Sussex charity launches appeal to save working donkeys in Egypt

The charity in Haywards Heath has been working with a medical team in Egypt for the past few months to bring much needed treatment to these animals who work tirelessly in the desert heat, despite their long-standing health issues and constant pain.

Now they need to urgently raise £60,000 to fund the first year of the Egyptian mobile veterinary clinic, ensuring they have the medicine and equipment necessary to treat sick and injured donkeys at the El Saf brick kilns.

There are approximately 1,000 brick kilns in Egypt, manufacturing building materials to satisfy the country’s housing boom. Donkeys and mules play an important role in the manufacturing process, namely in moving the sun-dried bricks by cart to the furnaces for firing.

These donkeys and mules are worked very hard and at an intense pace to prevent unfired bricks cracking in the day's heat. These vulnerable animals need urgent veterinary care, due to a region-wide lack of available expertise in the Al Giza desert. They have not received treatment for many years and are suffering unimaginable pain due to harness and saddle wounds, beatings, teeth and hoof issues and parasitic diseases spread by flies.

Life as a donkey in the brick kilns in Egypt

“Imagine being in the searing desert heat, having to wear a fur jacket and working long hours every day. There’s no medical care, just health issues that give constant pain. These hard-working animals carry heavy loads of bricks, all day long, without regular breaks and adequate food and rest. This is the life of these donkeys ... they need our help. For a one-off donation of £20, you could change the life of a donkey forever. Your donation will fix long-standing health issues and make the rest of their life better.”

A need for urgent medical care

The team provides medical care to common injuries and infections which are easily treatable and go a long way in improving the lives of the animals who work so hard for so little. Alongside treatment the team are providing training for the owners on how best to look after their animals – ensuring more nourishing food, adequate rest and the correct use of harnesses and saddles to avoid wounds.

• Safe Haven urgently needs to raise £60,000 to fund the first year of the Egyptian mobile veterinary clinic, ensuring the team has the medicine and equipment necessary to treat sick and injured donkeys at the El Saf brick kilns.

• The project will directly impact the 3,000 animals located in the kilns and improve the lives of many thousands more.

• Through the training sessions with professionals, the local community are set to benefit, as they rely heavily on working equids for farming and transport.

Safe Haven for Donkeys has support from a mix of British actors, broadcasters and presenters, including Kay Burley, Anthony Head, Jan Leeming and Peter Egan.

For more information and to support Safe Haven for Donkeys project in Egypt visit https://www.safehaven4donkeys.org/ and to donate here.

More about the Egypt project

UK charity Safe Haven for Donkeys is calling for support for a new pilot project providing critical veterinary care for thousands of donkeys and mules working in the brick kilns in Egypt. There are approximately 1,000 brick kilns in Egypt, manufacturing building materials to satisfy the country’s housing boom. Due to the availability and cost of machinery, donkeys and mules play an important role in the manufacturing process, namely in moving the sun-dried bricks by cart to the furnaces for firing. The project is focusing its support on 120-180 tightly grouped brick kilns where around 3,000 working donkeys and mules work tirelessly to produce millions of bricks all year round. The initial year-long project includes a mobile veterinary clinic made up of a highly experienced equine vet, as well as two farriers – one of which was a brick kiln owner himself.

The team are treating common injuries and infections, such as those from poor harnessing, overgrown hooves and bad teeth, which are easily treatable and go a long way in improving the lives of the animals who work so hard for so little. Alongside treatment the team are providing training for the owners on how best to look after their animals – ensuring more nourishing food, adequate rest and the correct use of harnesses and saddles to avoid wounds. In this way, Safe Haven helps to ensure that with the right care, donkeys will not need to suffer.

The team urgently needs to raise £60,000 to fund the first year of the Egyptian mobile veterinary clinic, ensuring they have the medicine and equipment necessary to treat sick and injured donkeys at the El Saf brick kilns. Whilst the project will directly impact on the 3,000 animals located in the kilns, it will also improve the lives of many thousands more. Through the training sessions with professionals, the local community are set to benefit as they also rely heavily on working equids for farming and transport.

Safe Haven for Donkeys CEO, Andy Foxcroft, explains: “Through our work in Israel and the West Bank we came to know of millions of working animals in neighbouring Egypt without critical veterinary care, suffering a host of preventable and treatable painful conditions. Currently no other animal welfare charity provides veterinary interventions in these particular kilns, hence the need for Safe Haven’s expertise, on the ground, treating sick and injured animals and providing training for owners and local professionals (vets and farriers). This first year is vital as we hope to make a lasting impact by reducing the unnecessary suffering of working animals, which sadly, is all too common a feature in the brick kilns.

Andy continues: “The estimated annual cost of the project will be £60,000 in the first year or £192 to fund the mobile veterinary team for a day, to provide treatment to hundreds of donkeys in the brick kilns. Just £20 can help turn the life around for a distressed donkey and ensure instant pain relief through vital veterinary care. Your contribution will also support its owner to help that donkey to live a longer, healthier life. With your support, Safe Haven can provide instant pain relief for thousands of vulnerable working donkeys. Making a huge impact – one animal at a time”.

Visit https://www.safehaven4donkeys.org/ and to donate here.