Leon Moves On

The first thing I must tell you is that Leon, the throwaway donkey that the Woman bought at auction, is now in his new home. He had his "brain surgery" and whilst recovering, he met the human of his dreams.

Unseen forces must be at work here because the thread that pulled his human to him was a thin but strong one. Sheila, who runs the sanctuary under PrimRose Donkey's guidance, found an injured Cooper's Hawk in the middle of the road one day. She bundled him up and took him to a nearby sanctuary that helps wildlife recover from various traumas. Helping out that day was a veterinarian who donates time whenever she can to giving medical assistance to the patients. There are two donkeys who live at the sanctuary and of whom this medical woman had grown most fond. Sheila arrived, bearing the towel-encased hawk, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The vet woman visited the sanctuary and was introduced to the residents. Her eyes met Leon's across the recovery paddock and that was that. The normally quite shy Leon rushed to her side and they proceeded to stare deeply into each other's eyes and to breathe deeply up each other's nostrils. They were mutually besotted. Plans were made for Leon to move to her house.

In preparation for the move, Sheila put the metal box on wheels in his paddock for a few days and placed food inside. Leon's three trailering experiences in his short life have not been happy ones and he firmly declined to enter. Sheila warned his new human that he might object strenuously to being moved. Enter the new Leon human with her rather posh wheels. Repeat deep breathing and mutual admiration exercise and cue Leon happily skipping up the ramp beside his new soul mate. Love apparently does conquer all.

He is blissfully ensconsed in his new home with three large draft horses who have become his boon companions. The new human took a week off work to strengthen their bond even further and Leon is feeling like a young emperor surveying his empire. I do like a happy ending.

A mere three months ago Leon was running loose beside a major highway, having been thrown out like so much trash by his worthless humans. He was captured, held at a livestock valuator's facility for several weeks and then put through the stress of a busy meat auction. No wonder he wasn't overly optimistic. With the help of an injured avian he found the path to the person and place he needs. Long may he rule over his new kingdom.