beyond the condition of any life that we have ever welcomed to Tomten Farm and Sanctuary. Of the six donkeys we rescued that year, she obviously would have to work the hardest to overcome a very rough past. All signs led to a previous life where she had been a heeling or tripping/roping donkey, used again and again and again until she had completely shut down, her mind and body broken from abuse.
If you are unfamiliar with this popular but unsanctioned “sport,” let me fill you in on what Amelia probably endured. Shocked with a cattle prod so she would run, she was chased by two riders on horseback, one would rope her neck and the other her back legs in a timed event. Popular in Texas (the state from which she came), Arizona and others, this "sport" and its similar cruel method of training roping horses still occurs today, taking advantage of the docile nature of donkeys combined with their low monetary value and the ease of which they can be bought and then dumped at auction when they can no longer work (if they have not already passed from injury).
Today, Amelia lives with her friend, Eliza and they are never far apart but she is far, far from trusting us completely. A simple movement such as walking behind her can cause her to tuck her tail and scoot forward although she no longer squeals in panic. A line or halter in our hand still creates lots of suspicion, but we continue to make a bit of progress every day and know our efforts will someday override her memories. Peace, protection and possibility surround her and she is trying hard to trust that this really is how her life will always be. Just look at the difference in her expression. What a change!
Often on this journey there is already a destination; it just has not made itself known. This was the case with the four lives we almost had to leave behind. So, when we realized these four would not (by foaling) become another three more, it was decided that for Christmas, somehow with all of you beside us, we would once again find a way for all of them to stay. For all to remain together for the rest of their days. Yes, adoptions are so very important, but so are the gifts of friends and family and stability. These little lives had been through so very much and now it was time for them to heal.
Margaux HemingBray and Florence NightingBray have joined forces with Ella Mae Braybelle to become the three musketeers and we are certain eventually Eliza and Amelia will eventually merge with them and our others as one happy herd.
That holiday season they rejoiced at new beginnings, permanent roots and the love from all of you every day. There is nothing better than the gift of life wrapped in peace, protection and possibility that was made possible thanks to people like you—the magic-makers of each dawn and eve.
Thank you for being with us on this journey.
Eliza Braylittle
Facts about Donkeys
Coming soon...
