Kristen Rose had just finished up her second shift at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence. She was driving back to her home in Westport early Friday morning when she saw what appeared to be a donkey walking along Fisher Road.

"I kinda had to blink a couple of times because I know I'm tired with my kids and stuff, but I wasn't sure if it was a mini-horse or a donkey," she said.

It looked like a scene out of Shrek: a donkey clopping along the side of the road.

The donkey was spotted just after midnight, and Rose did what anyone would do in 2022. She whipped out her phone and took some video of the odd sight. She also says she called Westport Police to report the lost donkey in the hopes that someone would be able to get it home.

Westport Animal Control Officer Nick Vidmar says it's a common occurrence in Westport.

"We are a right-to-farm community," he said. "So, something like this is fun because it's loose, but then it gets brought back home."

Vidmar said he believes the donkey is a female.

"It looks to be pregnant. Either that, or very well-fed."

Normally when Westport Animal Control gets calls like this, it will respond if the police are unable.

"Sometimes the owners will grab the loose animals before we even get there,"  Vidmar said. "This is a community where everybody knows one another."

Vidmar said the escaped donkey has been returned home, safe and sound.

Items Dangerous to Animals That You Have in Your Yard

We spoke with Wild Care Cape Cod Executive Director Stephanie Ellis about the dangers of many everyday yard items and how they can affect the wildlife we know and love. Here are some of the dangers your yard may present to animals and how you can reduce their risk.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.