TLS Volunteer Newsletter
MARCH 2026
Hi Dorothea,
We are excited to bring you this month’s Longears Safehouse newsletter. Your dedication and passion are essential to our mission, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.
A Message from Dorothea
This is our first general newsletter from our new platform, Givebutter. Givebutter hosts our new donation campaign pages. We know some donors and customers have received security alerts in the past, and are pleased to offer Givebutter as a secure alternative. Givebutter donations do not carry fees, so your donation goes directly into our work (unless you add a tip for the platform). We have lots of ways to give, including a one-time gift to sponsor an animal for an entire year or become a regular Longears Patron.
Our second announcement is that this is our first general newsletter designed by our e-volunteer, Hannah. Hannah started volunteering for us last year. She is originally from New Mexico (where she learned about TLS), but since she now lives in Colorado, she volunteers virtually to handle some administrative work - like laying out this newsletter. We are super happy to have Hannah on our team! Please let her know how you like the newsletter's new design or if you have any ideas for improvement!
Hannah and her supervisor, Tinker Bell
Thank you for your support!
-Dorothea
New Arrivals in March
Funding has been tight this year. While we received several grants and many donations last year, we also saw an increase in intakes -- many of whom required expensive veterinary treatment, ultimately depleting our accounts. Still, we have already had 6 intakes this year (all in March!) who needed a safe place to land, though we've managed to offset the costs for 5 of them from the start.
Our first two intakes are two mini donkey geldings, Bert and Buster, who were surrendered from a home in the Las Vegas area.
Bert and Buster
Bert and Buster are currently at a foster home for rehabilitation and will then be adopted out to a new home with our third intake, another mini donkey gelding named Mr. Biggs, who was rescued separately by our foster. We are very grateful to Carlye for providing training, hoof care, feed, and dewormer to these three minis, who are all starting a new life under the protection of our adoption contracts.
They call him Mr. Biggs
Bert, Buster, and Mr. Biggs, who all received a thorough veterinary exam covered by their adoption fees, will be our 3rd, 4th, and 5th adoptions this year. Our first two were Marcela and Ascienta, who went to a home in Los Lunas.
Our fourth and fifth intakes are Gizmo and Charlie, two senior mules from Benson, AZ, who arrived on March 2. Gizmo is a 26-year-old pony mule with a mindset somewhere between a Shetland pony and a jackass.
Gizmo, with mischief on his mind
Charlie is a large former working mule, roughly the same age, who is good-natured but a little aloof at first.
Charlie
They both have had some hard times in their distant past, but here at our rescue, they can still have an eventful, interesting life. Their former owners support them through a monthly sponsorship, but they still could use additional sponsorships to cover their routine veterinary care.
There have already been quite a few exciting moments with these two newcomers! Soon after his arrival, little Gizmo became infatuated with our handsome horse Wyatt and began to work hard to join Wyatt’s herd.
Charlie, Gizmo, and Wyatt grab a snack together
The main obstacle was Roscoe, Wyatt’s dedicated companion, who was not inclined to let any additional equines mess with their sacred bond. But thanks to Gizmo’s persistence and Charlie’s cautious wooing, Roscoe eventually gave in and accepted the additions.
Roscoe and Charlie
With the arrival of Charlie and Gizmo, our herd of mules and hinnies has grown to 7.
Our sixth new arrival this year is little Kaiko. Kaiko has spent almost her entire life on a small farm in the village of Carnuel, NM. For most of her life, she lived with a herd of goats and chickens. Unfortunately, the goats were sold 4 years ago, and the chickens were also rehomed as Kaiko’s owner got older and needed to be cared for by his daughter in town.
Kaiko (left) stares at Pablo
Kaiko had never been halter-trained, had never seen a vet, had never been dewormed, and had never had her hooves done. She was fed alfalfa and grain and developed large fat pockets along her flanks and the crest of her neck, which caused the crest to tip over. Kaiko likely has some metabolic issues that need to be addressed; she will need her teeth and hooves done, and we’ll need to get her used to a halter and lead line.
Kaiko in Carnuel
Kaiko was always loved, but her family — like so many in older, rural farming communities — weren't aware of donkeys' core needs: preventative veterinary and farrier care, ground training, socialization, and enrichment. Your support makes it possible for us not just to care for donkeys like Kaiko, but also to raise awareness of the unique needs of donkeys. With your help, we continue to advocate for every donkey's natural right to a happy life in accordance with their species-specific needs and behaviors.
Kaiko
Since her arrival, we have started socializing Kaiko with some other senior donkeys who are nice to her. She has been dewormed and transitioned to free-choice Bermuda hay with a grass hay pellet/senior feed mash once a day. Though she is still a little shy with the other donkeys, Kaiko has responded well to everything, and she is extremely interested in meeting other donkeys like her. Kaiko is currently receiving some ground training so that she can be handled by the farrier and veterinarian. Please consider sponsoring Kaiko!
