Dominick The Italian Christmas Donkey Is Safe In Chesco

CHESTER COUNTY—Westtown East-Goshen Regional Police got a call from a Chester County resident on Christmas Eve of a missing donkey.

Police assisted the donkey’s owner in a massive search for Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey.

They found Dominick wandering around Greentree Drive in Thornbury Township and returned the donkey home.

"Dominick the Donkey was found safe just in time for the holiday," the officers said proudly to the owners. “Merry Christmas! He-haw!”

The origin of the Dominick the Donkey

Dominick the Donkey is a Christmas song written by Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg, and Wanda Merrell in 1960.
It describes how Dominick, a donkey, helps Santa bring presents to the children in Italy due to the reindeer being unable to climb up hills.

This year, the song was covered by The Philly Specials- a trio of Philadelphia Eagles Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Jordan Mailata - that is named after the Philly Special, a trick play that the Eagles ran during Super Bowl LII victory over the Patriots.

The lyrics in the release are altered slightly to say the clothing items carried by the donkey to bring to children in Italy were made in South Philly, a traditional Italian immigrant neighborhood. The song is available here.