Donkeys lost jobs – Ranchers used them to guard their herds

With pastures withered from a lingering drought, farmers in Texas and northwest Louisiana have abandoned donkeys by the hundreds, turning them into wandering refugees that have severely tested animal rescue groups. A rescue group said since March 2011, it has taken in nearly 800 donkeys abandoned in Texas, where ranchers mainly used the animals to guard their herds. Many of the cattle and goats have been sold off. Donkeys are instinctively hostile to dogs and their cousins: wolves and coyotes. They will bray, bare their teeth, run and chase, and attempt to bite and kick an intruder. More