The drought that's hit Texas has affected everything from crops to water supplies for cities and now there's word of a severe abandonment situation for donkeys. This report shows hundreds of the animals in Texas and Louisiana that guard the herds of cattle and goats have been left abandoned as farmers are forced to sell off those herds. The donkeys have an instinctively hostile quality toward dogs and their cousins, wolves and coyotes so make great herd guards

Mark Meyers, Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue Executive Director has seen donkey abandonment numbers increase daily, "Last week I spent two days on the road and got 20 donkeys each day." He says his group normally takes in about 400 donkeys a year. This year they've accepted nearly 800! "People just turn 'em out on the highway. The sheriff's department makes me go catch them and then I get stuck with them."

Because of the aggressive nature of the male donkeys, they are harder to place than the females. And the physiology of the donkey makes them more expensive to castrate than horses. The rescue group continues the upkeep, with costly feed and shelter of these animals left to fend for themselves.

Pray for rain and hopefully during 2012 the drought will ease and ranchers get back to bigger herds, because as the drought continues, so does donkey abandonment. If you're looking for a charity to latch on to you might consider one of the animal rescue groups. They seem to be in a category that gets overlooked most times.

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