07/11/2026
Sally - R.I.P. 07-10-2026
Sally came to B***o Base Camp from the Centennial Livestock Auction on March 5, 2026. Our goal from the moment we saw her was to get her the care that she needed. She came in a very skinny 325 pounds, with terrible hooves, which had recently been sawed off, and a gait to her step that resembled a toy soldier, not a normal donkey. Her front legs stayed stiff as she took steps forward and back. She had her first of many veterinarian visits on March 13th. She had picked up crud on her path through the auction, and we took action to get her on the right path. We tried to work on her hooves some, but even with sedation, she was not comfortable with that happening. She was given antibiotics as well as pain meds and learned to enjoy grain daily as the avenue to get the meds onboard.
As soon as she cleared quarantine, we moved her to the Mom & Baby pen, where she could receive more individualized attention. We continued daily grain and established a treatment plan with the vet and farrier team. On March 30th, she had X-rays taken and a pretty drastic hoof trim. After her trim, the stiffness continued; we tried pads on her hooves, hoof boots, and various combinations. She managed to remove the pads and the boots at times, and the boots, although light, were quite cumbersome to her legs. We made changes to her meds, which reached a combination of 17 pills at one point, and she stayed on a daily combination.
The fortunate piece to all of the pills was her getting a decent amount of grain to hide them in, and as a result, starting to gain some much-needed weight. She met you each day as you came in to feed and went right to the gate of the pen where she was fed. Some days she ate all of her meds; some days she picked around and left some behind. It was as if she decided to self-dose based on her needs. There were moments of spark with this regime, and we hoped we had turned a corner. She loved her time in the pasture, and on days her legs felt “good,” she ventured all the way out with the others. It took her a long time to get back in, and she would rest in the pasture or the pen after her big adventures. The biggest spark we saw was on the Fourth of July when Lisa brought donkey popsicles. She jumped right in the bowl with the others, even though she never came up for treats in the past.
Unfortunately, as we prepared for her next rounds of treatments, she took a drastic turn. She was lying down more, struggling to get up, and it became difficult to bear weight on her front legs. Her gait involved a deep head bob to gain the momentum needed to move forward. She still rushed over to make sure she didn’t miss her grain, but went back to resting as soon as she finished. Our team came together and made the decision to set her free. She had a nice bowl of grain, without all of her meds. We led her out of her pen, and she passed peacefully in the pasture, surrounded by love.
To say there was a team supporting Miss Sally is an understatement. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing veterinarian and farrier team, mostly for listening to and supporting me as we tried to solve her puzzle and for not giving up on her at any step along the way, to Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance (CUHA) who helped fund her treatment, to The Jasper Project who has been on call since May and who stepped in to insure a peaceful transition, and to all of our volunteers who helped Mike and Me with meds and grain every day, and who showed her love and compassion even when she never accepted a simple touch. She did know and see love every moment that she was here.
Run free, beautiful Sally. May your pasture be full of flowers and your legs steady beneath you.
