Sassy, the beloved donkey, celebrated her 25th birthday on July 11 surrounded by her Elkus Ranch Research and Extension Center family in Half Moon Bay, with friends and fans lavishing her with attention and gifts.
“Sassy's birthday party was wonderful,” said Amy Bono, Elkus Ranch superintendent. “Lots of past field trip attendees and former summer campers and their families were in attendance.”
One girl brought Sassy a pink grooming brush as a birthday gift. Others brought her carrots, which she loved.
Outfitted in a multicolored party hat and a red sash that read, “It’s my birthday,” the party animal soaked up the love.
The 25-year-old miniature donkey is the most well-known and beloved of Elkus's friendly and well-loved residents, which includes horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens and cats.
“We had about 60 attendees at her party, and about half were children,” Bono said. “Some parents remembered Sassy from their own time as children visiting Elkus Ranch.”
The Elkus Ranch team offered games and other educational activities for attendees, including the classic birthday party game “pin the tail on the donkey.”
Partiers were invited to decorate old horseshoes to take home. “The horseshoes we used for crafts were donated, not used on our equids,” Bono said.
“We also had a station for participants to make a birthday card to hang up for Sassy and the classic, pin-the-tail-on-the-Sassy game where everyone won a prize, regardless of where their tail landed.”
During her party, Sassy was escorted by attendees to the picnic area to celebrate. While celebrants snacked on birthday cupcakes, Sassy munched on carrots, which are her favorite treat.
“Most of the kids who attended the event were former Elkus campers, as you can tell with their many tie-dyed t-shirts with different images on the front,” Bono said. “The images are different each summer camp season, so what kids are wearing depends on the year they attended camp here.”
Equine age-conversion charts, which also apply to donkeys, estimate that a donkey matures quickly in its early years, but ages much more gradually later in life, converting to roughly 2.5 human years for every year lived past the age of four.
“Because miniature donkeys typically live between 25 and 35 years, a 25-year-old is considered a senior or elderly equine, but not exceptionally old,” said Bono. “While some exceptionally well-cared-for individuals – like Sassy, we hope – can reach their 40s or even 50s.”
