Featured Visitor: Happiness Has Long Ears
Not to be upstaged by the pot-bellied pigs, GrandPa Bernie, one of the Sanctuary’s senior burros, made a repeat visit to the Welcome Center, this time stepping inside!! Everybody loves old Bernie! You can’t miss him! He never misses an opportunity to meet folks coming down to the Best Friend’s pastures. He whinnies to greet you (or as a reminder that it’s chow time) and his nose is always stuck out for a scratch.
GrandPa Bernie was born around 1974 living on his own on a Navajo reservation anddidn’t have enough to eat or anyone to look after him. Trying to survive on his own wasn’t really his style so he found his way to Best Friends and, boy, does he like it here! Burros can be affectionate and are always very smart! Out in the world, they’re often
used for hard work. When their working years are done sometimes there’s no place for them to retire and they do like to talk, which often upsets the neighbors. Lucky for burros like Bernie, there’s Best Friends!
Donkeys are buddy animals, unlike horses who are herd animals, and usually pair off in twos. They tend to develop strong emotional attachments. Bernie and Willow have developed just such a bond often seen grooming one another in their pasture. Grammy Willow came to Best Friends from a neighboring state where a nice family rescued her from neglect and starvation!
Bernie’s other pasture pals include Sunbeam, rescued from the Grand Canyon with his Mom where burros were getting overpopulated and there was talk of killing them. Fortunately, Sunbeam and his mom were airlifted out and made it safely to Best Friends! Jenny, another pal of Bernie’s, came from Idaho where she was having trouble with her feet and needed more intensive care. Sweetheart, who is the youngster at age 11, completes the fivesome of burros here at the Sanctuary. She is the friendliest and perhaps most mischievous donkey ever! Very friendly gal!
GrandPa Bernie is such a sociable old guy, he’d like the whole world to come visit and stop by to scratch those long, ever so-soft ears of his or perhaps he’ll stop back over to the Welcome Center for another visit sometime soon! We look forward to that day!
Written by Marcia FrankelPhoto of GrandPa Bernie & Steve Hanssen, Horse Haven caregiver