OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) – The St. Landry Parish Animal Control said time was running out to save their donkeys from being put up for auction and possibly killed. However after a rescue Wednesday afternoon, a Texas group is taking all of their donkeys to a safe home.
St. Landry Parish Animal Control Deputy Director Stacey McKnight said it’s the power of social media that got these six donkeys rescued.
“I can’t believe that somebody heard a plea from a small, rural community like ours,” McKnight said.
According to McKnight, Animal Planet star Tia Torres, along with the Villalobos Rescue Center, took a Facebook Live video at the shelter pleading for help. A few days later, an old friend Mark Meyers answered. Meyers is the executive director of the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue.
“I received a call from Tia Torres from the show ‘Pitbulls and Paroles’. She had been out here and saw that she had donkeys and needed some help,” Meyers said.
The Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue group has rescued nine thousand donkeys in 17 years. Three thousand donkeys currently stay on their reserve in San Angelo, Texas.
“They’ll receive a medical evaluation, get a microchip, vaccines, deworming and then they’ll be assessed to see if they’ll go in our adoption program or they’ll be a permanent resident,” Meyers said.
“It’s amazing the kindness people really do have,” McKnight.
McKnight said Animal Control can only keep the animals for 90 days.
“We probably take in 40 to 60 donkeys a year and that’s just the donkey end,” McKnight said.
St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot said he’s proud they’ve been getting animals rescued in time.
“In the last five years, it’s improved ten thousand percent. We’ve gone from a euthanasia rate of 95 percent to less than 25 percent,” Fontenot said.
Out of those six rescued donkeys, one is a stallion, one is a mom with two babies and two are a bonded pair. Meyers said in their new life, they’ll be staying together as a family.
“They live their whole life together, whether they stay at our ranch or go for adoption, but they’ll stay together,” Meyers said.
The St. Landry Parish Animal Control said they have another rescue lined up. A group from California is on their way to rescue 15 horses to give them a peaceful home as well.
The St. Landry Parish Animal Control says they take in more livestock than any other animal control in the state, with about 40 to 60 donkeys every year.
