BC Ferries stuffed donkey returns to 5-year-old after online voyage
A pink stuffed donkey nicknamed Churro is back with 5-year-old Alfie after BC Ferries turned its lost-and-found stay into a social media trip.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
A BC Ferries stuffed donkey has made it home to its 5-year-old owner after the pink plush toy was found aboard the Salish Raven and became the tiny star of a social media adventure.
BC Ferries said the toy was discovered after a trip between Victoria and Pender Island in British Columbia. Instead of letting the little donkey wait quietly in lost and found, the ferry operator posted photos of it online and let followers join the search for its family.
The plush passenger soon picked up a new name: Churro the Burro. BC Ferries shared images of Churro getting a look at the Salish Raven from places most ferry riders do not see, including the bridge and the engine room, along with a stop in the gift shop.
What happened to the BC Ferries stuffed donkey?
The toy was found on the Salish Raven after a ferry trip between Victoria and Pender Island, then featured in BC Ferries social posts while staff tried to reunite it with its owner. Those posts spread into news coverage, which helped connect the donkey with the family of 5-year-old Alfie.
According to CTV News, Abigail Broadribb did not know her son Alfie had lost the stuffed animal until she saw a story about Churro. The coverage turned a missing toy into a small backstage tour of ferry life, with the donkey playing guest of honor.
“We're just really grateful,” Broadribb told CTV News. “This is a very special experience for them to have a peek behind the curtain.”
Before the ferry fame, the toy had a plainer name. Broadribb said it had been known as Donkey, according to CTV News.
That has changed after its run as an online ferry celebrity. Broadribb said the family plans to keep the new name Churro the Burro.
The reunion wrapped a short but busy public life for the stuffed animal: lost on a British Columbia ferry, renamed by online followers, photographed around the Salish Raven and finally returned to the child who owned it.
For BC Ferries, the posts also showed a softer side of an everyday travel route. For Alfie, the adventure ended with his donkey back where it belonged, now carrying a name with a story attached.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.