KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Animal rescue groups are nothing new, but you may have never heard of the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue.
Thousands of wild burros have taken up residence in the Death Valley Park in California’s Mojave Desert, but the non-native species has damaged springs and vegetation, upsetting the natural ecosystem in competition for food.
The National Park Service recently announced a five-year partnership with Peaceful Valley, a privately funded preserve in San Angelo, Texas, to relocate 2,500 animals.
Peaceful Valley — which works with satellite adoption centers across the country, including one in Lawrence, to find homes for the displaced animals — is the nation’s largest nonprofit donkey rescue.
Rescued donkeys often have personalities more like dogs than horses — according to Mark and Amy Meyers, who run the preserve in Texas.
