Pepper

Pepper was born during the night between July 15-16, 2024. We saved her heavily pregnant mother, Dolly, from a kill pen none too soon. She was carrying low and we were prepared for the possibility that she might deliver any day. We brought Dolly and her companion jack, Domino, to the previous Malibu ranch for quarantine. This was the perfect location as there are no longer any other equines in residence. The marine layer keeps temperatures cool until the afternoon. Love, kindness, peace and quiet, ocean views and breezes, and a nutritious diet was what she needed to bring her baby into the world.

Pepper is completely black, which we have never seen before. Donkeys described as black often have reddish undertones, but Pepper is as black as - well - pepper. We found her in the morning resting in the clean, soft bedding of her stall. In no time, she was up on wobbly legs and successfully latched on to her mother. The first days are delicate and we always worry about what donkeys have been exposed to in kill pens. The babies are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases, even if they are born after their pregnant mothers are saved. Dolly is protective of her little treasure and understandably so. We are keeping a distance, while watching them closely. Dolly is a good mother, but if they need any help, we are right here for them. Pepper will receive everything we can give her for a healthy, happy, full donkey life at Skydog.

Pepper got a sponsor almost as soon as she was born. There were lots of wonderful suggestions for names on Patreon, but it was her sponsor, a little girl, who named her Pepper.

 Helping Mustangs & Burros

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3475 in the House / S.2307 in the Senate). This bill will shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.

Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.

You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches, stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs, and defund the Adoption Incentive Program.