In Gaza, Dr Ahmed, Safe Haven for Donkeys and his team help donkeys suffering from painful wounds, injuries and illnesses

 

Dear friends, Every day in Gaza, Dr Ahmed and his team meet donkeys suffering from painful wounds, injuries and illnesses. These animals carry food and essential supplies through incredibly difficult conditions. And they desperately need vet care. Between June and October, the team registered 122 new cases and made 295 follow-up visits. October was their busiest month yet. Behind those figures are individual animals who needed someone to help. And this week, I’d like to share a few of their stories, and thank you for making this vital work possible - through your regular gifts and your donations to our Gaza appeal. With warmest wishes, Wendy Safe Haven UK Office P.S. You will be receiving an email on Sunday to invite you to a very special online video call with Dr Ahmed on Tuesday 17th at 13.00 GMT so you can hear first hand how your support is saving lives. If you'd like to register now, please follow this link. An update from Gaza When this female donkey came to see our vet team, she had been suffering from colic for three days. She was clearly uncomfortable and hadn’t been able to pass any dung for 48 hours. Dr Ahmed and his team gave her fluids before gently examining her. They discovered a large amount of swallowed plastic packaging, along with pieces of rope and even a short length of metal wire. The donkey was given fluids for her colic while the team provided treatment. As they carefully removed the material, her relief was almost immediate. She could finally pass dung again and was soon comfortable enough to leave their care. Thanks to your support, our team was there when she needed help. Healing takes time, especially when an animal keeps irritating a sore patch. For this eight-year-old donkey, biting at a painful knee wound had made the injury worse. This donkey was treated for a painful knee wound. Over eight visits, our team patiently cleaned and treated the wound. Little by little, they began to see an improvement. By 1st November, it was healing well enough for her treatment visits to end. Her caring owner, who had been doing her best to help, was given advice on stopping her from biting the area while it continued to heal. Dr Basal bandages the donkey's knee to provide relief.  It’s hard to understand how anyone could deliberately hurt an animal. Sadly, this female donkey suffered a knife wound when her owner became involved in a dispute with another man. Our team carefully cleaned and stitched her wound, and gave her antibiotics to treat the infection. When it didn’t heal as quickly as they had hoped, they continued tending to it during follow-up visits. This poor donkey suffered a knife wound - but with your support she's now back to full health. As you'll see above, she soon made enough progress to be discharged from our care. After such a distressing experience, your kindness helped give her the treatment and attention she needed. Dr Ahmed feels a close connection to all the animals his team provides treatment to. Every story here begins with a donkey who needed help. Your generosity means Dr Ahmed and his team can be there to provide vital treatment and pain relief to injured animals. Thank you for helping bring comfort to donkeys living through such difficult times. Thank You   With your help, our team in Gaza can treat painful injuries, support recovery and help owners keep their animals healthy. Your kindness also provides care for rescued donkeys at our sanctuaries in Israel and the West Bank, as well as supporting our other veterinary teams reach working animals across the West Bank and Egypt. Thank you for helping donkeys and giving them the chance of living healthier, more comfortable lives. Donate to help donkeys in need Thanks to your support, our vet team are able to provide vital care to donkeys, mules and horses who would otherwise have no one to turn to. If you'd like to read previous updates of our work, please click here to visit out blog. You can also view today's update online by clicking here. Registered charity number 1083468

The Humane World for Animals India: Police in Assam India intercepted a truck with 26 dogs packed in jute sacks destined for the dog meat trade for the

 

Photo Credit: Ram Das / SB Shivaji Studio

Police in Assam, India, intercepted a truck carrying 26 dogs believed to be destined for the dog meat trade. According to Humane World for Animals India, the dogs were confined in jute sacks with their mouths tied shut.

The truck was stopped in Karbi Anglong district, where Assam Police worked with animal welfare organizations Just Be Friendly (JBF), Humane World for Animals India, UCI Foundation, and Anaajoree to coordinate their rescue and transport them to safety.

The dogs were initially cared for at the district’s veterinary department before being transferred to JBF’s Integrated Care and Resource Centre for Animal Welfare in Guwahati for further recovery.

Humane World for Animals shared an update on November 2, reporting that many of the dogs were dehydrated and had tick infestations. Veterinary examinations also revealed that two were pregnant.

“Every dog rescued from this trade is a life spared from immense suffering,” said Keren Nazareth, senior director of companion animals and engagement at Humane World for Animals India.

The organization reported that several community members have since reached out to ask whether their missing dogs are among those rescued. 

After enduring such horrific cruelty, the 26 dogs are receiving veterinary treatment and care to help them heal and regain their strength. Once they have recovered, local organizations will work to find them loving forever homes where they can receive the compassion and protection they deserve. 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) Kabang didn't choose to run but a rope was knotted around his neck

 

A Video No One Could Ignore

Kabang didn’t choose to run. A rope was knotted around his neck, the other end tied to a moving pickup truck—and for nearly 25 kilometers on a steep, winding cemented road, he had no choice but to run until he simply couldn’t anymore. He collapsed. And when the footage of his abuse went viral, PETA tracked Kabang down to an unlicensed ranch in Misamis Oriental and immediately began working to secure his release.

