Donkeys are lovely creatures, but alas do suffer worldwide, as they are very strong, so often abused for ‘draught animal’ work, carrying heavy loads in hot countries, and even used in the gold mine industry for transport (a good reason for only buying recycled gold and silver jewellery).
In England, donkeys of course are still used on some beaches for children’s rides, although thankfully this is now less popular, as animal welfare awareness issues are more popular.
Like horses, donkeys are social animals, so England has a few sanctuaries (see below) that rescue lone donkeys, either in England or from abroad.
Abroad, we can campaign for the welfare of working donkeys, and those used as ‘donkey burgers’ in the unregulated meat industry. Welfare and education is also needed, for the many countries that use donkeys as the main form of transport. Hopefully now with an imminent peace deal, aid is getting through donkeys, who have been starving during the recent conflict in Gaza.
Don’t Support Beach Donkey Rides
It’s less popular these days, but donkey rides are (like horse carriages and Punch & Judy shows) gradually disappearing, in a better age of animal welfare. There are welfare checks (overseen by The Donkey Sanctuary) on remaining donkey rides on English beaches.
This was brought into place, due to needing strict riding weights, due to heavier children. But it will remains a boring life for sociable donkeys, who no doubt would prefer to be living in open fields, with their own kind.
It’s now the law that all donkeys on beaches in England, must have fresh water and shade. Only a few years ago, a petition to ban all UK donkey rides gained 100,000 signatures.
In a northern seaside town recently, some parents were in uproar, when the local man giving donkey rides, demanded to weight children, before letting them ride his animals. He was however inundated with support from the public, for trying to ensure good welfare for his donkeys. You can report welfare issues for any concerns of your own.
Did you know that actor John Nettles is passionate about donkeys (and horses – he supports the Mare and Foal Sanctuary, which offers lifelong sanctuary for equines and welfare advice). He even helped to rescue a donkey from Ireland, who now happily lives with a new donkey friend!
How to Support Donkey Sanctuaries
England has a few donkey sanctuaries that help both rescued donkeys in England, and those who have been rescued from abroad (they also support vets abroad, and volunteers who educate local people on how to care for their donkeys, due to some myths like ‘slitting nostrils’ makes donkeys breathe better).
Enter the words ‘donkey sanctuary’ at Find That Charity, to bring up a list of registered donkey sanctuaries. You can volunteer locally, adding the county name to your search request.
Like all small charities, they need funds. You can give anonymously if preferred, by opening an account at Charities Aid Foundation (remember to add Gift Aid, if you’re a personal or business taxpayer).
Another super-easy way to help is to register at easyfundraising. You can only choose one charity. But whichever cause you choose, it works with over 6000 brands (from small shops to chain stores) so that each time you buy something, a portion goes to your charity of choice.
So the charity is helped, but it costs you nothing. It’s a no-brainer. As it uses money from something that you were going to buy anyway (from train tickets to refurbished laptops to insurance).
Each retailer pays a set fee or percentage, and donations are made each quarter. The service does not affect loyalty points.
Another way to help is to ask your local donkey sanctuary if it would appreciate a purchase of MudControl slabs. This is the premier brand used by farmers and equestrians, to turn muddy dangerous land into safe places to pass through, or eat hay. They are used with sand for easy installation.
Obviously all donkey sanctuaries would welcome trained volunteers like vets and veterinary nurses, or anyone with skills in animal husbandry. But also they welcome volunteers who can offer other skills like cleaning, feeding the animals and building shelters.
Donkey Sanctuaries of Note:
The Donkey Sanctuary is one of the few ‘big charities’ in England where most money does indeed go on the donkeys – rather than to administration, company cars and unwanted pen gifts.
Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary is where fortunate friends arrive for a life of peace and love, after being rescued from England or abroad. One operated the water wheel for English Heritage, and now lives here. Rather than buy lots of ‘stuff’ from the shop, just donate to pay for medical care or a £5 bale of hay!
Helping Working Donkeys Abroad
The Donkey Care Handbook helps to educate communities that often don’t have the knowledge on good donkey care, nor funds for vet care. Some donkeys are worked to death, and the charity is also working to stop the millions of donkeys that are killed each year for their skins, to be used for ‘medicine’ in the far east.
SPANA provides free vet care and trains local people in animal welfare (you can report concerns). It also organises emergency response for natural disasters like earthquakes. Worldwide Veterinary Services uses donations to fund volunteer vets helping all kinds of animals abroad (including draught animals).
Animal Aid Abroad helps all working animals including horses, donkeys and camels. Recently it has set up a camel sanctuary in India, following cases of mange and maggot-infested wounds (due to old nose rings). Or under their stomachs (due to saddle straps). Some also are rescued from road accidents.
Brooke helps millions of working horses, donkeys and mules worldwide. It has three vet clinics to help 20,000 animals in Ethiopia and has a page to report concerns if on holiday abroad. Its book Sharing the Load (download in several languages) educates communities abroad on helping draught animals.
Safe Haven for Donkeys helps donkeys in the Middle East. Its Egyptian project helps donkeys on-site and at mobile clinic, who work in intense heat to move bricks to kilns. Many have untreated wounds, fly infestations and overgrown hooves. You can raise funds by donating scrap cars). Another charity helping in this area is Lucy’s UK Donkey Foundation.
The Donkey Haven Charity does wonderful work to help donkeys abroad, helping those used for meat and tourism. You can let them know of donkeys needing adopting, and report concerns.
Helping Donkeys in Tanzania
Donkeys in the African country of Tanzania have recently been in the news, due to waterlogged ground at a refugee cramp, which has left donkeys in deep filthy water, with nowhere to rest and painful lesions and disease.
The working animal charity SPANA is working with partners to help, and needs donations to help vaccination, food, clean water, urgent medical treatment and safe dry shelters, so donkeys can rest at night.
There is enough gold (and silver) already mined to last for eternity. Yet companies continue to blow up nature with dynamite (and run donkeys into the ground) to feed greedy habits in the west (although the biggest international buyers are in United Arab Emirates), many European countries are buyers including Switzerland and no doubt, high-end jewellers in London.
There are many ways to help including:
- Sending unwanted (including broken) jewellery and watches, along with UK or foreign bank notes and coins, and unwanted mobile phones, cameras, stamps (leave a 1cm surround to preserve the perforations)) and electronic gadgets. Again you can donate scrap cars, as they can sell the scrap metal.
- Choose SPANA as your cause at easyfundraising. Then again when you shop at participating businesses, a portion of the price goes to them, and it won’t cost you a penny.
- If you prefer to give anonymously, just tick the box at Charities Aid Foundation.
IAPWA (easyfundraising) andThe Donkey Sanctuary(easyfundraising) are two other charities active in Tanzania. Thankfully the local government has recently banned the slaughter of donkeys (and dogs) for their skins. But it’s imperative that more is done to educate and change laws on donkey welfare.
