SMOKE THE DONKEY by Cate Folsom… The story of one little donkey who stole the hearts of so many service men and women that they moved mountains to bring their friend to safety.

I think this one will warm your heart…

If you order this heartwarming book, please use Smile Amazon and list HORSE AND MAN INC as your charity. Thank you!

SO MANY HUMANS CAME TOGETHER TO SAVE ONE LITTLE BURRO WHO HAD HELPED THEIR HEARTS DURING WARTIME.

So often, we read horrible stories of how animals are unloved, neglected and abused by humans. In this story, SMOKE THE DONKEY by Cate Folsom, we see how many, many humans (spearheaded by Col. John Folsom) went above and beyond to do the remarkable – bring this mascot burro, who helped so many service men and women emotionally survive during wartime, to safety in the USA.

Think about it. In a time when most service animals are left in foreign countries and not brought back, here we have a donkey who was native to Iraq, yet he was so loved, and people pulled so hard to retrieve him, that Smoke was flown to the USA to be with the friends he aided.

Wow.

One of the guys made this honorary blanket for Smoke…

SUCH A TOUCHING STORY

What I loved was that the story is true… and that the author, Cate Folsom, spent so much time researching the story by interviewing as many of those touched by Smoke as possible. Shining the light off so many souls really tells the story completely. You hear and feel the love from several types of humans so that you as a reader, are elevated.

For me, to hear a gruff military officer try not to show his obvious adoration for the donkey while another serviceman didn’t say much but sent his men to build a corral for Smoke out of scrap wood… how everyone wanted to feed, walk, groom and care for Smoke… how pilots and people ‘with pull’ remembered the burro and assisted in his return… all these stories and experiences came together to lift this little soul thousands of miles from Iraq to the US – through all that red tape – successfully.

This story just fills you… it fills you to know that your fellow countrymen pulled off a huge feat – for a donkey they loved.

Although animals were not allowed on base, Folsom had Smoke designated as a service animal because he could see how having the little donkey uplifted morale.

Overnight, the guys made a corral for Smoke so he could be safely secured on base.

The soldiers loved their babysitting, exercising and feeding duties!

TO ORDER!

If you are able, please order through Smile.amazon.com and list Horse and Man, Inc as your charity. Or use the handy links for Smile Amazon at the bottom of this post or in the sidebar. All donations benefit the Drop in the Bucket Fund directly from Amazon! Thank you!