Perry, the beloved miniature donkey at Bol Park and the model for DreamWorks’ animated character Donkey in “Shrek,” passed away on Jan. 2.
Jenny Kiratli, the lead handler at the Barron Park Donkey Project, an organization dedicated to caring for the donkeys at Bol Park, said Perry suffered from laminitis, a painful hoof condition that significantly affected his mobility.
“In the last week and a half of his life, it was really hard watching him walk,” Kiratli said. “He had wanted to. He still was trying to go on, but it was very unsteady, and he was clearly in a lot of pain.”
Kiratli said Perry’s death especially took a toll on his handlers.
“We knew it was coming to an end, and it’s really hard,” Kiratli said. “We knew him for a long time, and he was a special animal … You sort of think there’s a lot of fuss about a donkey, but there really was a very big personality in that little body.”
Perry might be most famous for inspiring animators from Palo Alto’s Pacific Data Images who worked for DreamWorks on “Shrek.” According to Kiratli, the animators needed a live model to study as they created the character Donkey.
“The lead animator’s wife walked the paths and told him about the donkeys at Bol Park,” Kiratli said. “He contacted the people who were in charge at the time and brought a dozen or so animators over. They spent a couple of hours watching, drawing, videotaping and figuring out how he moved.”
Kiratli said Perry’s lively personality was reflected in the movie character.
“Perry was a very bouncy, feisty, funny, playful donkey,” Kiratli said. “I could see a lot of the movements in the Donkey character that absolutely came from Perry. I’ve taken care of five different donkeys now, and there’s nothing about those other donkeys in the character. It’s definitely Perry.”
Former mayor and City Council member Greer Stone said the Bol Park donkeys have long been a cherished part of the community, bringing people together and fostering a sense of local pride.
“The donkeys at Bol Park are just staples of the community,” Stone said. “They provide such an incredible opportunity for people of all ages within the community to go see and to help reconnect them to nature.”
Bol Park handlers are planning a memorial for Perry, which is expected to be held in early February.
Freshman Aiden Lin, who visited Bol Park frequently as a child, said all of the donkeys deserve more recognition from the Palo Alto community.
“It’s not about the fact that the “Shrek” donkey lived here, but it’s more about knowing that we have these animals here, and they are worth admiring,” Lin said.
Ultimately, Stone said Perry created a stronger sense of unity within the community.
“Perry was a good reminder of the joy of living in a community,” Stone said. “Perry was just such a good example of bringing people out from all generations, all backgrounds, all socioeconomic statuses, to be able to just appreciate this.”
