North Texas is home to nation's first donkey hospital

The first and only donkey hospital is here in North Texas.  

The Center for the Advancement of Donkeys is located in Collinsville, Texas. Its main focus is getting donkeys back up to health after they've been rescued.

"The part of the brain that processes emotion is called the limbic system, and a donkey's limbic system is the exact same size as a human's," said donkey advocate Ron King.

There's no doubt King, a former media executive, loves donkeys.  

King has dedicated his life to them. He runs a donkey sanctuary in California, and what he calls the first and only donkey hospital in the country.  

And if you're wondering why, it's because donkeys face a huge problem.  

Donkey hides drive demand for international trade

"The donkey hide is used for a Chinese herb called ejiao, and the Donkey Sanctuary in the UK reports that between five and six million donkeys are being slaughtered every year to keep up with the demand for ejiao," said King.

Ejiao is used in cosmetics, foods, and medicines and it's extremely popular in Asia. This has led to massive demand for the donkey hides they need to make it.

Texas sanctuary rescues donkeys from slaughter

"It's against the law to slaughter equines in the United States, and so there's a Mexican slaughterhouse that sends buyers up to the Bowie, Texas, auction. They buy them there and they transport them to Mexico where they slaughter them and ship their skins to China," said King.

So King and his team go to the auction and buy as many as they can take care of.

"I think as of yesterday we've rescued 527 donkeys," said King.

But King says every donkey he can't save comes at a cost.

"So I often say a piece of my soul gets left behind at every auction that I go to," he said.

Rescued donkeys find healing and a second chance at life

While that's hard for him, he loves the donkeys he can save. Donkeys like Mr. Banks.  

"Some donkeys are very loving, and some donkeys think they're God's gift to humans. Old Man Banks is like, 'I've paid my dues,' so we have to bribe him with some food, but he will come over," said King.

Banks may have a little of both types of donkey in his heart. He's a showman, but a kind soul, and he'll live out the rest of his days in North Texas.  

The Donkey Center says it costs about $5,000 per donkey to buy them at auction and nurse them back to health, then send them to its sister sanctuary in California, Oscar's Place, where they stay until King and his team can help get them adopted.