Meet Felix
Age: Adult
Gender: John
Rescue Date: January 6, 2021
Felix’s Story
Felix arrived as part of our first big rescue in January 2021. He was incredibly sick. His body was slouched over, his head was down, and he could barely open his eyes. When he started wheezing, we called the vet. They said he had a serious respiratory disease and needed to get to UC Davis as soon as possible.
While talking to the vet, we heard intense coughing from another pasture. Another new rescue named Whiz Kid had the same issue and also needed to go to the hospital. But there was a big roadblock: we had just launched Oscar’s Place and didn’t own a trailer yet.
So Ron got on the phone and started calling community members who had trailers and might be able to bring the donkeys to UC Davis. But understandably, no one wanted to bring the donkeys due to the risk of spreading their illness. Felix and Whiz Kid were getting sicker by the hour as we raced against the clock.
Finally, Ron found a trailer in Santa Rosa for sale. He got in his car, drove down, and bought it on the spot. But he didn’t even have a hitch yet… and didn’t know how to drive a trailer… So he bought a hitch, asked for help connecting it, got some driving tips, and set out on his first time pulling a trailer.
Once back at the ranch, Ron loaded up Felix and Whiz Kid and drove the 2.5 hours to UC Davis to get them the lifesaving care they needed. It was a long day, to say the least.
Felix’s sickness had progressed to pneumonia, and the doctors didn’t think he would make it. Both Felix and Whiz Kid were touch-and-go for several days. Thankfully, they turned the corner and started to recover. Once they were healthy enough to return to the ranch, we had to quarantine them for three weeks to protect the health of the rest of the herd.
During that time, our team gave Felix and Whiz Kid their inhalers five times per day to clear their lungs, and Whiz Kid had to eat soaked hay due to his cough. Day by day, they improved. Through it all, they had each other and became best friends. To this day, they are inseparable. You’ll never see one without the other. They play together, eat together, and sleep together.
Felix is one of the sweetest, friendliest donkeys we’ve ever met. It’s like he knows he was given a second chance.
Become an Oscar’s Place Guardian
When you sponsor Felix, you become a member of Oscar’s Place Guardians, our community of monthly donors who make each donkey’s healing possible.
Your steady support will help provide Felix with the food, shelter, medicine, and care he needs to thrive. You will make a life-changing difference, ensuring he will be safe and loved for the rest of his life.
When you sponsor a donkey, you’ll receive:
A printable sponsorship certificate and quarterly video updates on the donkey of your choosing (select any permanent resident of Oscar’s Place!)
Special monthly emails, which include insider updates and exclusive stories about the transformations you’re making possible.
A buy one, get one 50% off discount code for Oscar’s Place merchandise.
Invitations to Guardians-only Zoom events.
A free Oscar’s Place lapel pin (if you’d like one).
Exclusive access to occasional livestreams from our sanctuary.