Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here!

At Western Spirit Donkey Sanctuary, our mission is to create and provide a safe and beautiful haven for donkeys to live out their lives with love and care. I was inspired to establish this sanctuary by my first rescued mare and her foal.

My Story

My story started when I was browsing through my Facebook posts of horse groups that I follow, back in April of 2017. A post quickly caught my attention. It was a beautiful mare and her foal in a Texas kill pen. These are holding areas where unwanted, discarded and abandoned horses are held until they are shipped to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered. I was eager to get information on the pair, so I patiently waited for morning to arrive. From the post on Facebook, no one seemed to take an interest to claim them, and the date had expired per the kill pen. People were reacting with anxiety and sadness to the post.

I found all this very disturbing so I had a very sleepless night. Witnessing and reading their plight ignited my passion to rescue the mare and her foal. That morning I made that call to the kill pen and inquired about the two little souls. The gentlemen who answered the phone said the truck hadn’t shown up yet for their ride down to Mexico so if I wanted them, I can pay and they were mine.

I knew nothing about how all this worked, trucks full of donkeys and horses making their way to Mexico to slaughter? All I know is I was horrified. I asked how much do you want for them? After his response, I told him I will take them. Will you be picking them up? I was all the way in Colorado, so I had to think quickly.

I put my thinking cap on and started to make calls to the ASPCA and others. I was writing down phone numbers to those who could help. I found a nice lady who offered to go down pick them up, quarantine them and get a veterinarian out there to check them out. I did all this in 30 minutes.

I was motivated and I knew nothing about donkeys. But I was in love with them in a weird way. I got photos of them that evening and updates for the next few days. I had names too. I was so excited about what I was doing to save their lives.

In the following days I was scouting out locations for them to come up from Texas to Colorado. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I couldn’t wait to meet Sophie and Spartan. Check out the pictures and video of my anticipation of these precious donkeys who would have perished if I hadn’t seen that post on Facebook and hadn’t stepped up to save them.

I will never forget when I laid eyes on them. I felt like a new mother. These were my babies. My heart was so full of love for these donkeys that I just met. From that moment on I spent everyday with them. That bond and trust I have with all five is so special, even the veterinarian made a comment at one of his visits. His observation is that my donkeys exhibit such calmness when I am present.

I have extremely high standards and I believe that every donkey deserves a life free from suffering and neglect. The sanctuary I am creating is designed to offer a serene and natural environment, carefully tailored to meet the unique needs of these incredible animals. From spacious and well-maintained living areas to engaging enrichment activities, our goal is to create a sanctuary that promotes their physical, emotional and mental well-being.

The Sanctuary

Our commitment extends beyond the physical aspects of the sanctuary. We understand that donkeys are highly intelligent and social creatures, and we foster a sense of community by encouraging interaction among our residents. Through grooming, gentle training and quality time spent together, we ensure that each donkey receives the socialization, confidence and companionship they crave.

Education will be a vital component of our work at Western Spirit Donkey Sanctuary. We believe in raising awareness about the challenges faced by donkeys, their remarkable intelligence and the importance of their protection.

As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the support and generosity of volunteers, donors and the local community to fulfill our mission. Every contribution helps us rescue and rehabilitate more donkeys in need and maintain the sanctuary’s high standards of care.

By joining us in our journey, you become an integral part of our mission to provide a safe and beautiful place where donkeys can live out their lives with dignity, surrounded by compassion and understanding. Together, we can make a difference to create a world where donkeys are cherished, respected and protected.