Diane and Don Tibbles are once again dressing their donkeys Dino and Yogi for a holiday. The pair was dressed in festive outfits for Easter and now that Canada Day has come, they're dressed up again.
"We thought it would be fun to decorate the donkeys in pet-friendly garb for each holiday," said Diane's daughter Barb Nicholson. "People came in just to pet the donkeys because they just love them." She said people have stopped on the side of the highway in the year the Tibbles have lived there to take photos and look at the donkeys.
Nicholson said they made sure the donkey's flags were animal safe and wouldn't cause them any harm. Dino did try to take a bite out of the flag he was wearing, but the two donkeys are very relaxed and very friendly.
"I wanted donkeys all my life because I love animals," Diane said. "I can sit at the kitchen window and see them out here." She recalled one time Dino snuck into their home behind Don and rested his head on her knee while she fed him a cookie.
They said the donkeys are extremely friendly and gentle with people, including kids who have come to see them. But they can also be strong willed.
"They are way up there at the top for intelligence," Diane said. That intelligence can make them slightly uncooperative at times, Diane said the donkeys have gotten out of their pen and run down the road but it also makes them fun companions.
The donkeys will roam their pasture freely for Canada Day so people driving along highway 97 near Sales Road can see them. Barb and Diane said they'll definitely be dressing them up for the next holiday and holidays to come after that.