Patience, communication and love help donkeys thrive in New Oxford
By Alex J. Hayes | Photography by Casey Martin
On a 100-acre farm near New Oxford, complete with rolling hills and beautiful views, Valerie Lowe and Cheryl Pokorny let their pack of more than 130 miniature donkeys set the pace. The couple’s patience and love for the often-forgotten equines has led to a harmonious lifestyle filled with mutual admiration.
“They are the kindest, sweetest animals — and so smart,” says Cheryl. “Donkeys aren’t stubborn; people are impatient.”
Little Longears Miniature Donkey Rescue began 10 years ago in Westminster, Maryland, as an unexpected lifestyle change.
Three years earlier, Valerie became burned out from the fast-paced life of a horse rider, trainer and teacher. She’d spent two decades touring the country with a job she loved, but the speed became exhausting. She hit the reset button, married Cheryl and earned her real estate license.
The newlyweds moved to a farm in Westminster with a few horses and decided they needed companions. Donkeys Nestor and Sassafras joined the family, and Valerie and Cheryl began a deep dive into proper donkey care. They quickly learned donkeys and horses don’t have the same needs. They also discovered their desire for understanding donkey behavior is rare.
During their research, they found that donkeys are the most neglected equine, overbred and sold to those unfamiliar with the care they require. Many have not been fed properly and have hooves that have not been trimmed in years. Some people buy these animals with good intentions but fail to realize they live approximately 20 to 30 years, aging along with their owner.
Many believe donkeys are stubborn or mean because they don’t always move as soon as a human commands, Cheryl explains. But donkeys prefer to explore an area, ensure it is safe and tread lightly. Adamant humans want to set the pace by pulling the animal, and they often receive a kick in response.
Cheryl and Valerie don’t place blame, but instead understand there’s a way to avoid that harsh reaction. Valerie and Cheryl take the time to understand a donkey’s personality and explore the best ways to communicate with it.
After adopting Nestor and Sassafras, their animal-loving hearts had room for more. Little Longears Miniature Donkey Rescue opened in 2013 and quickly outgrew the 15-acre farm in Westminster, prompting the move to the New Oxford countryside
in 2021.
The new location features five barns that house a visitor center, business office, medical treatment room, grooming area and wash bay. Each barn is large, open, bedded with straw and employs giant fans to keep the donkeys cool in summer. Large, sandy paddocks give the donkeys space to play and run, while grassy pastures are used for grazing … and more play.
The New Oxford farm allowed the couple care for more than twice the number of donkeys — but that doesn’t mean each donkey is not getting as much love as it did before.
As Cheryl, Valerie and their 10 staff members care for the donkeys, they greet each by name. They know that donkey’s story, its personality and its ailments. They treat the donkeys well, but also pay close attention to how they treat each other.
“Every new animal that comes
here gets a stall, run and pen. They are very slowly integrated with the herd,” says Valerie.
That step is important because many of the donkeys that arrive at Little Longears carry emotional baggage. They are scarred from a life of neglect, but here, hard hearts heal quickly. Valerie and Cheryl show the donkeys love, and the new arrivals soon join the rest of the pack. The donkeys tend to break into smaller tribes that coexist within the larger pack.
The couple’s love for donkeys runs deep, but they realistically only have so much capacity for care. The rescue’s other focus, donkey education, allows the couple to expand the world of donkey love.
About once a week, they host clinics to educate individuals on how to care for donkeys and how to evaluate veterinarians. For those unable to travel to New Oxford, the organization’s website includes extensive articles on hoof care, dental care, donkey obesity and why it is inappropriate to use donkeys as livestock guardians.
“They want to live with other donkeys and play and roughhouse with each other. They rely on each other for protection and companionship,” according to an article on their website. “When donkeys are together, they take turns looking after each other so that one can sleep. When a donkey is alone, it never truly rests.”
The donkeys housed at Little Longears have many supporters beyond Cheryl, Valerie and their staff. Donors from across the country financially support the 501(c)3 non-profit organization so it can cover its $60,000-a-month expenses. Those who prefer to give in-kind items supply the farm with hay pillows or gifts from the rescue’s Amazon and Chewy wish lists.
With the holidays approaching, purchasing a T-shirt that boasts “I kissed a little ass at Little Longears Miniature Donkey Rescue” is one way to support the operation while giving a gift with tongue-in-cheek humor.
Another way to show some donkey love is by spreading the word about proper donkey care and purpose. Cheryl and Valerie’s animals bring them happiness, and they want others to smile as much as they do.
“Donkeys are so sweet,” says Valerie. “They are just fantastic.”
Little Longears Miniature Donkey Rescue
1079 Turkey Pit Road, New Oxford
601-454-5956
2 Comments
What are the names of the Donkeys in the article? They all have names and did not get credit! Great article and awesome place I recommend people to go visit and see the amazing work that Valerie and Cherly are doing.
Great Article, but what are the Donkeys names in the pictures? I recommend people to go visit or donate to Little Longears. It is amazing place and the work the Valerie and Chery do goes beyond words.