Only Donkey Rescue in Minnesota Going the Extra Mile

BARNUM, Minn. – Minnesota is home to many animal rescues.

But one in Barnum is going the extra mile to exclusively to save the lives of donkeys.

Save the Brays, the only donkey rescue in Minnesota, has been rescuing donkeys and mules for more than ten years to hopefully give them a new lease on life.

Donkeys has always been a passion for Kym Garvey, the founder of Save the Brays.

So it came naturally for her to fall in love with the animal.

“Missy Daisy here, she has been with us going on three years. She came with a group of nine. I kind of fell in love with her. She is permanently here. I don’t like to pick favorites, but if I had to choose it would be Daisy,” said Kym Garvey.

In 2007, Kym took in here first rescue after years of noticing donkeys being neglected.

“Of course disappointing. It just tears at your heart,” said Garvey.

Since becoming a non–profit in 2016, Save the Brays has rescued and adopted out over 100 donkeys.

“Getting those updated pictures from adoptees and stuff with the donkeys, and them telling me how good they are doing and that really hits my heart. That makes it all worthwhile,” said Garvey.

The rescue is now home for 30 lucky donkeys.

But the day to day routine is no easy task.

“Our morning starts pretty early doing chores,” said Garvey.

“We kind of go through the pens feed everybody, check everybody out and make sure everybody is okay.”

Thanks to support from her family Garvey gets the help she needs to keep doing what truly makes her happy.

Kym’s son Josh is the littlest helper.

“Usually I like to help deliver hay with my mom and scoop the poop that gets in here,” said Josh Wilson.

He says he would rather spend his days helping the donkeys than doing things other kids normally do.

“Most kids don’t really get to do this stuff and then I have something to tell my friends,” said Wilson.

Garvey says a lot of the donkeys that she rescues come with challenges.

But Save the Brays does not receive any government funding to help provide a better life for these social animals.

The non–profit has to rely on other streams of income.

Unfortunately, adoptions also have been low for the year.

“My husband works lots of overtime,” said Garvey. “We’ve had to pull more financially ourselves.”

Low adoptions means no room to bring in more rescues.

Garvey said “I have recently had to turn down a pretty good number of donkeys just because I don’t have the extra room right now. We have so many that need to be adopted out.”

But through all the struggles, Save the Brays is working to find the perfect home for every donkey.

Even if that means having a happy life at the rescue.

Save the Brays rescue survives off of donations.

Click here for more information on how you can help.