How it works
By committing annually to a $100/month sponsorship of a mustang or burro, you help us enormously by supporting our existing rescues so we can continue saving more.
SPONSORSHIP INCLUDES:
A personalized Certificate of Sponsorship with a photo of the horse or donkey you choose and your name.
A 60 minute one-on-one visit to Skydog Ranch to meet the horse or burro you are sponsoring, spend time hanging out with them, take photographs and ask questions of our staff.
To visit your sponsored equine, you must be a sponsor for at least 9 months. Anyone who wants to see them sooner will have to pay for 9 months ($900) in advance of their visit. We regret that this has become necessary. We need to discourage those sponsoring for one month in order to visit the ranch, then canceling because they don’t actually care about supporting the animals or our work. These tours take up a lot of time from our staff and the important work they do caring for our rescues.
Choosing a Mustang or Burro to Sponsor
You can search for posts about individuals on Instagram or Facebook with a hashtag that combines the word “skydog” with their name (#skydogdream #skydognugget). You can also go to the Then & Now page on the website to see their photos and read their biographies. (Note: their pages are currently being updated.)
Sponsor a SKYDOG on Patreon
A great way to sponsor a Skydog is by becoming a patron on Patreon and signing up for the $100/month Lead Mare level. This automatically makes you a sponsor and gives you access to exclusive content that we don’t post on other social media platforms. Each new episode of the Horse Love Podcast is released there, as are special offers on merchandise, and breaking news.
Mustangs & burros Who Need sponsors
AJ, De Niro, Fig, Pacino and Paulie are featured below in alphabetical order.
A.J
It takes skill to get good photographs of black animals. Leave it to Scott Wilson to capture how stunning AJ is for all to see. He is one of the 5 Amigos, a very special group of deeply bonded burros ranging in age from 12 to 20 that launched our Year of Wild Burros. They were violently rounded up from their Virginia Range by the BLM in December 2021. Four months later, we found these federally-protected animals in a North Texas feedlot, in danger of shipping on the next load to slaughter in Mexico. When we first saw their photos, AJ looked like a shadow. He’s the only one with a totally dark coat, which we rarely see. Since he and his gang were released onto 1200 acres with Blue Zeus & Family, we have to work to track them down for regular herd checks. AJ’s group is welcoming to other donkeys. We have never seen them turn a newcomer away. In April of 2024, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Flopsy, Fufu, Bibi, Bluebell and Bitsy were released onto that vast expanse. When we went to see how they were getting along, we found Peppermint Patty, an older donkey, had joined the 5 Amigos and taken up with AJ. So now we have 6 Amigos, wild, free, and protected for the rest of their lives. More about AJ
SPONSOR AJ:
De Niro
When we were rescuing the mustangs Redford and Eastwood from a filthy killpen in Texas, it came to our attention that two small donkeys were there with them. One was listed. The other was not as he had been paid for, but never picked up. Hauling donkeys in the dead of winter out of a kill pen is always a risk, but leaving them behind meant certain death. As soon as our wonderful hauler, Marlene Dodge, said yes to fitting them on board, we brought the two donkeys with the two mustangs to Skydog. They arrived sick and had to stay in quarantine for weeks. We were told they were wild and unhandled, but as is often the case, they were happy to be loved on and handled when it was offered with kindness and respect. In the tradition of Vinnie, we often name our donkeys, mules, burros, and hinnies after gangsters. In this case, as they were rescued with Redford and Eastwood, so we decided the names of great actors who have played gangsters would be fitting. These two are very bonded and can always be found grazing, grooming, and just loving being wild donkeys together. More about De Niro
SPONSOR DI NERO:
FIG
Born in Paisley Desert, Oregon, Fig was rounded up, adopted, and returned to the corrals by a trainer for being too wild to handle. When we first saw him, he was the saddest horse in the world, standing alone with his head hung low in defeat. He did not have any particular special needs medically, but spiritually his sadness was palpable. Fig had checked out and shut down. He had clearly lost the will to live in the barren dirt pen, where one day dragged into the next with no hope of anything good ever happening. We took him JUST to make him happy again, which is a special need in itself. In the fairy tale, the handsome prince revived Snow White from a sleep so deep that it resembled death. At Skydog, it was Snow White who brought her prince back to life for his happily ever after. When they arrived, they kept their distance and formed quite the bond. Fig was - and still is - besotted with her. They joined Sheldon’s herd, where Fig revealed his quiet power. None of the other horses have ever picked on him, but show him unparalleled respect. He is free to nibble the tops off his favorite oat grass in peace beside the fairest of them all, his Snow White. More about Fig
SPONSOR FIG:
Pacino
Pacino’s story is essentially the same as De Niro’s. Both are named after great actors who played gangsters. Both were rescued from a kill pen in Texas with two mustangs, Redford and Eastwood, and a third small donkey, Joe Pesci. Hauling donkeys in the dead of winter out of a kill pen is always a risk, but leaving them behind would have been a death sentence. As soon as our wonderful hauler, Marlene Dodge, announced they would all fit on board, we brought them to Skydog. Pacino was sick when he arrived and covered with lice. Both of them had to spend some weeks in quarantine. We were told they were wild and unhandled, but as is often the case, they welcomed love and kindness and let us put them in winter blankets. Once their health was restored, they were released and no longer need winter blankets. Their thick hair and the natural oil in their coats protects them from the cold. These two are very bonded and can always be found grazing, grooming, and just loving being wild donkeys together. If humans happen to show up, they will follow them absolutely everywhere asking for cuddles. More about Pacino
SPONSOR PACINO:
Paulie
Paulie is a love. He was one of four donkeys we rescued from a meat auction in California. When he first arrived, he was frightened, as they all were. If a human came close, they cowered for fear of being beaten. Today, he will let you pet him and even eat out of your hand. Paulie isn’t wild, but he isn’t tame either, as he’ll demonstrate if we ever need to put a halter on him. The two jennies he arrived with, Rosie and Red, have BLM brands, but Paulie wasn’t branded. This may very well mean he was to one of the jennies in captivity. He seems particularly bonded to Rosie and we often find him looking blissfully content with his head draped over her neck - or hers over his. More About Paulie
SPONSOR PAULIE:
RESCUED MUSTANGS
THERE ARE OVER 250 HORSES AND 50 DONKEYS HERE AT SKYDOG
Click on any of the photos to find out more or read their stories on our Then and Now Mustang Page.
RESCUED DONKEYS, MULES, ZONKEYS & ZEBRA
