Family isn't horsing around about its donkey friends

In 1983, Bonnie Steenburgh hooked a horse trailer to the back of her vehicle and drove to Pennsylvania to meet new adopted members of her family: two young donkeys.

Twenty years later, Pedro and Petunia -- a little older, a little grayer and the parents of three colts -- enjoy life at Mrs. Steenburgh's Ephratah home. Afternoons find them stepping eagerly from their small barn through their yard to greet her and her bag of apples with a trademark "hee-haw."

From the other end of the property, machines belonging to the electrical and excavation contracting business she owns roar and turn. Her teenage son helps with the business; her teenage daughter pitches in around the house.

Those are the "two sides" of Mrs. Steenburgh's life, which she calls the "two families. It's been challenging at times and a little crazy, but very rewarding."

Burros to adopt

Mrs. Steenburgh had no experience caring for large animals or living in the country, but she had considered the possibility of including them in their future.

One day, she read in a local newspaper about a wild burro adoption program run by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. At that time, a population explosion of wild donkeys and horses was becoming a problem for farmers, so the bureau set up agencies to adopt the animals out to farms and families who could care for them.

"I liked the fact that you were saving animals," she said. She talked with vets, farriers and farm-owners, and "read, read, read."

Bible burros

Mrs. Steenburgh's donkeys are commonly known as "Bible burros," thanks to the dark cross traced in their fur over their shoulder blades and down their backs.

According to Mrs. Steenburgh, they are sturdy, sure-footed creatures that can do a great deal of hard work, but spook at strange sounds and unknown environments.

The donkeys have been stars in an Ephratah church's Christmas pageant, hee-haw for school groups and teachers, and take apples and carrots from the hands of visiting children.

Family time

The younger donkeys -- Taco, Packy and Sir-Prize (named for his unexpected birth) -- are approximately the same age as Mrs. Steenburgh's children: Molly, Jacob and Claire, who are 20, 18 and 16, respectively.

Over the years, the animals have devoured the fences around their pen, plants around the house, tree-branches and even 50 walnut trees the family had planted.

Donkey-mania

The adoption of Pedro and Petunia sparked a lifelong love affair for Mrs. Steenburgh.

Ceramic figurines of donkeys from cultures where the animal is or was an indispensable worker -- Japan, Mexico and South America -- dot her house. Paintings and pictures of the donkeys themselves hang on the walls.

When giving gifts to Mrs. Steenburgh and her husband Paul, friends often try to find something with "a donkey on it," she said.

Parish life

The family belongs to Holy Trinity parish in Johnstown, where Mrs. Steenburgh serves on the "spiritship" committee and Claire is involved with youth ministry. Both Jacob and Molly were altar servers.

Mrs. Steenburgh enjoys "bringing people together" to share time and talent with the parish; Claire likes being on the team that hosts retreats for younger members of the parish.

"I love sharing with the kids and helping them," said Claire, who plans on continuing to help with the retreat team after her Confirmation this year. "The kids are able to feel comfortable, open up and trust us, and express their feelings."

Relaxing time

Mrs. Steenburgh said that the donkeys give her and the family "great peace" when things get hectic.

"They are a stress-reliever," she noted. "They are creatures of God. I've had a lot of happy times with them. I can just sit with them and feel better. What I give to them in care, they give back to me tenfold. I enjoy just going down there and giving them treats, brushing them. They love to be loved; they love to be hugged; and they respond to nurturing.

"People say, 'They're a lot of work; why don't you just get rid of them?' I say, 'Would you give up your own children?' They're our family."

Hoof-notes

Mrs. Steenburgh rejects stories that donkeys are "stupid and ignorant" and notes that "they're very smart animals. They're just cautious. They want to make sure they know their boundaries."

Recently, the family "adopted" other donkeys: Bonnie and Nick, two burros who live at a shelter in Israel for unwanted and abused animals. Claire and her youth ministry team also pitched in last Christmas to adopt a burro named Lucy after Holy Trinity youth minister Lucy McHenry.

"Just giving them a lot of love" is "common sense," Mrs. Steenburgh said of the donkeys. "You communicate with the animals by loving them; they're just like kids."

(8/10/06) [[In-content Ad]]