by Leanne
Like people do, most of our rescued animals have a best friend or longtime companion with whom they prefer to play during the day and snuggle for warmth and comfort at night. To everyone who visits the California Shelter, the close friendship shared by two donkeys, Bonnie and Waylon, is obvious. What may not be as apparent is the bond they share with some other sanctuary residents.
Waylon was one of the first animals to find refuge at our Orland sanctuary. He was rescued back in 1993 from a residence where he was considered too aggressive. Just a year and half later, to Waylon’s delight, he was joined by Bonnie. A bond quickly formed between the two. They spent their days together among the rescued cattle, but keeping up with the herd could be difficult for Bonnie. Due to horribly overgrown hooves caused by the years of neglect she suffered before arriving at our shelter, Bonnie began to experience arthritis. Pain medication relieved some of her discomfort, but sometimes she was simply too sore to move around the large cattle pastures. During these times, the donkeys were relocated to their own luxury stall and pasture. They had the freedom to come and go as they pleased and didn’t have to worry about animals four times their size taking up the entire stall or monopolizing the water dispenser. Bonnie and Waylon seemed to enjoy the privacy, easy access to all essentials, and slower pace when they were alone. I began to think they preferred this to hanging out with the cattle, until one day when Waylon showed me the truth of the matter.
Slowly Bonnie began to improve on the medication, and her mobility increased. She surprised us by leaving the barn in the morning before we came up to administer her treatment, obliging us to drive around searching for her. Usually we would find her and Waylon grazing in one of the far corners of their pasture. The time came to move the main cattle herd to a new area, and, based on Bonnie’s improvement, we thought she and Waylon would like a change too. As the cattle ran by, Waylon started braying happily to them. He was so excited to see his former companions, in fact, that he briefly forgot about Bonnie and left her behind as he ran to join the others. Bonnie, meanwhile, was trying her best to follow but had a hard time figuring out where to go. Waylon soon remembered his best friend, of course, and the two ended up in different pastures staring longingly at each other over the fence. After some coaxing with apples, Bonnie and Waylon were happily reunited in the proper pasture, both glad to be surrounded by their cattle friends.
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