Oscar’s Place Wine country donkey rescue, rehab sanctuary, helps save Napa winery equine
R AC H E L R A S K I N ZRIHEN
Ron King with Red.
40 | INSIDE NAPA VALLEY
Submitted photo
Ron King, former Time, Inc., Senior VP, says he’s traded life in the fast lane for the world of donkey rescue, and it’s a lucky thing for Buttercup, the donkey at Napa’s ADAMVS winery, who might have died otherwise. King, 52, who has worked on Style, Essence, Sunset and Southern magazines, said at about the time he retired from media, several unexpected stars aligned and he found himself with the desire and the wherewithal to rescue donkeys which would otherwise be slaughtered for their hides. “Two things happened serendipitously,” he said. “I was helping sell a piece of property in Hopland – 45 miles north of Santa Rosa – for the owner. When I moved here, I found it a beautiful place, and at about the same time, I read an article about the rate at which donkeys were being slaughtered for this popular Chinese (medicine – ejiao).” Websites on the issue say in the past decade or so, the growing popularity of ejiao, which supposedly treats anemia, reproductive issues and insomnia, has led to the destruction of millions of donkeys. Though its curative properties are unproven, according to NPR.com, it is nevertheless an ingredient in tonics and face creams to the tune of millions of dollars and about four million dead donkeys annually. Then, King said he saw a story on Tik Tok about a woman who was rescuing donkeys. “She was going to auctions and outbidding the others, but had no place to take (the donkeys),” he said. “Both these things happened in the same
SUMMER/FALL 2021
