Miniature Donkey That Inspired ‘Donkey’ in Shrek Movies Dies at Age 30

Perry the donkey. Courtesy of Jenny Kiratli

Perry, the donkey that modeled for the character “Donkey” in the Shrek series, died on Jan. 2 in the San Francisco Bay Area at the age of 30.

Jenny Kiratli, a volunteer and lead handler for the nonprofit Barron Park Donkey Project, told The Epoch Times that Perry had a number of conditions and illnesses, including a pituitary gland disorder and arthritis.

“Then he had a nerve impingement that led to him not being able to use his left hind leg very well, so he lost a lot of muscle on that leg, and he was putting all his weight behind weight on his right hind leg. And because of that, he developed what was called support laminitis. And laminitis is just a terribly painful hoof condition,” said Kiratli.

In the last few weeks, Perry could hardly walk and was in constant in pain, she said. The prescribed pain medicine could not control the pain either, so the donkey was euthanized. A veterinarian and about a dozen volunteers, including Kiratli, were present when Perry was put down.

Born in 1994, the Jerusalem miniature donkey was originally from New York and brought to California at 3 years old to be a companion to polo ponies. However, it had the opposite effect after the donkey nipped at them. In 1997, Perry joined Barron Park Donkeys to live on its private pasture in Palo Alto, California.

Perry, whose full name is Pericles, was nicknamed “The Celebrity” after animators visited the pasture to observe Perry’s movements and gait. Dreamworks contracted a local animation company called Pacific Data Images to film and sketch the animal.

“We didn’t think of him as the Shrek donkey. He was just Perry to us. He was really playful. I think he was funny,” Kiratli said. “My husband always tells that he would come up behind him and nip him in the butt, and then my husband would turn around and look at him, and he was grinning.”

Kiratli has been working with Perry since she joined the project in 2016 and has many warm memories of the donkey.

“He had become very affectionate by the last few years, and certainly in this last year, he would just let me sort of hug him and hold his head and push into me. He let you know when he wanted something so when it was feeding time, he'd come and sort of ... steer you to the gate where the food shed is,” she said.

Since Perry died, Kiratli said she has been answering numerous phone calls and emails from around the world reaching out in support.

Memorial plans for Perry will be announced soon. The last memorial for a donkey was held outdoors at a park where the mayor and other volunteers spoke to commemorate the animal.

There are two other donkeys in the Barron Park Donkey Project, which is supported by donations: a male Jerusalem miniature donkey named Buddy and a female white miniature donkey named April.

(L-R) Donkeys April, Buddy, and Perry. Courtesy of Jenny Kiratli

Perry and Jenny Kiratli. Courtesy of Jenny Kiratli