Ready to adopt or foster?
Want to ADOPT a donkey?
Adoption from Hee-Haw Halfway House requires several steps. First, read the ADOPTION REQUIREMENT list and “Donkeys are NOT guardians” article to be sure you have an appropriate setup and ability to care for donkeys.
To ensure that all of our rescues go to appropriate homes that can provide adequate fencing, shelter, feed and water, farrier work and handling, we required some vital information be provided from potential adopters.
**We generally have 1-5 adoptable donkeys at any given time, as we are a small rescue.
**Local adoptions are given preference, and all potential adopters must show proof of adequate housing and care through a site visit or photographic evidence, and Veterinarian/Farrier references.
**We do not adopt out without the potential adopter(s) coming to meet the donkey beforehand.
Donkeys are herd animals and prefer another donkey as company. With a few exceptions, our donkeys must go to a home with a donkey or donkeys already on the property. We do not adopt out donkeys as guardian animals or as single pets. Very occasionally, a donkey is best suited as a horse companion. Donkeys do have different diets than horses, and potential adopters must be able to manage that situation in the event of a horse companion donkey. Donkeys are adopted out based on suitability to the situation and skills of the adopters. Some of our adoptable donkeys may require experienced adopters due to past trauma. Bonded pairs of donkeys are not broken up for adoption, they will be adopted out together. Donkeys can pair bond for life and breaking those relationships can be devastating for the donkeys involved.
Want to FOSTER a donkey
Fostering donkeys or mules is a fantastic way to give back to the animals that we love so much, and helps Hee-Haw Halfway House keep paddock space open for emergency intake animals who desperately need help.
Not only is it rewarding and helps more donkeys and mules find perfect homes, but fostering means you get to spend quality time with animals who truly need a place to land, and who are in need of kind, supportive care and handling. In other words, it's both rewarding and fun!
REQUIREMENTS: In order to become an approved foster home, you must qualify in the same aspects as an adoptive home in terms of care, keeping, and experience level appropriate for the animals you are fostering. Foster homes generally provide space, grass hay, care, and handling (depending on the animals), while the rescue provides farrier and veterinary care as needed until the animals are adopted.
Donkeys are only fostered with other donkey companions, either as a bonded pair or to a foster location with other donkeys already on the property. Mules may be fostered with horses or donkeys.
VISITS: A contract outlying duties of each party will be signed by both the rescue and the foster home in order to be sure everyone is on the same page. Foster homes must also be comfortable with allowing prospective adopters to visit at pre-arranged times (coordinated with the rescue and the foster home) in order to "show" donkeys who are ready for adoption. Showing donkeys to prospective adopters only happens when serious adopters are ready to adopt and have been through our screening process. This means very few people are likely to come for showings, as adoptions are nearly solidified by this point in the process. Showings are either conducted by the foster home or the rescue staff, or both, depending on the situation. This can be decided and discussed as needed.
Foster homes will get preference over other potential adoptive homes should they decide to adopt their fostered longears.
You must read the following before being considered:
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1. Adopters must be able to provide dry lot (no grass) large enough for the donkeys to get up to a full gallop easily, complete with a three-sided shelter, adequate, safe fencing appropriate for the size of the donkeys, and heated water (in winter). Water must be fresh and available at all times. Paddock must be mucked daily to keep the donkeys healthy. Yes, even in wintertime. Yes, even when it is rainy. Yes, even when it is 100F°.
2. Adopters need to be capable of safely catching, leading, tying, grooming, and picking out hooves of their donkeys before adopting. Confidence and knowledge with the level of skill needed for each donkey adopted is required. Many donkeys are not "beginner" donkeys, though some are. Some training can be provided by the rescue, and continued support can be provided dependent on distance from the rescue.
3. Adopters must commit to interacting with and continuing training of the donkeys they adopt to keep their skills fresh for care and keeping. For some donkeys, this may mean they need to be caught and handled weekly, for some, daily. Ideally, handling involves hoof picking at least 4X a week for each donkey.
4. Adopter must provide good quality, stemmy, low protein and low sugar forage at least twice, preferably 3 times a day at 1.5 % of each donkey's ideal body weight, as well as provide a salt lick and mineral supplement. Alfalfa is generally not ideal. Some donkeys may do best with forage that is partially straw. No sweet feed or sugary treats, especially for donkeys who have been obese, due to risk of founder. Slow feed nets are encouraged. VERY FEW donkeys can handle our rich pasture grass, and therefore we generally do not adopt out to pasture homes or homes where the donkeys will be on a horse diet.
5. WE DO NOT ADOPT OUT DONKEYS AS LIVESTOCK GUARDIANS AND WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THEY WILL NOT HARM YOUR DOG. Donkeys are prey animals, not predators. They often attack and harm smaller livestock, and can be seriously harmed by large predators. Donkeys may be defensive towards family dogs. We do not "test" our donkeys to see if they are ok with dogs, as we do not love having vet bills.
6. Donkeys must be on at minimum an 8 (eight) week trim cycle with a farrier knowledgeable in donkey hoof shape and differences between donkeys and horses. No exceptions.
7. Absolutely no breeding of jennets that are adopted from Hee-Haw Halfway House Donkey Rescue and Education. All jacks will be castrated prior to adoption.
8. When an adopter has been approved for a pair of donkeys, both an adoption contract and a legal bill of sale in Colorado, as well as a Brand Inspection, will be completed. This BI will have both the rescue's name and the Adopter's name on it. If the adopter ever decides the donkeys are not working out, they MUST be returned to the rescue to find another home. In this way, we ensure that all donkeys who come to us never end up in a situation that isn't ideal.
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There is good reason why any rescue organization "worth their salt" will not adopt out donkeys as "livestock guardians". There has been a long standing history of claims that donkeys will protect herds of smaller animals. And while some donkeys are territorial, most should never be put in this situation. The numbers of people messaging, emailing, and texting us asking either for livestock guardians or for help because their guardian donkey attacked a calf, sheep, or goat is astounding and frankly disheartening. This myth needs to cease. The 4 main reasons donkeys are not suitable as livestock guardians are:
1. Donkeys have a vastly different diet than other livestock (including horses) and will get obese on a cattle, goat, sheep or horse diet.
2. Donkeys often harm what they are supposed to "protect". That is solely the OWNER'S fault for putting them in that situation. Many donkeys do fine until they finally crack, and harm their pasture mates. It can be years down the road. It happens.
3. Donkeys are herd animals and need other donkeys for their mental and physical well-being. They do not speak horse, goat, pig, cow, or sheep.
4. Donkeys rarely survive a true predator attack by anything larger than them. Miniature donkeys especially are at risk of predation, and I've had two MAMMOTH donkeys ripped to shreds by one pit bull who wriggled through a cracked car window to go after them. They were nearly eviscerated. Donkeys are PREY, not predators!
Please take the time to review the Anecdotal Evidence in our Blog Post.