Rico's Road Home

<p><em>Rico's Road Home </em>is a powerful children's book inspired by the true rescue of a donkey who was once forgotten-but never gave up.</p><p>Rico was discovered in a holding pen awaiting transport to Mexico where he would have been slaughtered for his hide. At just six years old he was severely neglected-dehydrated blind in one eye due to trauma riddled with parasites and suffering from painfully overgrown hooves.</p><p></p><p>But someone over a thousand miles away saw his photo and couldn't look away. That single act of compassion changed everything.</p><p>This beautifully illustrated book follows Rico's emotional journey from fear and mistrust to safety and hope. Coordinated by a rescuer who arranged everything from afar Rico was pulled from the pen and transported halfway across the country to Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. On the long journey he formed a gentle bond with a palomino horse traveling beside him. When he finally arrived scared and unsure he was met not with force-but with love patience and healing.</p><p></p><p>Little by little Rico learned what it meant to feel safe. To take a carrot from a kind hand. To feel the bristles of a brush. To rest without fear. To trust.</p><p>And then came a surprise: Rico wasn't just a donkey. His striped legs and ears revealed that he was a rare <strong>zonkey</strong>-part zebra part donkey. Unique in more ways than one Rico's story is not only about rescue but about identity transformation and the quiet power of being chosen.</p><p>This book is written for children ages 8-12 and is ideal for classrooms sanctuary programs and families who value empathy animal welfare and environmental awareness. It touches on real-world issues with age-appropriate sensitivity and uplifting hope.</p><p></p><p><strong>All proceeds support the mission of Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary</strong> a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating abused neglected and abandoned farm animals.</p><p>A heartwarming true tale of second chances <em>Rico's Story</em> reminds us that every life-no matter how broken-is worth saving.</p>