The Ruthie and Gus Story!

 

Ruthie's hooves - she has severe rotation and deterioration of the coffin bone.

Ruthie making the slow walk out of where she was picked up.

Ruthie and Gus groom each other at Painted Promise - right after they were delivered.

Gus checks out his new shade structure at Painted Promise...just the right height.

Donkeys arrive in soft sand at AERO and just want to roll and rest.

Gus taking a nap right away.

Gus checking out the food while getting an ear rub in August 2008.

Ruthie in August after a nice bath....she has just gotten her new feet.

Standing much better now

Getting the donkeys ready to go to their new home at Claires.

Donkeys arriving in their new home.

Claire's new family members along with her horses.

Newcomer conference...Gus is not sure about the cows next door!

Claire and Ruthie

Gus kissing Claire for giving him such a good home.

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Ruthie's hooves - she has severe rotation and deterioration of the coffin bone.

 

In May 2008 AERO received a call from some concerned community members about two donkeys in a pasture with a bunch of horses that looked to have some health problems and may not have access to food.  It turns out these folks were right - Gus was insulin resistant and because the horses got all the food he was taking the tortilla and bread handouts from the grocery store next to their pasture and Ruthie had severe laminitis making it difficult for her to get to any food.  She was underweight, Gus was overweight - both were covered in large sharp burrs in their ears, legs, bellies - so covered that when they did eventually get picked up it took days and multiple people/hours to get them all off so they could lay down comfortably.

 

AERO did not have room for the donkeys and called Painted Promise to assist (they specialize in the little guys and told AERO to stop calling them horses! LOL).  They didn't hesitate and made room for two more in their already crowded rescue.  AERO and Painted Promised called on a local discussion board called Arizona Back Country Riders to see if they could raise the funds to purchase (the donkey owner would not release them without compensation), transport, and feed them and the wonderful folks of AZBCR came to the rescue.  Next the pick up and transport was scheduled and it was amazing how hard it was to coordinate getting the donkeys moved across town but we all did it together! 

 

(Ruthie Before - top, After - bottom)

 

Donkeys arrived at AERO and then went to Painted Promise on the same  day....except for Ruthie's laminitis this was an easy rehab case.  Luckily donkeys are better with laminitis than horses.  It was later discovered that Ruthie was a roping donkey and her extreme shyness of people came from some severe abuse and mishandling....it wasn't just about being a typical donkey - she literally flinched any time anyone went to touch her and ran if she saw a mounted person on a horse.  This explained so much of her behavioral issues - she was quick to run away from new people and avoided touch, panicked when a fly mask was put on and became unmanageable if you tried to touch her feet.  She didn't handle well and avoided people as much as possible.  Trimming her feet without sedation was out of the question at this point.

 

By August Painted Promise had got the donkey bellies working properly again, got their burrs all shaved off and started the process of their hooves getting back online.  However Ruthie was struggling with her feet and AERO's farrier, Mark Russell, was needed to help get some improvement.  Dr. Laura Harris agreed to assist, being a donkey lover, and the donkeys came back to the specialized footing and care AERO was able to provide.  Ruthie was completely anesthetized in order to get the significant length sawed off with a power tool the first time Mark was able to work on her.  Her right front hoof had signs of chronic laminitis and a large abcess so her foot was wrapped and padded to prevent further pain.  Working on equines that don't like their feet being touched requires a different approach to everything but AERO had the experts on hand to help!

 

By the time Ruthie and Gus were adopted out they had worked in the children's program, won over the hearts of all the volunteers and became neighborhood mascots!  They went to a wonderful home where their person, Claire, has all the knowledge to help them stay healthy and happy and loved.  We'll miss them at the ranch but their AERO send off to their new permanent home made us all so happy!  Lucky donkeys  indeed!