A Donkey Near Mamalahoa Highway

Example Waikoloa Nightingale
Ear Damage From Rough Life

Amidst all this great news, I need to remind everyone there can be donkeys on the road any time, anywhere. Right now there seems to be a donkey loose near the 9MM of Mamalahoa Highway. Just one. As you know, catching a donkey is not easy at all, but we are all trying our best. Meanwhile, drive carefully. Especially you dawn commuters to North Hawaii Community Hospital and the telescopes.

As always, if you see a donkey near the road, outside of fencing, call Police Dispatch at 935--3311. If it is on the road, you may need to use 911, if you deem it an emergency situation. If you can, stay near the spot where you can see the donkey so you can report it's location if the police are sending someone right away.


Photo by Michael O'Brien.


Update: the donkey was safely returned to his herd! Thank you, Donkey Magic Menehune who can never have the credit they deserve. Around Christmas time.

Bakersfield TV on the Donkeys' Safe Arrival in Tehatchpi

All the news coverage expanding. Not only the Los Angeles Times, but globally. I particularly like these back-to-back updates from TV KBAK, Bakersfield. It's really fun to watch, especially the second report where you can see OUR beloved Nightingales.
http://tinyurl.com/Donkeys-Arrive-in-Tehachapi
Earlier, I forgot to link this nice little article on the HSUS website. 
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2011/09/donkey_flight_091611.html

Waikoloa Nightingale Adoptions Take to the Skies

Dr. Brady Bergin & Inga Gibson
Kona Airport, Plane in Background
Michael O'Brien photo

Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue now has 119 of our Waikoloa Nightingale;  they saw their first California sunrise Saturday morning! They are probably over their jet lag already, but I don't know if Dr. Brady Bergin is over his, after organizing and working the all-day effort to load the donkeys and caravan with them to the, and his lovely night spent at LAX awaiting his early morning flight back to the Island. 

The Big Island Video news was taped at the airport. Outstanding Job!

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2011/09/17/video-over-100-waikoloa-donkeys-board-plane-for-california/

Hawaii News Now's report is their 5 PM version, so it has excellent footage and interviews of the clinic a few weeks ago, and an update. 

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/15484645/yes-its-true-donkeys-fly

KITV report that shows the flight taking off late yesterday afternoon.

http://www.kitv.com/video/29215326/detail.html

None of this would be possible without 

• Generous major donors especially Ugo Sap, who owns Eagle Eye Sanctuary Foundation for donkeys in Northern California, plus Wendy McCaw Foundation, the Pettus Crowe Foundation, and the West Hawaii Humane Society. 
• The Humane Society of the United States (especially Inga Gibson and Keith Dane) whose national team found the donors and created a fund just for our donkeys. 
Dr. Brady Bergin of Waimea, who organized EVERYTHING and donated all his professional expertise and services.



Mark and Amy Meyers of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue and Dr. Brady Bergin of 

Waimea. Photo courtesy Randy C. Horne.

• Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, Mark and Amy Meyers.
Several people who fostered donkeys to make them more "adoptable" by newbies, including CB Horse Rescue and Gena Almaden. 
At least 50, hands-on volunteers, who have donated work, time, and gas and on-going use of their trailers.
Our rancher Stanley Bothello.
Tiffany Bergin (Dr. Bergin's wife) who has managed to have a baby (now 18 months!) and support this effort magnificently, both herself, and by giving us so much of Dr. Bergin's time. 
Dr. Bergin's entire staff, the "Donkey Coordinator," Liz Hendricks who volunteers directly for for Dr Bergin. 
Several local merchants who have given us discounts and free support (food!), including Les at Waikoloa Village Market, Solimene's Restaurant in Waimea, and Donkey Balls candy, Hawaiian Quilt Shop thanks to Mele Waikiki, and Hilo'sTanya Kearns of ManilaExtract.
All the people I left out!
More than 200 adoptions on our Island. (Just heard from a new "parent" yesterday)
Equine 808 which is now re-homing donkeys on Oahu!
And all the adopters in Hawaii that will still come forward, as there are plenty more donkeys to find new homes. And we sure need someone to help with creating a sanctuary right here. We've barely begun to work on that.

State Senator Clayton Hee Video Interview

Just watch:
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2011/09/01/video-volunteers-power-waikoloa-donkey-clinic/

Senator Hee eloquently explains the clinic is the "embodiment of a way of life", an all-volunteer effort of people helping donkeys originally brought here to be hard-working animals for a variety of work, especially in the Kona coffee industry. No tax-payer money has been spent on this on-going, successful project.

Ginger Towne, West Hawaii Humane Society
with Senator Clayton Hee

Senator Hee, participated in the entire clinic, as well as attending our Waikoloa Talk Story the night before, about an hour off his plane from Oahu!  He is an expert horseman and who grew up in Kona on coffee plantations and speaks directly to why we must care for our donkeys.

Dr. Bergin also explains and shows more what happened "in the chute", which was not part of the first video.

Again, thanks to Big Island Video News comes through great viewing and excellent interviews.

Big Island Video News is broadcast on Na Leo Hawaii, channels 53 and 54, Monday through Friday. Set up your recorder now!

Monday through Thursday, 5 pm and 9:30 pm,channel 53

10 minute daily news.

Friday, 5 pm, channel 54 and 9:30, channel 53, 

30 minute weekly wrap up.