Nearly 2 dozen donkeys attacked in Reche Canyon in IE; advocates believe attacks are intentional

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Animal advocates are growing increasingly concerned about the number of donkeys being attacked in Reche Canyon near Moreno Valley.

Photos collected by volunteers with the non-profit organization Donkeyland show multiple burros with gruesome injuries to their ears, faces and tails.

One photo from last September shows a burro shot with an arrow. Another, more recent photo shows a burro that was decapitated.

"It's horrible to have to hear that there's attacks almost happening every weekend now, and it's devastating," said Aiko Zane, a director at Donkeyland. "There's been 21 attacks, and there's only been three survivors. As a donkey lover and an animal lover, it's just absolutely heart-wrenching to have to see this."

One of the nearly two dozen donkeys injured over the past several months is being treated at SoCal Equine Hospital in Norco, where one doctor believes the animal was attacked by a dog.

"I've seen a lot of animal attacks before," said Dr. Juan Castellanos. "The way hers looks is very similar to a lot of dog attacks."

But Castellanos said, based on the location of the injuries to the ears and tail of the donkey, he believes the attack appears to be intentional.

"These donkeys are being attacked higher up on the body, a more dangerous location for the animal to attack," said Castellanos. "So it looks like there's some intent, like someone is telling them, or training them to do it like that. Your typical predatory animals would never go for areas like that. It would get themselves killed or hurt."

Advocates for the burros hosted a community meeting at Sandals Church in Riverside on Monday to discuss the problem.

"I think that if we can try and stop whoever is doing this, it's better for everyone involved, and especially the donkeys," said Zane. "We really want the public to be educated as to what's going on and how to help. My goal is to get the community fired up. There's a lot of people who are already are, but the more the better."