Grandpa Cupid was a legend—one of the first fathers of all our local free-roaming wild burros. At an estimated 55–60 years old, he was the oldest wild burro in town, possibly the oldest in the world. He was the one every other burro respected, honored, and protected. A king among them, he even had a bodyguard of his very own, while in the wild. His name, Cupid, was born from tragedy and survival. Shot with an arrow in the wild, he wandered through town with it lodged in his side—barely able to walk, covered in blood, yet still alive. He survived that ordeal, only to face another when, months later, we received a call that he had fallen down a hill. On February 14, 2015, he came to the gates all by himself and we brought him in as an emergency rescue, and we gave him the lifelong care he needed. Grandpa Cupid lived life on his own terms, embodying the true spirit of freedom. Then one day while resting in our arms, he saw the light and peacefully passed away. Grandpa Cupid’s legacy lives on. He symbolizes freedom, courage, resilience, and the wild spirit that can never be broken. His echo continues in the hearts of hundreds of wild burros who still free-roam the hills today.

A Farewell from Grandpa Cupid

“Life isn’t about how I survived the storm,
it’s about how I danced my way through the rain—
right into your hearts.”

Once the king of the valley,
free-roaming the hillsides and meadows,
I came to the gates of DonkeyLand all by myself,
seeking care when I could no longer care for myself.
There, I spent my final days.

I am thankful I had a place to go—
a safe place to live out my life,
to lay my head down,
close my eyes,
and fly away when it was my time.

Thank you to my angels out there,

those who live near and others who are far away,
those who watched over me,
loved me,
and never forgot about me.

Today, God holds me in His arms.
I hope I will always live in your heart.
I am just on the other side of the rainbow,
and one day,
we will meet again.

With love,
Grandpa Cupid

Dear God,

He is yours. He is coming home. Is he there yet?

Thank you for sharing this precious soul with all of us. Today and forever, we will remember Grandpa Cupid, who captured our hearts. Selfishly, I wanted to keep him forever—but I know nothing is forever, and when it’s time, it’s time.

Thank you for waiting until my dad and I were with him, so he was not alone. Thank you for making the decision to call him home yourself and not allowing anyone else to decide if it was his time, because I would have always wondered, what if.

Thank you for trusting me with his life and allowing our paths to cross, even if it was only a year and about two weeks that we had the privilege and honor to help one of your most beautiful creatures I have ever met, and to comfort him in his final days.

I know one day I will see him again. Until then, please give him dessert every night, because that was his favorite time of the day.

God, sometimes I want to quit, because the hardest part is saying goodbye. But you know there is nothing I wouldn’t do for one of your precious, innocent creatures. Please continue to bring them to us, and we will continue to cherish, treasure, and help them—until it’s time to send them to you in heaven.

We honor Grandpa Cupid’s life by helping to protect and preserve the wild burro family he leaves behind.

I used to be his angel, and now he’s mine.

Love, Amber

founder of DonkeyLand