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SEPTEMBER 2025
VIEJO
Viejo's Story
When the first big rescue group arrived at Oscar’s Place in January of 2021, Viejo was the first donkey to walk off the trailer. He walked right up to Ron, the owner of the sanctuary, and put his head on Ron’s chest. They have been best friends ever since.
It’s hard to imagine how Viejo ended up at an auction. He is fully trained, walks perfectly on a halter and lead rope, and loves humans. He definitely came from a good home. His owner must have loved him, trained him, and taught him to trust humans — maybe they passed away or could no longer take care of him, and he ended up in the auction system. It is heartbreaking that he spent time in such a terrifying place.
Viejo is not motivated by food or treats — he’s motivated by the companionship of humans. When the staff and volunteers are out scooping poop, he is right there over their shoulder, walking step-by-step with them, hanging out all day. He’s also one of only two donkeys at the sanctuary who knows what a hug is and intentionally gives and receives them! Viejo is truly incredible. He will live out his life at Oscar’s Place, helping to train other donkeys and spreading love to every human he meets.
About the Artist:​
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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.
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About Oscar's Place:​
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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.
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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.
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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.