As Sara Gardner heads down the steps in her Arkansas backyard, she calls out three names, “Tex! Bob! Blaze, I’m coming down!” In response, a trio of donkeys slowly lumbers toward her.
These three have had many names over the years. Formerly living in a field off of Southlake Boulevard near White Chapel, the burros were well-loved by their community.
“I live in the neighborhood adjacent to their field,” Southlake resident Emily Roberts says. “I loved walking over with the kids and petting them...they were so loving and sweet. When they saw someone standing at the fence, the lighter one would always wander over to greet you! I think everyone in our neighborhood had names for them. We called them Ethel and Gene.”
One year ago, the field the donkeys lived on was sold. Thankfully, one month later, in July of 2018, their future new owner arrived on the scene. Sara was in Southlake visiting her life-long best friend, Kathryn Johnson. The Johnson family has lived in the area around eight years, and Sara estimates that she has visited them about twice per year. It wasn’t until her visit last July that she met the local celebrity donkeys, but she quickly picked up on how much they meant to the community.
“They're so sweet,” she says. “I can see why they were such an institution in the city. Their former owner sent me an email when everything came together and he told me, 'I'm not sure you realize how important these donkeys are.' But I fell in love with them when I met them before I even knew they were available. I very much understand that they are precious.”
Meant To Bray
As fate would have it, Sara was actually planning on getting donkeys before she met the local live- stock. She and her husband live on 18 acres outside of Little Rock, Arkansas and recently cleared and fenced in about five of those acres. While she was visiting Southlake, Kathryn’s husband, Bob, asked what she was going to do with the fenced-in land.
"I said, 'Well, I'd love to get donkeys,’” Sara recalls.
Upon hearing that, Bob's daughter, Emily, burst out, saying “We have donkeys!” Sara laughed initially, noting the Johnson’s backyard was devoid of donkeys. The family soon filled her in on the furry celebrities that had happily been grazing for as long as many residents can remember. After dinner, upon her insistence, the Johnsons took her to meet the donkeys.
“When we drove up, I almost burst into tears,” Sara says. “I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, they're perfect! They're so sweet!'”
Sara visited them every day after that during her visit to Southlake. She noticed for sale signs along the property and wondered about her new friends’ fate. And she wasn’t alone.
While Sara was visiting the donkeys one evening, she met another one of their fans who said she fed them every week after church.
Sara has a residential real estate license, so she immediately put her background knowledge to use, looking up the commercial real estate agents and trying to find the owner of that specific parcel of land. Kathryn also got to work, reaching out to Mayor Laura Hill in an attempt to see if the donkeys were for sale.
Mayor Hill got back to the two ladies before any real estate agents did and gave them the number of the donkeys’ owner. Sara was able to get in touch with him and work out a deal in which she would get the donkeys after the property closed. From there, she worked with The Pegasus Project, a local horse rescue, to transport the donkeys to their new Arkansas home.
In Their “Hayday”
While the donkeys were clearly loved and pampered in Southlake, it’s safe to say that their new home is a bit of an upgrade. With several acres of lush land to roam and graze, Bob, Blaze and Tex have happily adjusted to their new home.
The Gardners even built a barn, though Sara says the trio wouldn’t go near it at first. It took them about two months to warm up to it. She also keeps them supplied with plenty of equine toys and quality feed. And while Sara would gladly heap treats upon them, she knows she has to hold back.
“I feed them mostly celery as a treat because donkeys tend to have weight issues,” she says.
Of course, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t sneak them the occasional carrot or apple. Aside from treats, the donkeys have a lifted feeder to keep their hay dry. Sara refers to herself as “the lady with the food,” because when she shakes their food bucket, the three donkeys come running. She visits them every evening and is working to get them halter trained. She also plans to attend the Donkey Welfare Symposium at the University of California, Davis this fall. In short, she is all in.
“I can't wait for the donkey symposium,” Sara says. “That will be really enlightening, especially if I get more...which I want to.”
Legacy Lives On
While the three donkeys are clearly in capable, loving hands, they are still sorely missed by the community of Southlake.
“I actually really cried when I found out they had been relocated,” Southlake resident Jo Hyman says. “I know it was for the best, and I am so happy they are living a good life. However, starting my day and ending my day with these creatures was a blessing.”
Other residents, like Frances Scharli and Jennifer O'Brien Thrailkill simply miss hearing them.
“I loved to hear them bray when I took early morning tennis lessons at Southlake Tennis Center,” Frances says.
For many others, the donkeys were a fun way to introduce their children to the old farm feel of Southlake. Families would routinely visit, bestowing the donkeys with affection and treats.
“We would cut up apples and walk over once a week and feed them,” Michelle Woolf says. “It was something we looked forward to. They lived right behind us. We miss them dearly!”
Stephanie Mehan, who has lived in Southlake for a little over two years, got here just in time to enjoy the donkeys. Her kids, Tommy (4) and Evelyn (3), joined her on weekly visits.
“Having donkeys behind a bank in town is just something you don't see every day,” she says. “We loved spending Sunday mornings there when everything was quiet and just waking up. It was a peaceful few moments in the midst of busy days.”
While they are gone, the donkeys are certainly not forgotten. Southlake Commons, the development that will be housed on the land where the donkeys once lived, will feature a bronze statue near its Southlake Boulevard entrance.
When plans for Southlake Commons were brought forward, the developer, Sage Group, Inc., and the City Council agreed to place a bronze donkey sculpture near the Southlake Boulevard entrance to commemorate the property’s history.
Already in the works by sculptor Jane DeDecker, the statue will feature three donkeys in honor of the property’s history. In the meantime, the actual three donkeys are contentedly living together as a family in Arkansas.