Kaiko and Chloe
Upcoming Events
We already have a number of events planned where you are invited to either actively participate or drop by to check out our merchandise and info flyers. Here are our planned events in April and May:
April Event: Annual Lazy Sunday Donkey Hike
When: April 12 (Sunday) at 11 a.m.
Where: 348 Goldmine Rd, Cerrillos, NM
What: This is a public event for donkey owners and enthusiasts. Everyone is invited to participate, whether you have donkeys or not; however, the number of participants is limited this year because the event starts and ends at Joyce's home. We will hike a roughly 2.5-mile trail with our donkeys, followed by tea & homemade cookies at Joyce’s. This is a great opportunity to get together, learn some more about donkeys, and meet some other donkey folks! We are planning to participate with our donkeys Chloe and Abigail, who are a bonded pair currently up for adoption.
Please RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot! You must RSVP by April 1st if you plan to attend, either by email to Dorothea at [email protected] or by text to Joyce at 505-490-5390. Only folks who have RSVPed can participate. If we have already reached our quota by the time you check in, you can always check out our events below - plus we will have more events in the fall!
RSVP by April 1st if you plan to attend!
RSVP by emailing [email protected] or texting Joyce at 505-490-5390
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May Event: Turquoise Trail Pack Burro Race & Art in the Park
When: May 2 (Saturday) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Cerrillos, NM
What: We plan to set up an info and vendor table with merchandise and flyers near the visitor center in Cerrillos during the Turquoise Trail races and the Art in the Park event. Everyone is invited to stop by, check out our merchandise, pick up a flyer or trading card, and chat with our volunteers about the work we do. Special perk: All merchandise is discounted if you buy it directly from us at an event or at our farm.
More details are available at NM Pack Burros Turquoise Trail Burro Race
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May Event: Camino de los Burros
When: May 10 (Sunday). Parade participants must arrive around 9 a.m., and the parade will run from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Where: Downtown Santa Fe
What: This is a fun little parade event in downtown Santa Fe, where some donkey enthusiasts gather in the parking near St Francis Cathedral, dressed up in 18th-century-ish gear (doesn’t have to be authentic), and walk their donkeys to and around the plaza and down Burro Alley to place a wreath at the burro statue there. The event honors the contributions donkeys have made to Santa Fe's history. TLS planning to bring at least one donkey (Jackson) and possibly more. There’s also a meet and greet with the public just after the parade.
If you don’t want to dress up in a period costume and walk in the parade, you can still come and cheer us on or take some pictures or videos!
If you're considering participating in Camino de los Burros with your donkey(s), please contact Jackie at [email protected]. A pdf file of the rules for participating in this event is attached to this newsletter email, and you can also get more info from Jackie. If you decide to participate after reading the rules, you must RSVP by May 3!
"Knowing I Am Loved"
We shared Jackson’s story in our September 2024 newsletter. Jackson arrived from Española in 2019 after having been accused of attacking a person. He was almost put down, but Jackson was fortunate to have a few human friends who did what they could to help him. One of them was Marcia.
When Marcia first met Jackson, the worst part of his life was behind him, but he was still lonely. That was why Jackson appreciated that Marcia would come and spend time with him, bring some treats, and show him love. Marcia's presence enriched him, and he looked forward to her regular visits. But for Marcia, Jackson was important, too.
Once Longears Safehouse received Jackson, Marcia came to visit him again to see how he was doing. Age and health issues made it difficult for her to drive so far. She thought he seemed happy, but he also seemed a bit worried about her presence, as if he was worried she might take him back to his former life. It did not matter to Marcia. What mattered to her was that Jackson felt safe and loved, and that he no longer needed her visits.
Marcia never forgot about Jackson. She stayed in touch. She followed our newsletters. She was planning to visit again, but health issues interfered. She eventually decided to draw and donate his portrait, but life interfered again, and it took her a long time to finish the work. Recently, a flat package arrived that included the finished portrait, framed and behind glass. There was also a card in the package that said Marcia was moving to Kansas to be near family. The portrait has the title: "Knowing I am loved", featuring Jackson's name.
"Knowing I Am Loved: Jackson"
We are hugely honored to receive this incredible gift from Marcia. Her and Jackson’s lives touched for a short time, and yet it meant so much to both. As an organization, we have an obligation not just to the animals we rescue, but also to the humans whose hearts they touched and who helped them when we could not. We have hung up the portrait where everyone can see it, and we promise that we will stay in touch with Marcia.
Jackson is not available for adoption, but we'd love for you to read more about Jackson's story and background, and even consider sponsoring Jackson. You can meet Jackson in person during a ranch tour here or by coming to cheer us on at Camino de los Burros on May 10 in Santa Fe.
Thank you again for your support. Your help makes a daily difference for the animals in our care.
The Longears Safehouse
The Longears Safehouse is a 501c3 federally recognized non-profit organization (EIN # 46-0907101), and all donations are tax-deductible. © All rights reserved.
The Longears Safehouse, PO Box 993, Estancia, NM 87016
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