Exclusive: Cash the Donkey Was Rejected By His Mom, Now He's a Children's Book Star

Sara Weldon and her fiancé Rick, who have a small farm near Clermont, Florida, happened upon a mother donkey attacking her baby donkey shortly after giving birth to him. They rescued the sweet baby, who they named 'Cash' brought him inside their home, and nursed him to health.

Sara shared Cash's amazing story on social media and he became an instant sensation. Sara knew Cash’s story of resilience resonated with so many people. So they decided to share his story in the form of a book entitled Cash The Baby Donkey: A Story of Love and Resilience . ParadePets spoke with Sara about Cash and her new children's book.

ParadePets : When you first brought Cash inside, what were you most surprised about? How did you have to adapt your home for him?

I would say it was the realization that Rick and I were now in charge of keeping Cash alive, we became parents instantly. We had no clue what we were doing, we had never done this before. Thankfully we had a vet that was so willing to help guide us. In terms of adapting the house, we had to create a bottle station just like you would for a newborn. We knew he needed to sleep inside with us (both for his safety and comfort but also so we could keep up with the constant feedings) so we created a soft spot right next to our bed. We worked as a team those first few sleepless weeks, I would get up to prepare the bottle, Rick would take Cash outside to go to the bathroom and then we would both hold him as we fed him. This was every hour and a half for the first few weeks, needless to say we were zombies.

ParadePets : Is his mama the only other donkey you have and were you surprised his mama rejected him? Do you think there's potential for him going back outside since him and his mom are interacting through a fence?

At the time Cash was born, we had several other donkeys. We had two females, one of which was Cash’s Mom, Emma, Cash's Dad, Shrek and then even more crazy is we had just gotten two 6 month old baby donkey girls the week before Cash was born so I had lots of babies at once!

We were very surprised that his mom rejected him, she is our best donkey, so sweet and calm so we expected her to be the same as a mother. However the vet explained that it can happen, especially if the mother is young and it's her first baby. He explained it is similar to postpartum depression, the surge of hormones rushes through you and in the case of the donkey it caused her to go a bit crazy and feel that this little baby had just hurt her.

He already gets to spend time outside. He spends time with us walking around the farm or in the pasture behind our house with the two young female donkeys. One of which he has fallen in love with and a sweet relationship is blossoming. He does interact with his mother through the fence however we will not have them fully together until Cash is full grown and fixed.

ParadePets : Is there different care for an indoor donkey?

Absolutely! I get asked a lot about potty training. I haven't found it to be 100% possible however we have gotten good at reading Cash’s cues and knowing when he needs to go outside. We did worry that Cash would be “too human” after being with us so much, however with each day he enjoys spending more time with the young donkeys and I notice him picking up a few more of their behaviors. However, no matter what, Cash still looks to us as Mom and Dad and loves being inside, taking naps as we work, being a part of everything we do and of course drinking his bottle! If he feels he has gone too long without seeing us, he brays very loudly to ensure he lets us know he wants to come in and see us.

Parade Pets: What was your favorite part about writing the book? What do you hope people (and kids!) take away from it?

I loved watching the story come to life! It’s such a miraculous story and the way Vic created those incredible illustrations was just amazing. He captured each emotion on the animal's face. I could tell what they were thinking without reading the words. I had such fun narrating the book, it brought out the fun and the playful side of myself, I felt like a child again! As I would read each page I could see the story in my mind and I poured all of that emotion into every word.I hope this book gets people (adults and kids) to believe in miracles. Every aspect of Cash’s birth is a miracle, how we happened to find him at just the right moment, how we were able to provide him with the colostrum from his mother and also how he survived being run over.

The story also shows us all that our beginnings don’t define us, we all have a place we belong.

I know the concept of having a donkey indoors is a bit crazy, I never could have imagined this life! However I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love sharing Cash with the world and sharing the love he gives us so freely. In Cash’s short life (5 months) he has impacted thousands all over the world. I have people sending me messages that Cash is a source of hope in their life-they may be going thru death, divorce you name it and the one bright spot in their life is this little donkey that loves to run. In this time when all we hear is darkness, Cash is the light that we all need. Whether it's to remind you that miracles do exist or just to watch this beautiful creature so full of love for life, he impacts everyone. He truly is the little donkey that could.

This will sound corny, but Cash has also helped me in my day job as well. I’m president of a company called TruFinCo. We help small businesses and real estate entrepreneurs find alternative sources of funding. Many times we run into folks who don’t fit the mold for what banks are looking for in traditional businesses. Cash has helped remind me that everyone has a story to tell, and everyone has something to offer beyond what you might see at first glance.

You can order Cash The Baby Donkey: A Story of Love and Resilience here .

A portion of every book sale will go to Peaceful Pastures Donkey Rescue , a Missouri-based sanctuary that has taken in more than 450 donkeys who were abused, neglected, or malnourished.

“Donkeys are very smart, very loving, very misunderstood creatures,” Weldon said. “My hope is that Cash’s story will be educational and inspirational, and will also help support a great organization that is finding homes and creating homes for these beautiful animals.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.