Eloise

All the donkeys at the BLM Burns corrals had been taken, except one. Eloise was left alone, probably because she had trouble walking. There was clearly a stifle injury on her rear right leg, a blessing in its strange way as it brought her to us. I named her after the little girl in Kay Thompson’s book Eloise at The Plaza as she will receive the very best in care and service at Skydog.

Our vet, Dr Findlay, came within hours of her arrival to do intake care and figure out what was going on with her stifle. This is what she wrote:

Eloise has severe osteoarthritic changes of both the medial and lateral stifle joints with the lateral being far worse and there being radiographic evidence of lateral collateral ligament damage. There is also radiographic suspicion of cruciate ligament damage - this is a CT diagnosis. However, there is bony remodeling in the region of the cruciate ligaments on radiographs. The combination of the likely collateral ligament and cruciate ligament damage is creating instability in this ioint that is resulting in osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, these ligament injuries carry a poor prognosis for recovery to even pasture soundness. However, donkeys do have their size and amazing healing abilities in their favor. Perhaps she will gain some stability in this joint with some rest. I recommend followup ultrasound and small paddock rest for Eloise. I would also be interested in injecting her stifle joints with steroids and Noltrex to see if we can improve her comfort.

The good news is the stifle injections seemed to help her right away. We will do all we can to see if she can live comfortably with senior companions in a small, sandy, soft and flat pen. For now, she’s resting, happy and calm in a nice, clean stall nextdoor to Millie. These two elderly jennies can watch over one another and heal each other’s spirits as we work on healing their bodies.

I love the vet’s comment that Eloise has the advantage of her size and the amazing healing abilities of donkeys. Indeed, we have seen miracles worked for our longears over the years. They're incredible animals and wonderful souls, who seize the chance at a new life with all four hooves.

#skydogeloise

American Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and two Senators to urge them to support these bills. You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2025 (H.R.1661 in the House and S.775 in the Senate). This bill would amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the “Farm Bill”. There are several important provisions for animals in that omnibus federal law, including the Cat and Dog Meat Trade Prohibition Act. It is currently illegal to slaughter, transport, possess, purchase, sell, or donate dogs and cats, or their parts, for human consumption. The SAFE Act would extend the ban to equines and shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 4356) The bill would eliminate the use of helicopters in rounding up wild horses and burros, and require a study into alternative methods for humanely gathering the animals.

Ejiao Act of 2025 (H.R. 5544). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches and stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs.