Meet BRAY Burros Rock Arizona & Yonder | Educational 501c(3) non-profit

We had the good fortune of connecting with BRAY Burros Rock Arizona & Yonder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi BRAY, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Burros Rock Arizona & Yonder (BRAY) is an educational 501c(3) non-profit that began when we found that there was both a lack of information regarding the care, keeping, and training of donkeys – specific to the desert/southwest and lack of donkey-specific activities (donkeys are often not included at horse events). Historically donkeys have been used in the southwest (mining, packing, etc) but there has been a recent surge in their popularity as pets, which has created a growing need for education. Additionally there is a large number of donkey owners (and prospective owners) that enjoy getting together and participating in donkey centric activities with like-minded individuals. We began to answer the question “So what do you do with donkeys?” by creating educational events, meetups, welfare clinics, and enrichment opportunities.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As we began to grow as an organization we realized what a valuable and unique niche we were filling. All too often donkeys are exploited as the fool, there is a cultural misunderstanding around donkeys that places them as a “low value animal.” We seek to change that through education, teaching people how to put donkey welfare first and educating the public on the fact that they are highly intelligent animals: worthy of the time, effort, and expense that it takes to include them in your lives in an enriching manner for both the donkeys and those interacting with them. In every event we host we make mindful decisions to further our mission statement of “to advocate, showcase, promote, and educate about Equus Asinus (donkey) and hybrids,” this includes educational safety meetings prior to every event, always having a qualified equine veterinarian on hand (with a specialization in donkeys), and have training resources with an emphasis on positive reinforcement and non confrontational training that takes into account the intelligence and emotional needs of the animal. We try to keep a keen awareness of the possibility of exploitation that is inherent to all animal events; we are constantly re-evaluating our rules, consulting with veterinarians, and continuing to further our own education so that the animal’s well being is always put first and we don’t encounter a situation where the animals are being exploited, having a bad day, or put into a position that could be physically or mentally detrimental to them.

Even with such a great need for education we have encountered resistance from established members of the donkey community. Historically donkeys are undervalued animals and there have been very loud voices within the community who insist having a higher standard of welfare than what has been seen in recent history is somehow incorrect. Those same community members argue that the standard of care should be lower than what BRAY believes we should be striving to achieve. There has been repeated insistence that these higher levels of care and welfare are not only unnecessary but in fact incorrect. Our second biggest uphill battle has been counteracting the incorrect published information, such as “donkeys make great livestock guardians and companions” or “the care of donkeys is significantly less than that of a horse.” Donkeys need the same basic as any equine, horse or mule, which includes regular vaccines, dental care, hoof care/trims, and quality feed (too often you’ll hear that donkeys can eat poor-quality or moldy hay but that isn’t true, they need quality hay that is low in nutritional value). Donkeys are prey animals and just as susceptible to attacks on livestock as the livestock they’re supposed to be guarding and not every donkey gets along with other livestock. More often than not donkeys will attack goats, sheep, dogs, and other smaller animals.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you’re coming to Arizona then you absolutely need to come to a BRAY event! In Superior we have the “BRAY Superior Jackass Dash” (this year it is October 14th) which includes a burro race, Burro Bar-nanza (a pub crawl down Main Street – make sure to stop at Bruzzi Tasting Room for Arizona grown and produced wines), and shopping extravaganza. Bella’s Cafe on Main Street offers delightful snacks/light meals and home décor, Random Boutique has the best clothing, All Things Desert has some of the best art, and Picket Post Antiques collects vintage burro memorabilia all year just for the event. In Apache Junction we have the historical (started in 1958) BRAY Apache Junction Burro Derby (February 4th, 2024). There are spectacular views of the Superstition Mountains and local food truck fair. The Apache Junction Parks & Rec department hosts a ton of activities throughout the year that are 100% worth checking out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would like to give our shoutout to the equine veterinarians in Arizona who both work with the animals and their owners and BRAY, so that we can present the most up to date and accurate information and help donkeys live their longest and most fulfilling lives possible.

Website: https://www.bray.club/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brayclub/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brayclub

Image Credits
BRAY Atlasphotography.org Laura McClure