Donkeys Liven Up Photos With Santa

By LAURA ROBISON

The Progress

Santa Claus brought some animal friends with him on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 10 to greet guests and pose for photos during a “Christmas with the Donkeys” event at the Donkey History Museum in Mesquite.

Visitors to the museum had a chance to see and interact with two live miniature donkeys at the event. Chip and Lilbit posed for pictures with children and adults alike in the excited crowd of attendees.

The Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue (PVDR) in Scenic, AZ, which customarily holds an open house event during the holiday season, is not currently open to the public. So museum curator Raymond Robbins decided to bring a few of the animals from the rescue right to the parking lot of the museum for this event. Along with Santa, they were stars of the show. Cookies and hot chocolate were also served to the waiting crowds.

Jean Hubbard, who is a snowbird from Wyoming, came to the event with her husband Craig. “Last year we went to Scenic to see the donkeys there,” Jean said. “I am so happy we still get to see the donkeys this year. I love the donkeys and these mini ones are adorable.”
Hubbard got her picture taken with both Santa and Lilbit.

Sylas Guillen, 11, along with his little brother, one-year old William, came to see the cute little donkeys.
“I love being here, and I got to give some treats to Lilbit,” said Sylas.
He learned that the donkeys eat hay, not alfalfa. They also eat animal crackers because they are low in fat and are good for them, he said.
“In case Santa visits with donkeys this year instead of reindeer, I know what snacks I can leave for them,” said Sylas.

Amy Rivera is a trainer for the PVDR and helps get the animals ready to be adopted.
“We have a training center and our main objective is to capture the wild donkeys, bring them to safety, and train them so they can be adopted,” Rivera said.
Right now, there are almost 400 donkeys at the facility.

The museum opened last month. Robbins said that he wants to educate people on the important history of donkeys.

Inside the museum is a gift shop, art, displays, historic photographs and much more.
“I fell in love with these amazing animals while working as a yard-hand at the main rescue in San Angelo, Texas,” Robbins said.

Owners and PVDR founders Mark and Amy Meyers had the idea to open the museum and asked Robbins to be in charge. The items inside are the result of over 20 years of collecting artifacts and information about donkeys.

The Donkey History Museum is open Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.. It is located at 355 W. Mesquite Blvd.

For more information about the museum, visit donkeyrescue.org or call 702-346-2538.