Animal neglect is heartbreaking — and infuriating too. How anyone could treat an animal with cruelty is unimaginable. Which is why we’re so thankful for someone like Caitlin from Rancho Relaxo in Woodstown, New Jersey. The animal lover recently leapt into action when she was alerted to a donkey being neglected. And the internet is so grateful she got involved too.
The worst part is that the donkey had allegedly been living in poor conditions for a year before Caitlin found him.
Caitlin to the rescue! As she explained in her video, she was contacted a few weeks back about the donk. He was being kept outside, alone, and with very little food or water. The water that he did have was brown and his halter was “deeply embedded in his skin.”
Related: Donkey Who Woke Mom Out of a Dead Sleep to Help a Goat in Distress Is a True Hero
The situation looked bleak. Thankfully, the donkey’s owner agreed to release the donkey to the sanctuary. They’ve since renamed him Gregory and given him a loving home. “He is safe,” they wrote in the video’s text overlay.
People were praising Caitlin for taking the donkey away. “He hopped on that trailer like get me out of here,” joked one commenter. “Hearing his happy honks made my heart swell. And the other guy giving him such a warm welcome too,” added someone else. “Him telling the other mule: ‘you wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through!’ The other mule: ‘you’re safe now!'” one person added. “Thank goodness for people like you. Poor baby looks like he will finally be loved,” someone else agreed.
The Donkey Had a Rough Past
Sadly, things really did have to get bad before they got better for the donk. As Caitlin explained in her video’s caption, there were some real rough patches before she got to him.
“He had escaped to find companionship and food numerous times,” she explained. “Whenever he did escape, the police would drag him right back to his post to continue living in isolated sadness. PETA was also called months before we arrived but nothing came of it.”
“The authorities were doing NOTHING for this animal,” she added. “This just goes to show you that farmed animals especially don’t have enough laws protecting them.”
Since coming into her care, things have completely changed for Gregory. Caitlin is currently accepting donations so the animal can receive medical care and plenty of food, water, and shelter for the rest of his days.
“We LITERALLY couldn’t do this without you,” Caitlin wrote.
You can donate to Rancho Relaxo here.
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.