Donkeys:  Small-Scale Donkey Keeping, by Anita Gallion

As someone who has read several books about donkeys it is interesting to see what different books have to say about the practice of taking care of donkeys as pets (as well as of work animals).  And this particular book has some clear emphases that not all books have.  For one, the book is gorgeously photographed and a reader of this book would be able to definitely appreciate the beauty of donkeys here, and that is definitely a good thing.  The book is also clearly written from the point of the view of the United States, although it offers insights into the way that donkeys are viewed in other countries as well.  For example, the book offers a poignant discussion of the way that the taking care of donkeys in Ethiopia is of particular importance to women because the death of a donkey means the heavy work that donkeys do is then passed on to women, which is rather ungallant of the gentlemen of Ethiopia but not particularly surprising, unfortunately.  In the United States most donkeys are not asked to do any sort of heavy lifting or carrying except for the person who wants a ride, and so donkeys are treasured as clever and curious pets more than labor animals.

This book is a relatively short one at about 175 pages or so, and is divided into nine chapters with various other materials.  The book begins with an introduction on why donkeys, after which there are chapters on the basics about donkeys (especially as compared to horses) (1), as well as donkeys big and small (2).  There are chapters on how to choose and buy donkeys (3) as well as the ways that one houses and feeds donkeys, paying attention to avoiding doors into their barns that are in the prevailing direction of winds (4).  There is a chapter on donkey behavior and handling (5) that emphasizes the quirkiness of donkeys as well as their intellect, and then one on donkeys in sickness and in health (6).  Th author speaks about the breeding of donkeys (7), even spending an entire chapter on the breeding of mules (8), which is contrary to biblical ways, and then closes the main part of the book with a chapter on how owners of donkeys can make money (9).  After this the book closes with acknowledgements, an appendix on donkey afflictions, as well as a glossary, resources, photo credits, index, and some information about the author.

What is the appeal of the donkey as a pet?  Well, donkeys are cute, have practical uses for those who like riding and carrying carts, and are definitely the sort of animals it is easy to appreciate in terms of their personalities.  While I cannot say that donkeys are my favorite animals, they are certainly the sort of animal whose appeal I understand and which I appreciate.  If owning them would require a fair bit of land and a lot of care, something I don’t think I can provide at this point, it is a surprise that I haven’t known more people who have had donkeys given the sorts of animals that I have seen others take care of.  In my family we had an old horse but no donkeys, and a lot of animals that served practical purposes in terms of managing pests (like dogs and cats) or food animals (dairy and beef cattle).  The fact that this book is sanguine about making money with donkeys is quite interesting as well given the fact that not all books think it wise to appeal to the business interests of donkey owners or would-be owners.