Joan Dunkle and Fred Clark of the Scenic, Ariz. Satellite Adoption Center of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue were part of the final wild burro round-up at the Sheldon Refuge near Reno, Nev. The adoption center is located near Mesquite, Nev., off Interstate 15. Dunkle and Clark transported two mothers and foals with birth defects in their legs back to their facility in Scenic at the request of Mark Meyers, founder of 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,” Dunkle said. “We still have three burros, Cookie, Abbey, and Ferris, staying here from the roundup in October 2012.”
Working in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, PVDR is once again responsible for the burros currently being removed from the Sheldon Refuge in northern Nevada.
PVDR has 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, and 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 their 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 microchipped, vaccinated, dewormed, and the males are castrated upon arrival.
PVDR works with FWS and the Bureau of Land Management, 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.
