On Good Friday, 2002, amidst the chaos of a large Indiana horse auction, a small, crippled, and very old donkey stood trembling in the kill pen. His name was Shaggy, though no one there cared to call him by it. He was dirty, frail, and scared, trying desperately to avoid the massive draft horses that shared his fate.

He had once been loved—well-trained, gentle, and trusting—but now, he was abandoned. Sold for a mere $31, left to die unnoticed and unwanted.

But that wasn’t going to be his ending.

On that miserable day, Sharon Windsor saw him—and she couldn’t let his story end in that filthy, overcrowded pen. She bought him, not for the promise of a long future, but simply to give him the dignity of a peaceful and humane passing.

A Final Goodbye, Full of Love

For four months, Shaggy lived on Sharon’s farm. He knew safety, kindness, and a quiet place to call home. Then, one Friday—exactly four months to the day since he had been rescued—it was time to say goodbye.

Sharon had stepped out for just 30 minutes. When she returned, Shaggy was lying on his side, waiting. She knelt beside him, and as if knowing he was finally safe, he rested his head in her lap and quietly passed away.

“Thanks for waiting for me, old friend. I didn’t want you to be alone.”

From One Rescue to Many

That one donkey changed everything.

The moment Sharon pulled Shaggy from that horrific kill pen, she knew there would always be room on her farm and in her heart for rescue donkeys.

Today, because of him, Turning Pointe Donkey Rescue exists—giving discarded, abandoned, and sometimes abused donkeys a second chance.

🛑 Most people don’t realize what happens to donkeys at auctions. They assume families come to buy them, but the truth is much darker. Many end up in kill pens, awaiting a fate they don’t deserve. Donkeys are not disposable. They are intelligent, affectionate, and deeply trusting creatures—until humans teach them otherwise.

But because of Shaggy’s story, more donkeys have been saved.

At Turning Pointe Donkey Rescue, we work to ensure that no donkey suffers the way he did—that they find loving homes, proper care, and the grace of passing with dignity, surrounded by those who love them.

🐴 You can be part of this mission. Help us rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome donkeys in need. Donate today and change a life.