Cholla: adopted 09/02/2021

The man, the myth, the legend! This mini mule has so much personality. Like, SO MUCH personality. He should, in fact, have his own social media account. He is the herd protector, court jester and sweetest love bug.

We first saw is picture, listing minimal information, on the Facebook page for a smaller auction in Southern California. This auction, while modest, does not have the best reputation. And of course, no matter the auction, there will always be people in attendance that perhaps do not have the animals best interests at heart. This was my fear for Cholla. He was ridable, and totally tame, plus he has quite the unique coloring, all the perfect storm for the trained eye of a trader. 

The last thing I wanted for Cholla was to find himself changing hands over and over again. So, as the auction started, I tuned in remotely. When his number was called, I saw him enter the ring being ridden by a full sized man. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was… ridiculous. And while I had every intention of getting that mule, I was even more motivated after seeing that. 

Long story short, I put in my bid, and I won. Cholla boy was now safe, never to be used nor abused again. We did come to find out, after, that we were to be Cholla’s 5th home in his six years of life. The poor guy had in fact changed hands over and over again. But now he is a permanent fixture in our herd, never to be displaced again. 

Oh and in case you are unfamiliar with the Cholla (pronounced: choh-ya), it is a very unique cactus that is native to the Southwestern United States. And it is a long time symbol of both resilience and protection. Both things our amazing boy has is spades. To know him is to fall in love, over and over again. This misfit herd would be incomplete without his presence. And we feel lucky, daily, that he found his way to us.