For many years, Earl, a donkey , lived with his owner on a farm in British Columbia, Canada.
Until something sad happened: its owner passed away .
The man’s family, who had no attachment to the donkey, surrendered him to ‘A Home For Hooves Farm Sanctuary’, and since last month, this has been Earl’s new home.
New home
Earl lived for 10 years with his late guardian, and during that time, he was always alone, without the company of another animal of the same species.
During his stay at the sanctuary, it became clear how lonely the donkey was.
As herd animals, the presence of a companion is not only desirable, but crucial to their mental health and well-being.
Earl was the only donkey in the shelter, so even though he was safe, he still felt lonely.
No matter how much the shelter staff tried to cheer him up, it seemed like nothing would motivate him.
It was then that Earl found comfort in a toy he was given: a ball.
Friendship
The little donkey was enchanted by his giant, inflatable yellow ball, making it his best friend.
Earl’s loneliness gave way to joy, but unfortunately, the magical moment lasted only a few days, as the ball burst.
“Earl is heartbroken tonight!” the sanctuary wrote in a Facebook post . “His beloved ball has deflated, and he is the saddest donkey you’ve ever seen without his ball.”
And now, what to do?
Since the sanctuary was struggling with finances and couldn’t afford another ball, they appealed to their followers, who promptly helped buy Earl the toy.
Earl couldn’t have been happier with his new ball, only now it was blue.
“Earl would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support after his beloved ball deflated!” the sanctuary wrote . “Earl has more balls than he knows what to do with now and can even make his own ball pit.”
The sanctuary knew the ball’s companionship wasn’t enough. So, a few days later, three rescued donkeys, who had been in foster care for three years, were brought to the sanctuary.
“Having his own donkey friends has made a huge difference to him, and we are absolutely thrilled that he is no longer lonely,” the sanctuary said.
May Earl be very happy with his new friends!
Another pet that likes balls
In Belo Horizonte, veterinarian Mariana Perpétuo Dias adopted a cow named Anastácia, who became an unusual and very playful pet.
Anastácia, rescued as a puppy and raised among humans, dogs and cats, loves to play ball at the stud farm where she lives.
