Today we’d like to introduce you to Kym Garvey.
Hi Kym, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Save The Brays Donkey Rescue was an idea I had back in 2003/2004 after I received a little donkey who had been neglected. I had horses at the time and grew up with them. But after that first donkey, I heard about larger size donkeys (mammoth donkeys), that are often used for riding. Shortly after I purchased a riding pair I waived goodbye to horses! I just really connected with the donkeys and enjoyed their personalities and quiet demeanor. I did lots of research about donkeys during my search for a riding pair and for many years after (and still continue).
Working as a veterinary technician and volunteering for the mn federated humane society doing animal welfare checks and investigations, along with my research on “all things donkey” I really started to see the need for donkey-specific rescue. “We” tend to think of donkeys as “horses with long ears”, but they are not, and are their own species, with their own unique makeup and needs. In 2016 Save The Brays Donkey Rescue became a 501 (c)3 nonprofit. We now average between 50-55 donkeys and mules at the rescue at any given time. Our goal is to not only educate the public on all things donkey, but it is also to ultimately rehabilitate these animals that come into our care, give them basic training skills and find them permanently matched homes to love them the rest of their life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Any person in “the rescue world” will say rescue is not easy. Besides the financial struggle (we rely on the public’s generous donations as a means to continue doing “what we do”), trying to balance family life and events can be difficult, and missing out on things you maybe could do with your family if you didn’t have to put your extra cash towards caring for the animals.
Adding work in makes it even more of a challenge (I had to finally leave my full-time job fall of 2021). Having to turn down donkeys in need is extremely difficult, but there are times when “we” are just unable to help (lack of room, funding, shelter space, etc). The hardest, of course, is the loss of an animal. Especially we you are the one who has to make that decision for the animal. These “difficulties” listed, are by far the hardest for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
STBDR is Minnesota’s only nonprofit donkey rescue. We take donkeys in from all over, not just Minnesota. We often get animals that come from Wisconsin and other surrounding states and have several times from states further away. In the past year or so, most of our donkeys comes from “owner surrender” situations. This means we are contacted by an owner (or friend/family member) about a donkey(s) they can no longer care for.
The reasons for that vary greatly. We also, when we have room will attend auctions, which is a common place for people who have neglected donkeys, to bring them and “dump” them. 95% of the donkeys that come to us, come with (usually severe) hoof issues. We also take donkeys and mules from humane cases, where the authorities contact us and ask us to help care for the neglected animals. We very often get the question from public in a surprised form of “Donkeys need rescuing?” and my answer of course is YES just as any form of innocence does. People are usually surprised by the number of animals that are in our care. To date, we have helped 100s of donkeys and mules.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
STBDR couldn’t be where it was today, without the support of my family, both immediate and extended.
They have all made many sacrifices so that STBDR can be where it is today. Also, we have a great group of volunteers, with the number of animals here, there is ALWAYS “poop to be scooped”. Always hay nets to fill, and ALWAYS long ears that need lovin’. There also are many other areas of help needed, like office work, fundraising, events, etc.
We are extremely lucky to have a great regular veterinarian (Triple Oaks Equine, Dalbo Mn) Our vet is very willing to continually learn donkey specifics and offer us his knowledge and help. His wife, Wendie, also has gone above and beyond for the rescue. A long-time mentor and long-time Minnesota rescue (Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation) has been a place I have “looked up to” since before STBDR was even started. When needed, both our organizations work together to help the animals and support each other.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.savethebrays.org
- Instagram: @savethebrays
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savethebraysdonkeyrescue/
