The Donkey Days of Summer Found Their Way to New England

And this Fall, at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary, freedom rings for not one, not two, but eight special donkeys intended for slaughter.

It is not often that one hears of a donkey going to slaughter but that is just where six recently rescued donkeys were originally destined due to the increasing demand for ejaio. But the universe had other plans and despite a world wide pandemic and a shortage of private auction buyers, they found their way to safety at Tomten Farm and Sanctuary of New Hampshire.

When made aware of their plight, Tomten embraced their “do more, be more and give more” philosophy and opened its gates to welcome the six lives in need. That number has since increased to eight, as two of the jennies are in foal!

Unhandled, mishandled and underweight, these needy lives were lucky to make it out of the auction pipeline thanks to the collaborative efforts of Tomten Farm and Sanctuary, out of state rescuer, Diana Darnell and the more than 50 Tomten supporters who rallied on their behalf. Their stories have already touched hundreds as they raise awareness, become ambassadors for others like them and begin their journey of peace, protection and possibility. Continued Next Page

As the demand for donkey hides continues, donkeys are losing their lives at an alarming rate as they are processed for their skins to make ejaio, a donkey hide gelatin used as an ingredient in Chinese medicine. According to Scientific American magazine, this product is in such high demand that, “if the current pace continues, more than half of the world’s donkeys would need to be slaughtered in the next five years”. Surprisingly, the United States is the third largest consumer of this product but thankfully, animal welfare organizations such as Tomten Farm and Sanctuary and industry leaders such as the American Association of Equine Practitioners are creating awareness of the 1.8 million donkey skins traded each year and condemning the inhumane transport and killing of donkeys to satisfy the escalating global trade.

“No matter what the season,” says Tomten Founder, Jenifer Vickery, “it is always a good time to give the gift of life and promote kindness. Every animal deserves to have their dreams come true and we are committed to giving each donkey a today, tomorrow and many happy years to come.” She, her loyal supporters and the unpaid volunteers of the nonprofit are hopeful that their recent donkey rescue will stimulate thought and spread joy at a time when many need a pick me up. They invite all to follow each donkey’s journey of healing and health on the organizations facebook page and are delighted that their presence has already brought joy to so many of all ages.

Tomten Farm and Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing peace, protection and possibility to animals in need. It is home to 50 + rescued animals, staffed solely by volunteers and relies 100% on donations. The Sanctuary has a temporarily hold on public events due to Covid-19 but is still offering limited size visits for their life giving supporters throughout the year.