Sunday, September 18, 2011

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!


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. 


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




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.
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,