Shrek’s real-life donkey stand-in, Perry, died on January 2, 2025, at age 30. The gray Jerusalem miniature donkey was a physical and motion reference for the animated Donkey after Pacific Data Images animators studied him in Palo Alto in 1999; Perry did not voice or perform the character.
Perry—short for Pericles—joined the Barron Park Donkey Project in March 1997. His association with the franchise made him famous, but his nearly three decades as a community donkey mattered just as much to the people who cared for him.
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Key takeaways
- Perry, a gray Jerusalem miniature donkey and the physical model for Shrek’s Donkey, died on January 2, 2025, at age 30.
- Pacific Data Images animators visited Perry’s Palo Alto pasture in 1999 and took more than 100 photographs while studying his appearance, gait, and movements.
- Perry influenced Donkey’s animated look and physical movement, but he did not provide the character’s voice; Eddie Murphy voiced Donkey in the English-language films.
- Perry’s mobility deteriorated because of an incurable condition identified in local reporting as laminitis, a painful hoof condition, and he was euthanized to end his suffering.
- More than 150 people attended Perry’s memorial in Bol Park, where the volunteer-run Barron Park Donkey Project continues caring for its surviving donkeys through community support.
Who was Perry, the real-life donkey behind Shrek’s Donkey?
Perry was a gray Jerusalem miniature donkey who lived at the Barron Park Donkey Project in Palo Alto, California. He joined the pasture in March 1997 after being donated to the project, and his connection to Shrek later made him widely known beyond the local community. The official Barron Park Donkeys history of its previous donkeys records Perry’s lifespan as approximately 1994–2025.
Perry was not a live-action actor, a voice performer, or an animal who appeared on screen in a Shrek film. He was an animation reference: artists observed his body, face, walk, and characteristic movements while developing the computer-animated Donkey.
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How did Perry influence the Shrek movies?
In 1999, animators from Pacific Data Images, a local company contracted by DreamWorks for 3D animation, visited Perry’s pasture to study him. The animators paid particular attention to his appearance, gait, and movements. According to the Barron Park Donkeys FAQ, they took more than 100 pictures of Perry; the organization’s historical account calls him the animation model for Donkey in the Shrek movies.
The finished character appears to preserve some of the physical qualities that handlers recognized in Perry, including head tilts, eye rolls, and a bouncy trot. Those observations support describing Perry as a visual and motion reference for Donkey. They do not support saying that Perry supplied Donkey’s personality, jokes, dialogue, or voice.
| Part of the character | What the evidence supports | What it does not support |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Animators studied Perry’s physical appearance. | Perry was not a credited on-screen performer. |
| Movement | Animators studied Perry’s gait and movements. | Every movement in the finished character cannot be attributed exclusively to Perry. |
| Voice | Eddie Murphy voiced Donkey in the English-language films. | Perry did not voice Donkey. |
| Personality and dialogue | The documented connection is to animation reference material and physical movement. | Perry was not the source of Donkey’s jokes, dialogue, or comic performance. |
DreamWorks’ official page for the first Shrek film identifies the movie as a 2001 release and describes Donkey as Shrek’s companion. The film’s character was therefore a computer-animated creation shaped by many artists and by Murphy’s performance, with Perry serving as an important physical reference rather than playing Donkey himself.
When did Perry die, and what happened?
Perry died on Thursday, January 2, 2025, at age 30. Barron Park Donkeys announced his death, and contemporary reports from CBS News San Francisco and other outlets reproduced the organization’s announcement.
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Perry’s condition deteriorated rapidly. The Washington Post’s report on Perry’s death said that he was euthanized after he struggled to walk and experienced intense pain from an incurable condition. The Campanile, citing lead handler Jenny Kiratli, identified that condition as laminitis.
What is laminitis, and how did it affect Perry?
Laminitis is a painful condition affecting the tissues within an animal’s hoof, and severe laminitis can make walking extremely difficult. In Perry’s case, the condition substantially impaired his mobility and contributed to the decision to euthanize him when his suffering could no longer be relieved.
