In this March 2025 photo provided Oregon Donkey Sanctuary founder Jim and Rhonda Urquhart, a volunteer feeds some of the donkeys at the sanctuary. The Oregon City nonprofit nurtures abused and donkeys with special needs, providing visitors a tranquil space to spend time with them, with the help of 160 volunteers.
Courtesy Oregon Donkey Sanctuary
When you think of a donkey, you might think of some stubborn, more dangerous version of a horse. But the couple that runs the state’s only donkey sanctuary in Oregon City say, if so, you’d be dead wrong. The myths and folklore about these animals is one reason they need special care in the first place. Jim and Rhonda Urquhart formally incorporated their nonprofit five years ago, but the sanctuary has been growing since they took in their first donkey in 2010. They now have 160 volunteers who facilitate visits from the public to spend peaceful time with the donkeys. The Urquharts say educating people about donkeys and creating the space for them to spend time with the animals has become an integral part of their mission. We’ll sit down with the couple to learn more about the Oregon Donkey Sanctuary — and how people respond to these donkeys, which they say are actually more like dogs than horses.
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