5-year-old boy to be reunited with pink donkey stuffie left behind on BC Ferries vessel

A five-year-old boy will soon be reunited with his beloved stuffed animal after it was accidentally left behind on a BC Ferries vessel last week.

The bright pink donkey was found aboard the Salish Raven on Thursday, July 16th, following an afternoon sailing from Swartz Bay to the Southern Gulf Islands.

While crews searched for its owner, the stuffed donkey quickly became an honorary BC Ferries crew member and an online celebrity.

BC Ferries shared photos of the little traveller enjoying soft-serve ice cream, doing some light reading, touring the bridge, visiting the engine room and making new friends aboard the vessel.

Online commenters soon gave the donkey a name, “Churro the Burro.”

According to BC Ferries, the search generated more than one million views and thousands of reactions, comments and shares before BC Ferries announced Monday that Churro’s family had been found.

According to the family, the stuffed animal belongs to five-year-old Alfie and was purchased for him by his nana in Mexico. It is believed Churro fell out of the family’s vehicle while they were travelling from Swartz Bay to Pender Island.

“We’ve found Churro’s family!” BC Ferries wrote in an update. “Thanks to our incredible online coastal community, the search is over.”

BC Ferries is now planning a reunion between Alfie and Churro later this week.

Alfie is reportedly very excited to have his pink travelling companion back home, while BC Ferries says more from the reunion will be shared in the coming days.