Perry, a playful and feisty miniature donkey, was euthanized at age 30 on Jan. 2 after a long battle with laminitis, a painful hoof disease, according to Jenny Kiratli, a volunteer at Bol Park in Palo Alto.
Known as the inspiration for the character Donkey, voiced my comedy legend Eddie Murphy in the 2001 animated classic “Shrek,” Perry was a beloved staple in the Palo Alto community, remembered for his colorful personality and strong-willed charm.
“He was in a lot of pain and didn’t show it,” Kiratli said in a phone interview with the Bay Area News Group. “He was feisty, strong-willed, and great with people. He was also a bit of a trickster — he’d sneak up on my husband.”
Perry arrived at Bol Park in 1997 and spent much of his life alongside Miner Forty Niner, another cherished donkey who passed away in 2016.
He leaves behind two donkey companions, April and Buddy.
“They had some time with Perry’s body so they would understand,” Kiratli said. “It’s not good to take an animal away and euthanize it elsewhere; they would keep searching for him otherwise.”
While some visitors may have known he was the inspiration for Donkey, others have been shocked to find a modest donkey stable in the heart of Silicon Valley.
“Social media boosted his celebrity in recent years,” Kiratli said. “But many visitors are simply surprised to discover a place where you can visit donkeys in Palo Alto.”
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According to the Barron Park Donkey Project’s website, Perry was originally brought to California as a calming influence for polo ponies at a private ranch. However, his mischievous nature led to a new home in Barron Park.
“Instead of calming them, he nipped at them!” the website states.
In his later years, Perry faced mobility challenges, but it did not stop people from visiting. Staff and veterinarians tried various treatments to ease his pain, but health challenges persisted.
“I’ll miss his soulful eyes,” Kiratli said. “He had the sweetest face, with big eyes and long, soft ears. It felt like he was looking right into you.”
Palo Alto Councilmember Greer Stone expressed the community’s loss in a statement.
“Today, we mourn the passing of Perry, a beloved member of our community whose legacy will endure in the hearts of all who knew him,” Stone said. “Perry brought people together through his playful spirit and charm, touching lives here in Palo Alto and around the world as the inspiration for Donkey in ‘Shrek.’”
Rex Grignon, a former lead animator at DreamWorks, recalled visiting the park with colleagues to study Perry’s movements for the film and to draw real donkeys in person.
“It’s standard practice in animation to observe animals in their environment to capture their movement,” Grignon said. “It just so happened that the donkeys were nearby, and my wife mentioned them.”
Grignon stayed in touch with the sanctuary over the years and learned of Perry’s death over the weekend.
“That’s been his claim to fame. If it helps bring donations to the sanctuary, that’s a wonderful thing,” he said.
Despite his influence, Perry was never officially credited in the film.
According to a New Yorker article, a group of Stanford University law students once lobbied DreamWorks to recognize Perry. They also reached out to Murphy, who once played Dr. Dolittle, a veterinarian able to speak to animals, in hopes that he could help Perry gain recognition in the film.
“Donkey in ‘Shrek’ not only looks like Perry but shares his temperament, behavior, and mannerisms,” the students wrote in a letter to Murphy last year.
It is uncertain whether Murphy ever received the letter, and despite attempts to contact him, the actor did not visit the sanctuary.
Kiratli hopes Perry’s passing highlights the importance of caring for donkeys.
“Our motto is, ‘Any day with donkeys is a good day,’” she said. “Many people tell me they visit because it simply feels good to be around them.”
For those who wish to visit or support the care of the remaining donkeys, visit the organization’s website at barronparkdonkeys.org.
