Donkeys are gentle animals, that alas for them are also very strong, so are some of the most abused creatures used for draught work. However they thrive when their needs are met. Donkeys need good food and water, companionship, plenty of rest and comfortable homes.
As as donkey rides still being legal at English seaside resorts, abroad donkeys suffer terrible abuse from both being used as draught (working) animals, and as meat (‘donkey burgers’ are popular snacks, in an unregulated industry). And donkeys in the Middle East are suffering even more from starvation and bombs, due to the Gaza war.
Like horses, donkeys are social animals, and form strong bonds with other donkeys and their human guardians. Ideally kept in pairs or small groups, some donkeys can even bond with other animals like goats or cows. Many rescued donkeys in English sanctuaries have been abused or neglected, so building trust again takes time.
Don’t Let Children Have Donkey Rides
In England, it’s still common for some parents to pay others for their children to take donkey rides on beaches. But times have moved on, and rides now undergo strict welfare checks (overseen by the Donkey Sanctuary charity, which has imposed strict riding weights, due to obesity). But it still remains a boring life for donkeys, who no doubt would prefer to be living in open fields, playing with their own kind.
Donkeys on UK beach rides must now have fresh water and shade (especially in hot summers). Only a few years ago, a petition to ban all UK donkey beach rides gained 100,000 signatures.
A recent petition has began to ban donkey rides in a Somerset seaside town. And in a northern seaside town, some parents were in uproad, as the local man giving donkey rides demands to weigh children before letting them ride his animals. After he did this, he was inundated with support from the public, for trying to give better welfare. You can report welfare issues for concerns.
How to Support Donkey Sanctuaries
Donkey sanctuaries in England tend to help both domestic donkeys and those abroad. Plus there are others doing wonderful work abroad, like funding volunteer vets, and also educating locals on how to care for donkeys.
Enter the words ‘donkey sanctuary’ at Find That Charity, to bring up a list of registered donkey sanctuaries to donate to. There are many listed. So if you wish to volunteer locally, just add your county name to the search request.
Obviously all donkey sanctuaries welcome financial donations (you can give anonymously if preferred through Charities Aid Foundation, remember to add Gift Aid if you’re a taxpayer).
easyfundraising is a good way to raise funds for free. It works with over 6000 brands (from ethical zero waste ones to popular brands like Amazon and Argos). Basically once registered, you choose your cause (in this case a local donkey sanctuary) then that company donates, each time you buy something that you were going to buy anyway.
If you buy a phone online, it works the same – but the donkey sanctuary will receive £5 profit from the phone, over the retailer. This service covers everything from train tickets to air fares and from refurbished laptops to insurance. So it’s a no-brainer way to raise vital funds. Just shop from the site or app, and each retailer pays a set fee or percentage, depending on their policy. Donations are sent to the charity every quarter, and using this service does not affect loyalty points.
Ask your local donkey sanctuary if it would appreciate a donation to buy MudControl slabs, the premier brand used by farmers and equestrians, to turn muddy dangerous land into safe places eto 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.
The Isle of Wight houses a donkey sanctuary where fortunate friends arrive for a life of peace and love, after being rescued from working lives here or abroad. One operated the water wheel for English Heritage and retired here. Rather than buy lots of ‘stuff’ from the shop, just donate to pay for medical care and a £5 bale of hay!
So-called ‘draught animals’ are ones that are more used for work than tourism: donkeys, horses and camels are sometimes treated well, but often they work long hours with poor welfare (some communities still believe that splitting a donkey’s nostrils helps easier breathing).
Many poorer and less educated communities don’t have knowledge or funds for vet care, and poverty means animals are worked to death. The charity offers a Donkey Care Handbook. And also does important work abroad, to help stop the almost 6 million donkeys slaughtered each year for their skins, due to collagen being used in Chinese ‘medicine’.
Helping Working Donkeys Abroad
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 where camels have been treated, following cases of mange and maggot-infested wounds (due to old nose rings) or under their stomachs (due to saddle straps). Some also had treatment after being involved in road accidents.
Brooke helps millions of working horses, donkeys and mules worldwide. And thousands of those who work with animals including health care workers. It has three vet clinics to help 20,000 animals in Ethiopia and has a page to report concerns if on holiday abroad. It also has a 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. Since the Gaza war, many donkeys and horses have been killed. Its Egyptian project helps donkeys who work in intense heat to move bricks to kilns. Many have untreated wounds, fly infestations and overgrown hooves. All animals are treated on-site and at mobile clinics.
Their Weather Lottery is good to earn funds. You can also scrap old cars (to raise money from scrap metal). Lucy’s UK Donkey Foundation also gives grants to help working animals in the Holy Land.
The Donkey Haven Charity does wonderful work to help donkeys abroad. Its work includes helping donkeys used for meat and tourism. You can let them know of donkeys needing adopting, and report concerns.
