The donkey pasture was once part of a farm owned by the Bol family, who fled Europe as Hitler rose to power. Cornelius Bol, a Stanford professor and inventor of the mercury vapor lamp, and his wife, Josina, had six children. Six donkeys soon joined the family menagerie and lived out their lives on the Bols’ farm, savoring the attentions of generations of neighborhood children.
One large piece of the Bols’ property came to the city as a park. The donkey pasture was saved from development by a developer whose 4-year-old had become fond of the donkeys, too. Bol Park officially opened in April of 1974.
Over the years the donkeys were either sold or given away. In the end, only a donkey named Mickey remained. Josina Bol cared for Mickey after her husband’s death. When she fell ill a few of the neighbors started taking care of Mickey. They continued to care for him after she passed away in 1996. This was the start of the Barron Park Donkey Project.
Mickey was very ill toward the end of his life. For several months after Mrs. Bol’s death, his feeding had been mainly treats, thus his physical health had deteriorated. Perry was brought to the pasture as a companion for him. Perry and Mickey became buddies and then inseparable friends until Mickey’s death in 1998.
Miner 49-er (Niner) came to the pasture in 1998, shortly before Mickey’s death. He lived at the pasture with Mickey and Perry. Niner was a really smart donkey and was known to unlatch the gate and escape from the pasture from time-to-time. Perry always wanted to be with Niner and always wanted him in sight. When Niner was taken to the hospital, Perry had to go with him. Perry was very sad and grieved when Niner died. Niner passed away in 2016.
Jenny was brought to the pasture on November 15, 2016 as a new friend for Perry. She previously lived as the only donkey on a farm with the Vance family in Southern California. Jenny was initially wary of Perry, but eventually they became good friends. Jenny died in November 2020.
Buddy came to the pasture in December 2020. He was donated by Kerry Debenedetti of Woodside, CA. She had some donkeys and horses on her farm and thought that Buddy would be a good match for Perry. She was right. Buddy and Perry became fast friends.