Forever Home Donkey Rescue Helps Bucky Learn to Trust People

Beading Divas January/February fundraising partner is Forever Home Donkey Rescue & Sanctuary (FHDR) in Benson, AZ. Their mission is to help donkeys in need of rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming. For more info, visit: https://foreverhomedonkeyrescue.com/

A BLM donkey named Bucky arrived in September of 2023. He had fly damage sores on his face and needed hoof care. We were told this was all that was wrong with him. When we went to pick him up, we found that Bucky had a painful 4” diameter mass on his right front leg. The owner said that it did not hurt him, but Bucky’s demeanor said otherwise. We took Bucky directly to the Arizona Equine Surgery Center to have his leg looked at and have the mass removed. It took several of the staff to get him into the surgery center. Bucky was scared and in pain. He didn’t want anyone to mess with him. Once the mass was removed, we were able to bring him to the rescue. Bucky still didn’t like anyone touching him and would let you know by pushing you into the corral panels to get you away from him. We had a trainer work with him to help us earn his trust.

Now Bucky is one of the favorites at the rescue. We found he has a displaced eye lens, so he cannot see on his right side. We don’t know how this happened, but there is nothing we can do to fix it. He lets us groom, halter, and lead him. He allows the farrier to trim his hooves, but is a little touchy on the rears. He has made great progress since his first hoof trim where he took the farrier for a ride around the corral pen. Bucky will remain in sanctuary here at the rescue. He is in his late 20’s, and we hope to have him around for another 20 or so years. He is a great big lover and we love how he loves us!

You can help Forever Home Donkey Rescue & Sanctuary save other deserving animals like Bucky Nelson by purchasing one-of-a-kind, handcrafted Beading Divas bracelets. Cost per bracelet is $20. Bracelets make great gifts any time of year!

The best selection is online via Etsy but in Tucson you can also buy bracelets at Fuchsia Spa in La Encantada Shopping Center, and Silver Sea Jewelry in the historic 4th Avenue Shopping District (Silver Sea is open Tuesday-Sunday from noon-6pm.)