Nora Conlin, 11, of Boothbay has always wanted a pet she could groom and ride, and on Dec. 14 that dream was realized. A pair of donkeys from Exeter arrived at her Adams Pond Road home for her to care for.

Conlin now starts her days caring for the mother and daughter donkey duo. The mother is Clementine, who is between 8 and 10 years old, and her daughter, Biscuit, who was born eight months ago. Each morning, Conlin heads for the donkeys’ stall with a pitchfork in hand. She checks the animals’ water supply and cleans out the stall. After she eats breakfast, she returns to clean and groom the animals.

She has plenty of experience caring for animals. She worked at a local barn where she cared for horses. Her love of donkeys and horses grew during a trip to DEW Haven, a non-profit home for domestic and exotic wild animals in Mount Vernon.

Prior to the donkeys’ arrival, Conlin researched how to care for the breed. “I read every book about donkeys,” she said. “I really like them and thought they’d be really fun to play with and groom.”

The next step in acquiring donkeys was asking mom for approval. Nora’s mother, Eve Jamieson, knew her daughter would do a good job caring for the donkeys, but she wasn’t sure town officials would allow a large, four-legged hoofed animal to live on the property. The family’s home is in close proximity to Adams Pond which serves as one of the Boothbay Region Water District’s two main supplies.

Jamieson remembered a similar discussion with BRWD Superintendent Jon Ziegra about raising guinea hens on the property.

“He told me no problem and that he was afraid we’re asking about something big like horses,” she said.

Last fall, Jamieson and Conlin approached Ziegra about donkeys. The superintendent didn’t have a concern about the family having a donkey, but he made two recommendations. One was to seek planning board approval, and the second was to raise more than one donkey.

“He told us donkeys were pack animals and it would be best to have more than one. So that’s how we ended up with two,” Jamieson said.

On Sept. 21, Conlin requested an animal breeding and care permit from the planning board. She was told one wasn’t necessary because the town ordinance allowed up to four without a permit. Since no permit was necessary, all Conlin and Jamieson needed was finding a couple of donkeys. Their search led to the Maine Donkeys on Facebook. Maine Donkeys began in December 2015 with a group of friends forming a Facebook page to save donkeys around the country from the kill pen.

The page was created by Sue Slate of Exeter and her granddaughter Dawn Darling. The group raises money to save endangered donkeys from the kill pen and match them with a home.

“It started about a year ago with a group of us wanting to save donkeys,” Darling said. “We rescue them and bring them back to my gram’s in Exeter who rehabilitates them before (they are) matched with a new owner.”

Maine Donkeys saved Clementine — who was pregnant with Biscuit — last April from a Texas kill shelter.

Biscuit and Clementine seem to be in good hands with their new owner. Conlin feeds them six hay bales a week and provides them with tasty snacks like frosted oatmeal cookies, saltine crackers and peppermints.