Remember the donkey who was found with an arrow in its head? Well, meet the volunteer group who aided in its rescue. Kathy Vara reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. Friday, July 27, 2018.
Rescuers caught their first glimpse of the donkey wounded by an arrow on July 18. The animal was able to elude animal services until being successfully captured on Tuesday.
Saving this burro was no easy task. These wild donkeys can reach speeds of 35 mph, and don't go down without a fight.
"They are pretty strong and stout, so it's not surprising he gave them a run for their money," said Dr. Paul Wan, a surgeon at SoCal Equine Hospital.
After numerous failed attempts at capturing the fast-moving animal, Riverside County Animal Services enlisted the help of the volunteers from DonkeyLand Rescue.
It begins to become difficult to identify the donkey since the arrow had somehow been dislodged. But Amber, a DonkeyLand volunteer, was able to recognize the donkey by his markings.
She was able to entice the wayward donkey with a carrot, and from there Wan was finally able to examine the injury.
"The only thing we saw was a lot of blood and abscess on the inside part of the ear," said Dr. Wan.
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Now lovingly known as "Spirit," the donkey is currently receiving antibiotics and is expected to return to the wild after making a full recovery in the next five days
"We'll take him right back to his friends and family and release him there," Amber said.
Though this is a story of recovery, there will most likely be more stories similar to that of Spirit.
"On my way home, one got hit and was just left there," Amber says through tears. "The person who hit it just took off.
"I'm thankful to everybody in the community, and by everybody, I mean everybody who helps and believes in our cause."
