HHFS Tribe
Our residents at Healing Hearts Farm Sanctuary come from different backgrounds. Some have experienced abuse or neglect, some were discarded when they no longer benefited their owners or because they could no longer be cared for, and some were literally hours or minutes away from being loaded onto a truck headed to slaughter. Although each of their pasts vary, one thing they all now share is the love and kindness they receive and a place to call home.
Jenni is the queen bee of the farm and along with her daughter Piper, the first miniature donkeys at HHFS! She is all about the food and if she believes you have treats in your pocket, she is your new best friend.
Piper was a shy 6-month-old little girl when she arrived at Healing Hearts and stayed close to her mama at all times. Now she enjoys her independence and spends most of her days running and playing around the farm.
Gidget, sister to Piper and daughter to Jenni arrived to HHFS with pigeon fever. Her previous owner could no longer care for her and called HHFS to provide she and her 5 week old baby a home. After her quarantine period was done Gidget was reunited with her family. She is super sweet by nature and loves being groomed.
Atlas arrived to HHFS at age 19, making him our eldest resident. He was accompanied by his bonded friend Athena. He is a 7 time halter champion and was used to pull a cart. His favorite hobbies are hugging, butt scratches, photobombing pictures, treats (carrots are his favorite) and he is likely the gentlest donkey you will ever meet. He is the bray champion at HHFS and practices daily around feeding times. New residents at the sanctuary can count on Atlas to greet and give them a warm welcome.
Athena arrived to HHFS at age 16, she and Atlas were given to us by a neighbor who no longer had the time to spend time with them. Athena loves snuggles, kisses, and hugs more than anything – except for food, she is a total foodie. She is also a very vocal girl and will be sure to greet you with a lovely bray once she spots you anywhere on the farm.
Missy arrived with her buddy Carlos and unlike him, she was very shy and non-trusting. Missy would run the opposite direction whenever anyone tried to approach her, but after a period of consistent interaction and attention she developed trust and is now usually seen standing right by our side.
Carlos is a Boer goat who can be quite the bully, especially when first meeting someone. We affectionately refer to him as Carlos the menace. Once you gain his trust he will love you forever. He loves all food but oak leaves are his favorite.
Penelope was rescued from a kill pen, with bonded friend Peppermint. She arrived pregnant, underweight; an infection in both eyes & cuts on her face/body. The first few weeks she only ate if hand fed & due to her low weight began experiencing liver failure. 6 days after arrival her best friend Peppermint died. Heartbroken & sick, Penelope was determined to get better. Soon she began to eat more & gain weight, becoming healthier & stronger. 3 months later she birthed a healthy daughter, Halo.
Halo is the first baby to be born at the sanctuary. She is a perfect mixture of sweet and spunky. Although she is taller than all of our mini’s she is still our baby girl. One thing for sure, you can’t help but smile when you meet Halo.
Daisy is our most resilient resident. Rescued from a kill pen with her 2 day old baby who she delivered scared & alone on the kill pen ground. Her hooves were outgrown, they resembled elf shoes & she continually laid down because it hurt to walk. They arrived sick with pneumonia; 3 days later in the hospital Luna passed away. Daisy became depressed & distanced herself from the other animals. After several months she came around. Now she enjoys being with her friends & loves daily affection.
Brooklyn was another kill pen rescue, along with her buddy Banjo. She came to us underweight, scared, and with badly overgrown hooves. After about a week at the farm she let her guard down and let us love her. She is now one of the first ones to greet us each day and enjoys affection and being brushed.
Banjo was rescued from a kill pen just hours before he was set to load the truck bound for slaughter. He arrived to the sanctuary depressed, starved and malnourished. He had rain rot on all his legs, missing patches of hair on his face and head, and in desperate need of hoof trimming. Banjo is still shy around new people but no longer walks with his head down and approaches us daily for kisses and hugs.
Grace was on a truck bound for slaughter when we rescued her. Thankfully we got word to the driver; don’t let her off the truck in Mexico. Grace arrived after several days on the truck unable to move around or lay down. She has permanent indentation & scarring on her face from a halter left on after she’d outgrown it. There were bald spots throughout her body, likely from neglect & poor nutrition. Grace is still nervous & doesn’t let us touch her, but she comes around more each day.
Oliver was our first rescue from a kill pen. He was within days of being sent to slaughter when his fate forever changed. Oliver now gets to live out his life at the sanctuary with his favorite girls and best friends Grace and Journey. Beware of his dazzling eyes, they are sure to draw you in.
Jazzy and Willow are a bonded pair that was rescued from a kill pen. Both arrived very overweight, which is the most common form of abuse amongst donkeys, and Willow arrived with a broken crest due to her obesity. They are both super sweet and likely our happiest residents. If you pay close attention you can witness them smiling.