Perry, real-life Palo Alto donkey who inspired iconic 'Shrek' character, dies at 30

PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- A famous donkey from Palo Alto that helped inspire the movie character "Donkey" in "Shrek" has died.

Perry was 30 years old.

In an Instagram post, BPDonkeys, wrote on Friday, "We are heartbroken to share that our beloved Barron Park donkey, Perry, passed away yesterday at the age of 30. He was a beloved member of our community and we know many people will be touched by his passing. Memorial plans will be announced soon."

Perry resided at Cornelis Bol Park and served as a support animal.

Paying for his care, and for the other donkeys, slowly became a point of controversy overtime.

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The city faced a budget deficit last year.

A city councilmember pushed back at paying tens of thousands of dollars.

A memorial will be held for Perry at a later date.