Felix

Felix is a gelded Donkey born in 2003. Felix and fellow donkey Leo arrived at SFC in November 2003 from a horrific animal abuse case. Both donkeys were severely emaciated and very near death. To increase their chances of survival, they lived for that entire first winter in a pen in Dawn and Margot’s heated garage. With lots of nursing and tender loving care, they pulled through but by then had developed an amazing bond with both Dawn and Margot. The barn was remodeled to add two more stalls and they now both live in that barn with the horse herd of Jeremy, Ginny, and Charlie. They are affectionately known as the donkey boys. And Felix especially can be heard all over the farm at dinner times.

Felix is incredibly sensitive and very caring. He also tends to be a bit hesitant at anything new. But once he gets used to something, he is very solid and dependable. For the first year that Felix was here, he suffered from horrible nightmares during the night. We had never experienced that with another horse or donkey before. He literally would start braying as if he was being killed and we’d run down to his stall to find him madly running in circles, terrified. When we’d come in to the stall, he’d stop running, and come up to us and bury his head in our chest and breathe deeply until the fear subsided and he knew he was safe once again. To see anyone carrying that much trauma, especially at such a young age, was heart wrenching. To know that this sensitive being went through all that is difficult. But to see him playing with his donkey body Leo and knowing that he no longer has nightmares and that he totally feels safe is immensely gratifying.

“I have my barn now. I have my farm now. It is my world. I watched many of my friends die when I was little and knew I was next. I couldn’t run away. But I don’t have to run away any more. It is like a dream that I woke up and realized the dream was real. I treasure each and every day.”

To Sponsor Felix: Sponsorships are $100 for one year. Click the Sponsor Me button above and be sure to write in “Felix Sponsor” in the Comments section on the form. You can go to our Sponsor Page for more information.