Where do I begin…
When I was five years old, we moved to a ranch in Reche Canyon, Calif., now apparently the scene of animal crimes, which makes me very sad.
It was an interesting place. People showed up on horseback, not in cars. Eventually, it became a sort of paradise for motor bikers due to the terrain. It’s a mountainous, fun place. Exactly one store: The Hitchin’ Post, where there actually was one, and still exists. We lived just next to Blue Mountain, which would sometimes catch fire and scare the hell out of us. I would be remiss not to mention the current fires in the region, and I wish everyone safety, yet this is not about fires.
It’s about donkeys.
As I mentioned, I was five when we moved there. We had Southdown sheep, pigs, cows, chickens, and horses. We had a plum tree in the middle of our driveway, by the way. To this day, I love plums because of it. And as everyone rode around on horses, I rode around on a donkey called Spike. I was too little for a horse. But I rode all over the place on Spike. We loved each other. When I went on rides with him, I had a shotgun for rattlesnakes. There’s a tattoo on my ankle in my buddy’s memory. He was my best friend.
Moving on, the funny thing about Reche Canyon and the broader area is that there are herds of wild donkeys that just wander. It’s the funniest thing in the world to watch. They cause no harm, and they are as sweet as kittens until they feel threatened. That’s when the trouble starts.
For example, I have a friend in Kentucky who breeds thoroughbreds. Multi-million dollar horses. I roll into his farm one day, and I see a lone donkey, and I’m like, “What’s up with the donkey?” And he’s like, “His name is Tequila, and he protects the horses.” And it brought back memories and a big smile.
Donkeys are very special and pleasant animals. Sadly, there appear to be people in California who are shooting with arrows or siccing violent dogs on the wild ones. The last count is 22 dead.
As you might imagine, as a Reche Canyon kid and an animal welfare advocate, this bothers me to no end. We share space with wildlife. For crying out loud, there are black bears on my beach in Florida. Bobcats, armadillos in my backyard. I see them, and I’m just like “Hello!”
Anyway, there is a $50,000 reward for exposing the culprits in the Southern California donkey killings. My friends at the Humane World For Animals have offered their support yet have not received a response from local authorities, which is troubling. I call on California officials to partner with them, raise the bounty, protect these beautiful animals, and those who protect their companions, their property, and their friends.
Anyone who shoots a donkey with an arrow or sends a trained, nasty dog should be hanged from a bridge. Period. For if you don’t care for our animal friends, it speaks directly to your character.
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