This was supposed to be a zoning meeting.
Citrus County residents spent hours debating maps, zoning, noise, water and a proposed industrial expansion.
About four hours in, the conversation turned to a donkey.
Her name was Eloise.
Eloise
The AntiData CenterDonkey
A miniature donkey from Hernando, Florida accidentally became the face of a fight over a proposed 1,356-acre industrial expansion.
Hernando, FLVery much a donkeyWould like an oatmeal cookie
30 feet
to the Osteen family's fence
1,356 acres
proposed for industrial expansion
9 hours
the planning meeting lasted
Unanimous
the commission recommended against it
Meet Eloise.
She is a miniature Jerusalem donkey who lives with the Osteen family in Hernando, Florida, alongside a cow, goats, and a turkey.
She likes attention. She likes apples and oatmeal cookies.
Her family has called their animals “bougie little animals.”
Then Eloise entered the public record.
During a discussion of low-frequency noise, attention turned to the donkey living beside the proposed development.
“There's a little donkey right there on the street. The donkey's name is Eloise.”
Eloise herself was unavailable for comment.
Then they voted.
The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission recommended against the proposal. Unanimously. The developer withdrew.
That came from residents and organizers. Eloise became the face people remembered.
“I'm concerned for Eloise, because she is kind of the face of this application.”
What Eloise became
The future shouldhave roomfor Eloise.
Eloise started as one family's donkey. Then she became the face of a local argument over what should be built next door.
Data centers power much of the digital world. Building that future takes land, electricity, water and places that are already home to people, animals, farms and quiet.
A pasture isn't empty just because there aren't servers on it.
Progress should make room for life.
The story traveled.
A county zoning dispute involving one miniature donkey left Citrus County. Eloise is not the only animal finding herself in the path of the data-center boom. She is the one this page is about.
Orlando Sentinel
Aug. 24, 2026
Tampa Bay Times
How a donkey named Eloise became a symbol in the fight against Florida data centers, opens in a new tab
Emily L. Mahoney · Aug. 24, 2026
Yahoo
Fast Company
Meet Eloise, the Florida donkey taking on the data center boom, opens in a new tab
Chris Morris · Aug. 26, 2026
Then people gathered around the story.
By the time it reached X, a community had started forming. Then someone launched $ELOISE.
They stuck around.
The pledge
Eloise gets the apples.
100% of community fees Eloise
Every community fee goes back to Eloise, her family and the animals — or toward a cause they choose.
Apples aren't free.
Community token
$ELOISE
Solana
2sw8vb5zHCt87TwXkmvk28ZBdNM2h2F8nxFQeKkMpump