Donkeys can be vulnerable to metabolic problems associated with laminitis. The Barron Park Donkeys FAQ explains that the project manages this risk with a controlled diet and does not allow visitors to feed the animals supplied treats. The Campanile’s account of Perry’s death provides the local reporting on his health and mobility.
Perry’s death should not be described as a generic consequence of reaching age 30. The documented account is more specific: Perry was 30, his health rapidly worsened because of an incurable condition, laminitis seriously affected his ability to walk, and euthanasia was chosen to prevent prolonged pain.
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How old was Perry when he joined the Barron Park pasture?
Perry joined the Barron Park pasture in March 1997, when he was approximately three years old if the organization’s recorded birth estimate of 1994 is used. He remained there for roughly 28 years, becoming a familiar presence for handlers, visitors, and residents of Palo Alto.
The Barron Park Donkey Project is volunteer-run and community-supported at a private pasture near Bol Park. Perry’s movie connection brought attention, but caretakers also valued him as an individual animal with a place in the neighborhood.
Why did Perry matter beyond the Shrek connection?
Perry’s importance to the Barron Park Donkey Project was not limited to his role as an animation model. He was a long-term resident and a beloved animal whose personality mattered to the people who cared for him. More than 150 people attended his memorial in Bol Park, according to the organization’s previous-donkeys page.
The project continues to care for surviving donkeys through volunteer handlers and public support. The organization says its animals are entirely supported by community donations. Its official donation page states that basic annual care costs exceed $25,000, while medical expenses can push annual costs above $40,000. The program operates as a fiduciary project under the Palo Alto Humane Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
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Readers who want to help the animals should use the organization’s direct donation and support information rather than treating Perry’s story as a reason to buy unconnected animal-care products. A charitable donation is separate from any merchandise recommendation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can fans watch or buy to remember Perry’s connection to Shrek?
Fans can revisit the four released films in which the animated Donkey appears. DreamWorks’ official Shrek franchise page lists Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After as available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital formats. Universal Pictures At Home also lists a Shrek 4-Movie Collection; format, seller, price, and availability can change.
Universal’s official shop also lists an officially licensed Shrek Donkey plush. The plush represents the fictional animated character, not Perry himself, so it is best understood as fan merchandise rather than a likeness of the real donkey.
DreamWorks currently lists Shrek 5 for theatrical release on June 30, 2027. That schedule is subject to change and should be rechecked before publication or before making plans around the release.
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What is the accurate way to describe Perry’s role?
The most precise description is that Perry was the real-life donkey used as a physical, visual, and motion reference for Shrek’s Donkey. It is also reasonable, with that qualification, to call him the real-life donkey who inspired aspects of the character.
Descriptions such as “Perry played Donkey,” “Perry was in the movie,” or “Perry supplied Donkey’s voice” are inaccurate. Perry’s documented contribution was his observed appearance and movement; Eddie Murphy’s English-language voice performance and the filmmakers’ creative work shaped the rest of the character.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Shrek’s real-life donkey stand-in die?
Perry died on January 2, 2025, at age 30. His condition rapidly deteriorated because of an incurable illness, and local reporting identified laminitis as the painful hoof condition that seriously impaired his ability to walk.
Did Perry actually play Donkey in Shrek?
Perry was a physical and motion reference for the animated character. Pacific Data Images animators visited him in 1999, studied his appearance and gait, and took more than 100 photographs, but Perry did not appear in the film or voice Donkey.
Who voiced Donkey in Shrek?
Eddie Murphy voiced Donkey in the English-language Shrek films. Perry’s documented contribution was limited to serving as a visual and movement reference for the animated character.
What happened to the Barron Park Donkey Project after Perry’s death?
More than 150 people attended Perry’s memorial in Bol Park. The Barron Park Donkey Project continues to care for its surviving donkeys through volunteer handlers and community donations.
The Bottom Line
Perry died on January 2, 2025, at age 30, after laminitis and an incurable health decline left him in severe pain. He never played or voiced Donkey, but his appearance and movements became a documented physical reference for the beloved Shrek character. His legacy also belongs to the Palo Alto community that cared for him for nearly three decades.
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