.png){kind=small}
JANUARY 2025
BABE
Babe's Story
​
We were preparing for the very likely reality that Babe would become an orphan. But today, mom Sylvia is doing well and the two are part of a big, happy family.
Sylvia was rescued with her sister, Beatrice. Both mammoth donkeys were in rough shape—and pregnant. When Sylvia gave birth to Babe, there were problems from the start. Babe wouldn’t nurse, and then Sylvia laid down and wouldn’t get back up.
Luckily, we got Babe to nurse, but Sylvia still would not stand up. So, we made the decision to rush mom and baby to UC Davis, where they stayed for a week. For about three weeks, Sylvia was touch-and-go. She had post-foaling laminitis, a painful condition that is hard to reverse and almost always ends in euthanasia.
We pulled out all the stops for Sylvia and fought hard for her. The team gave her pain meds twice a day, iced her feet, and wrapped her hooves with padding. Eventually, we were out of the woods and breathed a HUGE sigh of relief! Today, Sylvia and Babe are both healthy and so happy to be together. They nap in the sun and spend a lot of time with Sylvia’s sister, Beatrice and her baby, Kate. We’re so grateful that this story has a happy ending. It was only possible because of all the people who joined forces and gave their all to save this family.
About the Artist:​
​
Melisa Beveridge of Woollybear Travels is a Registered Veterinary Technician and a Science Illustrator on a mission to make the world a better place for orphaned, injured, and rescued animals. Through Woollybear Travels, she goes to animal sanctuaries around the world and volunteers her services as an animal nurse, where it’s legal, or does general volunteer work if it’s not. She writes about the animals she meets, the people who are helping them, and creates artwork based on her experiences.
​
About Oscar's Place:​
​
Donkeys are some of the most loving and trusting creatures on Earth, and when they suffer because humans are unkind, Oscar’s Place steps in. While we’re just a team of everyday individuals, we deeply care for and are committed to providing a safe haven for donkeys in need.​ We focus on donkeys because the world's donkey population is being decimated. Not by disease, global warming, or predators. But because there is a high demand for their hides in the creation of a traditional Chinese medicine.
​
They deserve better than to be abused, crowded into horrifying transport containers, and shipped off to slaughter factories. Our mission is straight-forward: To every donkey that makes its way to Oscar’s Place, we will do everything in our power to keep that animal safe, healthy & happy for the rest of its life.
​
We love animals, and quite frankly, we need to team up with other people who also care about what happens to these beautiful creatures. The good news is that it doesn’t take much to make a big difference.​When you make a donation, you help a donkey recover emotionally and physically from its past.
You are restoring their belief in humans as caregivers. Your impact even makes it possible to re-home donkeys to carefully-screened adopters, which enables us to bring more of these precious animals into our care system. Again, we’re not special, but our team consists of caring employees, volunteers, veterinarians, and farriers – all with a singular objective: to help donkeys recover physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every person on-site is committed to hands-on interaction with our donkeys, every day.Loving them. Calming them. Healing them. We want to show them that humans can be good. Can you save a donkey’s life today or can you share this message?
Thank you so much for caring.