Gail Heaney – The Queen of Fun And Her Miniature Donkey Entourage

Jack and Gail Heaney of Los Molinos have been raising registered miniature Mediterranean donkeys for 28 years. The donkeys have been Gail’s crowning glory, but she has worn many other crowns over the years and when Gail wants something, she rolls up her sleeves, puts on her work boots and makes it happen. For her there is always a singular goal in mind: “to have fun!”

Gail’s high energy level is fed by “doing.” She says, “My dad taught his children to be productive. He wanted us to know how to roof a house, pour concrete and many other practical skills.” One year the fun-loving Gail cut out 600 wooden bones with her bandsaw to build large skeletons for a late night treasure hunt in the walnut orchard.

Gail was a bonafide city girl when she followed her parents north from Los Angeles County in 1981. “I couldn’t believe how far I had to drive to get a hamburger!” she says. She soon got used to such minor inconveniences and told Jack, “I want farm animals!”

Jack Heaney with one of the miniature Mediterranean donkeys

The unofficial Pygmy Goat Queen

Gail settled on pygmy goats, which were rare in this area. She bought some in Clear Lake and then, over the next 25 years, she became the area’s unofficial Pygmy Goat Queen. Gail and her goats were very involved in 4H, visits to senior homes, parades and field trips. Gail also advocated for pygmy goats to have their own class at the Tehama County Fair.

Gail’s beloved goats had such a nice life that they were living past their expected lifespan. With help from local veterinarian, Dr. Wayne Merhoff, Gail had learned to handle almost every aspect of her goats’ care. One day Gail’s son commented, “I know why your goats live so long…they have no stress!” But pygmy goats often have difficult deliveries, with the babies becoming stuck in the birth canal. Gail eventually decided to raise a different animal, and when she saw miniature donkeys in a magazine, she told Jack, “I want donkeys!”

Miniature donkeys come home to stay

Gail set her heart on the adorable miniature Mediterranean donkeys—an old breed originating from Africa with an average height of around 33-34 inches  When Gail later told her dad about her plan to drive to Oregon and to invest in the pricey donkeys, he replied, “Have you slipped a gear? Do they have gold-plated hooves?” Gail said, “No. But they do have gold-plated hearts.” An uncle had passed away leaving Gail with enough money to buy donkeys and a hot tub. The hot tub is long gone but the donkeys came home to stay.

Gail’s dad rode along to Oregon and came home with two irresistible donkeys of his own. The new adventure gave Gail even more time with her dad during his last years. “He was the best dad in the world,” she says. He helped rake out the corrals every morning on “poop patrol” where the donkeys would lick his tennis shoes and untie the laces. He tried to outsmart them with velcro but it is hard to outsmart a donkey.

Sharing the fun of donkeys with others

Gail says the donkeys are as intelligent as humans, with an ability to reason that is often mistaken for stubbornness. For example, because donkeys have no depth perception they may stop when they see a shadow because they initially think that it is a hole. They have to reason through it. The donkeys are also gentle, kind, territorial, loyal, protective and easy to care for compared to other animals.

Gail starts halter training her foals when they are about three days old and uses a gentle method of instruction. She says, “Donkeys are natural biters because their moms bite them to train them. Then the babies bite back because it becomes a sign of affection, like a love bite. That is ok for donkeys because they have thick hides. With my foals I just gently pinch their noses and yell ‘no bite!’ This quickly teaches them that humans don’t appreciate the love bites.”

Gail loves to educate others about the donkeys and to share the joy. Gail hosts field trips for children from Head Start programs, schools and 4-H.

Gail has endless stories about all the animals she and Jack have raised, and the kids that have crossed their paths over the years. Many disadvantaged kids have spent time on the ranch helping in the animal care. It would be hard to discern if the animals served as the kid magnets or if it was Gail and Jack. Either way, kids needing love would just appear.

Always the queen of fun

After volunteering in a wide capacity for many years, Gail now says “no” once in a while. She remembers the first time she tried it out, “I received a phone call and was asked to take on a big project. Jack said, ‘Why not, you have about 15 minutes to spare.’ I told the woman ‘no,’ hung up the phone and just about hyperventilated. ‘No’ was new to me!” Slowing down also means more time to play Scrabble with her brother, who suffered a brain aneurysm…after he helps with the chores, of course!

Fun still tempts her and, once again, this last summer, Gail surprised Jack by saying, “I want to be in the parade!” Jack pulled through and didn’t let the high temperatures stop him. He and Gail donned their patriotic clothes and entered their donkeys in the Los Molinos Fourth of July Parade. They were all a bit wilted by the end but came home with a first place trophy.

Gail could not be the queen of all this fun without Jack, “I could not have done all this stuff in my life if I didn’t have him for support.” Jack even designed a fabulous website for Gail and you can learn so much more by visiting them there at Gail’s Mini-Donkey Ranch.