Abandoned donkey was nearly dead when teen rescued her – now they're inseparable
Some teens have dogs. Peyton Dankworth has a baby miniature donkey.
The high school senior from Texas got a call from a friend early in 2019. While out for a horse ride one day, they came across an abandoned, starving baby donkey.
It’s unclear why one teen would call another to care for such an animal instead of getting in touch with a rescue organization, but nevertheless Dankworth took on the challenge.
“He asked if I would like to try keep him alive,” Dankworth told The Dodo. “He told me that he wasn’t in very good health and he probably wouldn’t make it through the night. I am such an animal lover, and there was no way I was gonna let that baby die.”
We’re not sure what Peyton’s mom and dad had to say about it all, but eventually, they must have agreed to let their daughter take in the animal. The Dankworths have plenty of property to house a donkey, though he seems to spend plenty of time inside, not unlike a dog (oh, and they also have a dog).
While the first night was tough and the teen had to stay up all night to feed and cuddle the sick animal, within a few days he began to mend and within a few weeks, he was thriving.
She named the donkey Jack and the two are still the best of friends. Jack even has his own Instagram account with nearly 6,000 followers!
“This was the first time I have ever taken care of a donkey,” Dankworth said, unsurprisingly.
Not only did she have to introduce him to human bonding but to food as well, since he had been so long without it. She bottle-fed him until he could eat on his own.
“Jack has shown me that he depends on me, and he really does,” Dankworth said. “He gets a bottle about every two hours, and when I feed him it just makes me happy.”
And it appears the rest of the family (dog included) has some to accept Jack as part of the clan.
“He’s fitting in so well!” said his adoptive mom. “I take Jack on walks and he rides in my car with me, too. He’s kinda like a dog and follows me everywhere.”
Saving Jack’s life has not only been rewarding for Peyton but has helped her decide what she’d like to do in the future – something she had previously been struggling with in the run-up to her senior year of high school. Now she knows she’s like to go into a field that involves caring for animals.
“Jack has really inspired me to go into that because I just love animals,” she told The Dodo. “Seeing how far he has come — from barely having enough strength to stand up to now being able to run around and chase my dogs — is one of the greatest things I could ever ask for. I’m so proud.”
Jack is growing up quickly and is no longer the lap donkey he was at the beginning of 2019. He just celebrated his first Christmas with his new family and is looking more adorable than ever.
You can check out his progress by following him on Instagram here.
And be sure to scroll down below to see an adorable video of Jack playing with his animal bestie, the family’s dog Poinsey!
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Source: The Dodo, @thelifeofjackkkk via Instagram