Bellevue’s viral missing donkeys found in Fall City

Editor’s note: The story has been updated with information from Allison Smith, the owner of the two donkeys.

The two donkeys stolen from a hitch in Bellevue were found Tuesday.

Donkeys Juan and Julio had been stolen from owner Allison Smith, she said, when a man in a truck backed into her property, put the donkeys in her trailer and drove off with them.

Smith said the two donkeys were sold to a woman in Fall City for $5,000.

The woman who bought the white-furred donkeys from the man realized they were the ones who went viral over the weekend. She called the police and Smith was reunited with the animals Tuesday.

Bellevue police spokesperson Drew Anderson said the donkeys were found unharmed and that the trailer was found with the animals.

“Bellevue Police would like to express appreciation and thanks to concerned community members and the media for their part in this search effort,” Bellevue police wrote in a blog post. “It’s without a doubt this collaborative work between law enforcement and the community led police to finding Juan and Julio.”

Anderson said the police’s investigation is “evolving” and more information will be released later.

This isn’t the first time missing animals caused a stir in Western Washington.

In April, four zebras escaped from a trailer driving east on Interstate 90 by North Bend, with one roaming the area for days before finally being corralled.

In July, a 4-foot-long Argentine white tegu lizard named Tazz went missing from his Granite Falls home and was mistaken for an alligator. The lizard was found after a couple of days.

Meanwhile, the donkeys still weren’t home as of Thursday morning.

The man took the hitch from her stolen trailer, Smith said, which meant she was not able to transport the donkeys to her property. The donkeys are at her friend’s property, she said.