When you drive around Skagit County, you see lots of animals: horses, cows, goats and more. One small farm on Best Road that immediately caught my attention has a sign stating JF Miniature Donkeys.

The owners are Julie and Todd Jones and they gave me a tour of the property that enabled me to interact with many of the donkeys, who it turns out are very friendly, much more like pet dogs than horses or cows.

My question as a reporter was, "What do you do with all of these donkeys?" The answer was very, very heartwarming. These animals are mostly sold to families to create companionship for their...