Chuck, Rudy, Spark, and Ernie (FARM)

Just before the recent Memorial Day weekend, the Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg (FARM) received a call from a man stating that he was relocating and owned 4 miniature donkeys he’d purchased for his children more than a decade ago. His children had all since grown up and moved away, and his late wife had taken care of the donkeys until she passed away in 2013. The man said that he wanted to make sure did the donkeys didn't fall into the wrong hands. The founders of the FARM agreed to adopt and care for the donkeys, but realized as soon as they saw the animals that they hadn’t been cared for properly since the death of the man’s wife two years earlier. Their water buckets were covered with algae and grime, their hooves were completely overgrown, and the frightened animals were all clearly burdened by parasites.

Thanks to the care and compassion of the FARM, Chuck, Rudy, Spark, and Ernie are able to enjoy their lives. After hoof treatments, deworming, and vaccinations, they're now often seen playing in their pasture together or grazing peacefully. As founders Roy and Lorie Hernesh confide, “Most rewarding to us, the donkeys now come running to us when they had run from us at first.”

Chuck, Rudy, Spark, and Ernie found their sanctuary at the FARM.

A note from the FARM:

"Roy and Lorie Hernesh escaped from the congestion and high property taxes of central New Jersey to Mifflinburg, Union County, PA in 2007. The couple found that their 13.7 acre property with a wonderful view and peaceful setting lacked one important thing - permanent animal residents (we always had lots of wildlife visitors, such as deer, pheasants, turkeys, grouse, reptiles and such). The couple set out adopting unwanted animals, beginning with a couple of unwanted dogs and moving up to goats, miniature horses, an alpaca, and later llamas and mini donkeys. As of this writing, the FARM is home to 5 mini horses, a thoroughbred, 4 mini donkeys, 11 llamas, an alpaca, 15 goats, 3 peafowl, 3 rabbits, 3 dogs and 2 cats. In January, 2015 the Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg was officially incorporated as a nonprofit in Pennsylvania, and received 501(c)3 status from the IRS in February of that year. The mission of the FARM is to provide unwanted farm animals with a permanent home. The founders believe that all animals benefit from the stability and security of a permanent home, and for herd animals in particular this is crucial. Herd animals form strong bonds with their herdmates and are placed under enormous stress when removed from their home range. For this reason, none of the animals that come to live at the FARM are adopted out, sold or re-homed. Despite fund-raising efforts, support from the public has been sporadic and nearly all of the costs of the sanctuary are borne by the founders. This has resulted in the founders having to place limits on the numbers, size and species of animals accepted into the sanctuary, and the FARM is currently near capacity." Click here to get involved!