A donkey named Dominic escaped from a farm in Bull Valley on Sunday. His owner, Barry Naber, said Dominic got loose while someone was trimming his hooves. Naber said the donkey’s trainer was there with children, and they were trying to control Dominic. But Dominic ran through a fence and disappeared.
Naber spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday searching for him. Dominic was named after the Italian Christmas Donkey. Naber said he was surprised that Dominic reached Woodstock so quickly. On Sunday, he searched many places in town, including near the Woodstock Metra station. He even walked along the train tracks for a while, but later warned people not to do that because trains can come very fast.
On Monday, Naber hired a drone company to help with the search. A group called Operation Wild Horse also helped. Later that day, someone reported seeing Dominic in a field. Naber searched the field for hours, but he did not find the donkey. Two men on UTVs searched the same field again on Tuesday, but Dominic was still not there.
Late Tuesday, Naber got a message from a trusted person. The message said Dominic had been hit by a train and had died. Spokespeople for Metra and Union Pacific said they did not know of any train involved. Still, Naber said he believed the report.
It had already been a difficult winter on the farm. Dominic’s mate, Duchess, had died about two months earlier during a cold snap. A veterinarian thought Duchess may have died from colic or a heart attack. Naber said both donkeys came from Nevada through the Bureau of Land Management. They were wild when he first got them.
He moved to the farm about seven years ago and said the animals were well cared for. The donkeys also helped scare away coyotes. Naber said he even built them a large barn, but the donkeys often preferred to stay outside. He also said some people posted cruel and threatening comments on social media after the story spread online.
Bull Valley police confirmed that the donkey escaped from a home in Bull Valley. Woodstock police said Animal Control was also notified. The story ended sadly, but many people had tried to help find Dominic before he died.