Tonight we celebrate the little donkey who has changed more hearts — and taught us more lessons — than we ever could have imagined. George didn’t just join the rescue. He helped shape it.
George came to us nearly twenty years ago from a small local low-end auction. He stood in a pen looking dejected, clearly neglected, and moved in a way that suggested his pelvis had been fractured at some point in his life. We hadn’t gone to the auction to buy anything, but as we were leaving, one of our founders, Kathi, leaned to a friend who was staying and whispered, “If that crippled old donkey goes for $25… buy her.”
The donkey sold for $30, so our friend — a he, not a she — chipped in a $5 bill and won the bid.
When we figured out how to get the donkey to our boarding barn, the surprises continued. The “crippled old lady” turned out to be:
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a HE, not a she
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fully intact, not gelded
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and about 10 years old, not elderly
That little $30 donkey quickly became a $500 donkey between gelding, vaccinations, hauling, and boarding. We joked with our friend that since he’d paid the extra $5, we “cut his $5 off” during the gelding. He did not find that quite as funny as we did.
Then came Night One.
The owner of the boarding barn heard a horrific noise coming from the stalls — the kind of sound that makes people sprint, convinced something is dying. He ran out, braced for the worst, and found George. Completely fine. Just braying. Donkeys weren’t common at that barn, and he didn’t realize they sometimes sound like they’re performing Shakespearean death scenes.
George is our first donkey, and he has been our best teacher.
Despite his old pelvic injury, George gets around well and quickly becomes the heart of the rescue. He loves peppermints, head hugs, and inserting himself into any group of people who dare to have a conversation without him. He free-roams the property with the confidence of someone who believes the entire world exists specifically for his entertainment.
Early in the rescue’s history, a brutal ice storm came through unexpectedly and George got stuck in it. He ended up spending several days living in the house recovering. For many people, that was their first introduction to George — a donkey in the living room — and from that point on, he became a legend. Since then he has “helped” bake for a bake sale, modeled his own custom blanket and hood with ear holes, and charmed every person who meets him.
As he ages, George slows down physically, and he does need help getting up on many days. But he also knows exactly how to work an audience. If someone approaches him with sympathy — the soft-voiced, worried, “oh buddy, are you okay?” kind of person — George will stretch out, groan loudly, and act as if he simply cannot possibly get up. The performance is worthy of an Oscar. But if the person coming toward him is someone who doesn’t fall for it — like Nina, who knows his tricks and isn’t swayed by his dramatics — then George doesn’t bother with the show. He simply pops up when he’s ready and wanders off like nothing happened. We’ve even gotten calls from well-intentioned chore help insisting that George isn’t going to make it through the day… only for him to tootle out of the barn a few minutes later, perfectly fine and looking for snacks.
This earns him the nickname “Drama Llama.”
For a short time, we featured him in our “Drama or No Drama” videos, which were both hilarious and accurate. But as the internet sometimes does, people saw what they wanted to see and ignored the insight of the caretakers and professionals who know George. Eventually, we ended the series — not because George stopped performing, but because he never needed an audience to put on a show.
Today, George is around 30. He needs help on some mornings and has slowed in ways that remind us the chapter we dread is coming. But every day we still get with him is a gift — a bonus lap for a donkey who was never supposed to matter to anyone.
And yet he matters to everyone.
George is our spokesdonkey, our greeter, our icebreaker, our comic relief, and our reminder that empathy doesn’t always come with sadness — sometimes it brays, demands attention, and inserts itself into every single conversation happening within a five-mile radius.
What George Taught Us
George’s story still matters because it reminds us of a few simple but powerful truths:
1. You don’t have to be perfect to matter.
A crooked gait, an old injury, a body that needs more help — none of it makes a life less worthy. George proves that value isn’t measured by usefulness or appearance, but by connection.
2. Senior animals still have so much to give.
George has been teaching, entertaining, and delighting us for nearly two decades. Senior equines aren’t “done.” They’re often the ones who teach us the most.
3. Sometimes the ones who weren’t supposed to matter end up shaping everything.
A $30 donkey no one intended to buy became our spokesdonkey, our teacher, our comic relief, and a symbol of compassion in action.
4. Empathy isn’t always solemn — it can be joyful, loud, and a little dramatic.
George reminds us that care isn’t just serious work. It’s laughter, connection, and showing up for one another with love.
Neigh It Forward – Support the Next 15 Years of Care
George is one of the thousands of reminders that rescue is never just about saving a life — it’s about giving them a life worth living. Seniors like him require time, feed, vet care, farrier support, and daily attention…but the joy they bring? Absolutely priceless.
Right now, every gift is doubled thanks to our $15,000 Neigh It Forward match — meaning your kindness goes twice as far for the horses (and donkeys) who rely on us.
👉 Give today and double your impact:
https://givebutter.com/neighitforward
Thank you for helping keep the next George — and the next 15 years of rescue — possible.
Your care truly makes all the difference.