Perry, a miniature donkey who lived in Palo Alto, California, was euthanized Thursday after suffering from a painful and debilitating hoof disease.

Until Thursday, the Bay Area was home to what may very well have been the world’s most famous donkey. Perry, a Jerusalem donkey born in New York City in 1994, died at the age of 30. The donkey arrived in Stanford in the 1990s to serve as an emotional support animal for polo ponies but rose to fame when he modeled for animators who designed the “Shrek” character Donkey,

"I can attest that many of Donkey’s classic head tilts, eye rolls and bouncy trots were straight from Perry," the animal's handler, Jenny Kiratli, tells PEOPLE

Perry, the donkey believed to have inspired the Shrek character Donkey, passed away at 30. Born in New York, Perry modeled for animators in the 2001 film, providing the reference for Eddie Murphy's iconic role.

Perry, one of the world's most famous donkeys, has died at 30 years old. Born in New York City in 1994, Perry was best known for modeling for the animators who designed the character of Donkey for the Shrek films.

The miniature donkey, named Perry, who helped inspire the character of Donkey in the beloved Shrek franchise has sadly died at the age of 30 and fans are devastated