A Hudson Valley celebrity couple rescued a donkey and emu who went viral after the animals fell in love.

In early November the nonprofit Carolina Waterfowl Rescue learned that a donkey and emu they recently rescued needed to adopted together because the pair were bonded, or as others say "in love."

“They like to cuddle and even sleep together,” Jennifer Gordon of Carolina Waterfowl Rescue told The Charlotte Observer in early November. “We can’t separate them, so we need someone who is willing to adopt both a donkey and an emu. That may not be easy.”

They were found on a farm in South Carolina abandoned with other animals after the renter moved away. Rescuers quickly learned of the animal's strong bond when trying to separate them into different trailers. The donkey started crying and the emu acted upset, officials say.

The rescue group took to social media to help spread the word and name the animals. Social media helped name the donkey "Jack" and the emu "Diane."


The Carolina Waterfowl Rescue estimates over 2,000 asked about rescuing the couple, including people from London, Canada, France and several other countries. The rescue group choose Dean Morgan because of his celebrity status and his large farm.

“We had a lot of people trying to capitalize on the publicity of the story, and we were really concerned that they would end up in the wrong hands,” Gordon told the Charlotte Observer. “I strongly felt that by allowing Jeffrey Dean Morgan to adopt them that it would take the publicity fear off the table. He definitely doesn’t need to adopt an animal to get publicity, and so I knew that would not be his motive in giving them a home.”

Dean Morgan, who's married to actress Hilarie Burton, adopted the pair and brought them back to their farm in Rhinebeck. Jack and Diane made it to Rhinebeck on Tuesday, according to Dean Morgan.

"They spent the day exploring new digs... and I just tucked them in to bed with some berries for Diane, apple for Jack. Family is in love with its newest members," Dean Morgan tweeted.

According to the Walking Dead actor, during the drive to the Hudson Valley, Diane crawled under a door that separated her from Jack and road laying between Jack's legs for hours.

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