This sweet home from Arizona has a donkey bringing lots of joy and love to his owners.
Meet Walter – a little donkey who lives with his mom, dad, and three German Shepherds. Growing up around a bunch of dogs, it isn’t surprising that Walter has picked up some of their canine habits. But no matter what his personality is, his parents love him just the way he is.
Walter was just a baby when Kelly and Brad Blake adopted him into their sweet home in Oatman, Arizona.
“We have wild burros that roam the town,” Brad told The Dodo. “Walter’s mama rejected him because she was too young. The Bureau of Land Management and town locals tried for 10 hours to get Walter’s mama to take to him. Nothing was working, so we were called and asked if we would like to adopt him. Of course, we said yes!”
The decision to adopt the donkey added so much happiness to the Blakes’ lives. The moment they showed him affection, an instant connection was made between Walter and his new parents – especially with his dad.
It didn’t take long before he adjusted to life in a home that was filled with dogs and two loving carers.
Walter used to be sickly, but now, he has grown to be 150 pounds. He lives in the Blakes’ sweet home as if he were one of their big dogs.
The couple noticed that whenever Walter needs a helping hand, his canine siblings are always there to demonstrate to him how things are done.
“We have three German shepherds and they all took to baby Walter from day one,” Brad said. “They have helped us raise him and teach him house manners.”
The dogs had a great influence on how Walter behaved. He acts like a pup when he’s excited and he also sleeps like one. But Walter’s dog-like character really shows whenever Brad returns home from a business trip.
As soon as Walter sees his dad, he comes running towards him and wags his cute little tail. He hops around Brad and nuzzles him, showing him how much he missed him while he was gone.
“Walter acts as though he is a dog,” Brad said. “He wags his tail and gets excited when we come home. He hops and brushes his body against me to love on him. He even lays on the couch next to me for naps.”
If you see Walter in person, you might think that he’s a dog trapped inside a donkey’s body!
“Every night we all go on our walk into the desert for exercise and Walter runs around with our shepherds as though he is one of the pack,” Brad shared.
Brad and Kelly also help their donkey become a valuable member of the community. He works with several charities and he also volunteers as an emotional support donkey.
Because of his adorable look and personality, Walter has earned legions of fans on Facebook, and his parents make sure to keep them up-to-date on his latest adventures. They feel so proud that because of Walter, their little town has been getting a lot of attention.
“We never imagined how much Walter would change our lives for the better,” Brad said.
Watch the video below to see how Walter reacts whenever his dad comes home.
What a precious relationship between a man and an animal! Brad is very lucky to have this level of connection with Walter – it is really something that must be cherished!