"Donkey Lady" Runs Rescue Facility

Donkey Lady Runs Rescue Facility AG WORLD Abused and neglected donkeys have a safe haven in Wisconsin operated by retired dental office manager Angel Langoski She moved to Mount Calvary Wis seven years ago with the intention of raising Pinto draft horses Instead she took in a pair of donkeys whose owner could no longer care for them Word spread more donkeys arrived and she became known as the donkey lady Recently Langoski formed the nonprofit Holyland Donkey Haven in order to accept contributions to help pay for the donkeys’ care The name Holyland is the area she lives in It’s called that because nearby towns are St Peter Jericho and St Cloud So far she has rehabilitated and adopted out 8 donkeys to new homes She has 10 donkeys on her farm right now but the numbers can change quickly “Most people just don’t know how to care for donkeys ” Langoski explains “They don’t think donkeys need their hooves trimmed every 8 weeks like a horse But they do because hooves don’t wear down in soft pasture That’s the biggest form of neglect Otherwise donkeys are easy to care for because of their hardiness ” However donkeys require a different training style than horses “Because of their high intelligence donkeys get bored easily if you make them repeat something ” she explains Instead of doing the same thing for an hour and a half she works with a donkey for 15 min or so then lets him think about it and works with him again in another day or two “Donkeys are very kind gentle animals ” she says and they make great riding animals for children as well as for driving carts and formal riding events such as dressage She has an indoor arena and works with children and adults with special needs As an example of donkeys’ intelligence she tells the story of work done by a woman in England where donkeys are taken to children’s homes for therapy One task is to pick up an envelope ride the donkey to the mailbox and mail the letter One young boy’s disabilities prevented him from picking up the envelope – so the donkey did the whole task for him on his own initiative Langoski isolates newcomer donkeys and works with them to rehabilitate them physically emotionally and socially It can take weeks before they are ready to be with other donkeys Langoski encourages their playfulness and creativity by providing the donkeys with balls and mounds of dirt to play on Langoski charges a $650 adoption fee to ensure they are placed in good homes Some donkeys are put with flocks of sheep to protect them from coyotes Others are put on pasture to be a companion to a single horse “I always say the donkey picks the person ” Langoski says She relates how a woman came to the farm to adopt a miniature donkey But when a standard donkey came up to her and nuzzled her she was smitten and changed her mind When owners understand that donkeys need to be trained differently they can be a better choice than a horse Langoski says It only costs about $500 a year for a healthy donkey to have a vet wellness check and shots farrier hoof trimming and feed Donkeys eat about 1/5th as much as a horse and thrive on the cheapest hay along with a little oats vitamin/mineral supplements and a free-choice mineral block Rehabilitating animals takes more money however so Langoski holds a few fund-raising events One of them is Donkey Day Oct 6 2012 with vendors and activities on her farm and a silent auction that includes paintings made by a couple of the donkeys Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Angela Langoski Holyland Donkey Haven Inc W2082 Mueller Lane Mount Calvary Wis 53057 ph 920 915-2873; www holylanddonkeys webstarts com

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