The Fight to Free Kabang
Getting custody of Kabang was anything but easy. PETA flew a team to the island, met with local government officials, and flew in an equine veterinarian. PETA refused to back down and kept pushing until full custody was secured. Kabang’s former owner was banned from caring for animals for life.

A Six-Day Journey to Safety
A PETA-arranged veterinary exam revealed that Kabang was suffering from severe lameness, hip pain, and hoof inflammation—conditions his former owner had never bothered to treat. PETA provided him with much-needed pain medication and prepared to transport him to a horse hospital.

When long-distance passenger ships and air cargo companies refused to transport a horse, PETA secured a horse trailer and truck and embarked on a six-day, more than 1,500-kilometer journey that included two ferry crossings, stopping frequently so Kabang could graze and rest.

The equine veterinarian who accompanied Kabang throughout the entire journey stayed by his side through the difficult parts of trip—and by the time they arrived at the hospital in Batangas, he had already fallen in love with Kabang and asked to adopt him.

Kabang’s New Life
Today, Kabang lives free from exploitation. He spends his days in peace at his forever home, where he continues to recover in the company of other horses and a person who sees him for who he is—not what he can be used for.

What You Can Do
Kabang is free today because the footage of his abuse sparked nationwide outrage, and caring citizens shared the video with PETA—setting his rescue in motion. If you see an animal being abused, don’t look away—speak up, document it, and report

Your support makes rescues like Kabang’s possible—help us be there for the next animal who needs us.

Support PETA's Vital Work

 

17 tons of shark fins seized in Brazil: Shark fins are worth $3,000 per kilo in illegal shark trafficking and threatening the shark populaion worlwide

 https://www.hksharkfoundation.org/

Shark finning is the practice of cutting the fins off sharks after they are caught and then throwing the trunk, or carcass, of the animal (usually still alive), back into the sea. Since up to 95% of a shark is meat of a lower value, the practice of shark finning saves space on boats for the more valuable fins. This means that shark finning is a wasteful practice compared with other kinds of fishing. For example, by comparison, when tuna are caught, nearly all of their bodies are used in some way.

Photo Credit: Receita Federal (Brazilian Federal Revenue Service)

Brazilian authorities have seized more than 17 tons of s hark finsdestined for Malaysia, with environmental officials estimating that approximately 5,700 sharks were killed to supply the shipment.

The seizure took place on October 27 at the Port of Itapoá in Santa Catarina, Brazil, where customs officials intercepted a shipping container falsely declared as carrying frozen sardines. During an inspection, authorities discovered bags filled with shark fins.

Brazil’s environmental agency, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), identified fins belonging to blue sharks (Prionace glauca) and shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus), a species threatened with extinction.

Following the discovery, IBAMA imposed a R$50 million fine on the company involved in the attempted illegal export.

According to IBAMA, shark fins can sell for as much as $3,000 per kilogram in some Asian markets, reflecting the international demand that continues to threaten shark populations around the world.

The seizure also follows stricter regulations introduced by Brazil in March 2026 to oversee the international trade of blue sharks, including their export, import, and re-export.

Sharks play an essential role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, yet they continue to face significant threats from overfishing and commercial exploitation.

The seizure underscores the urgent need for stronger protections and enforcement to combat illegal shark trafficking and prevent thousands more sharks from being killed for their fins.

Once a year in autumn the smallest island Corvo, Portugal's Azores goes dark: the inhabitants have chosen to switch off the lights for 5 days and this is why

 

Every autumn, Corvo Island in the Azores turns off its public lighting for a few key days to help fledgling Cory’s shearwaters as they attempt to fly to the ocean guided by the stars

Photo: The Guardian

By Andrea D Zanenga

Once a year, Corvo, the smallest and most northerly island of Portugal’s Azores archipelago, goes dark. Since 2019, the island’s 450 or so inhabitants have chosen to switch off the lights every autumn for five nights to tackle the disastrous effects of artificial light on Cory’s shearwaters, a seabird endemic to the Atlantic Ocean.

It began in 1991 when the community noticed huge numbers of deaths among young shearwaters.

The juveniles spend three months in their nests before attempting their first flight to the ocean, orienting themselves by the stars.

• A newborn Cory’s shearwater chick

Unfortunately, many are fatally confused by the artificial glow of streetlights, and end up crashing into Vila do Corvo’s narrow streets.

Local people began rescuing them at night, roaming through the village in the dark. This inspired other communities, and in 1995, the Azorean government launched the “SOS Cagarro” [shearwaters] campaign to include the other eight islands.

In subsequent years, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) joined the project, helping it grow.

• At nearly 2am, dedicated young volunteers remain engaged in their work, helping with the recovered birds

• Leonardo Xavier is one of the young volunteers who helps to capture the disoriented birds around the village, top left. Top right, the webbed foot of a Cory’s shearwater. Rui Pimentel, left, is Corvo’s forest ranger, and on the frontline of Cory’s shearwater conservation. Cats, right, are the main predators of Cory’s shearwater chicks. The SPEA team has installed ultrasonic devices around nests to deter attacks

I discovered the initiative on my second trip to Corvo, in June 2024. I knew of the Cory’s shearwater because I had travelled to the Azores before and had the chance to observe them in the open sea.

But it was not until I saw a campaign sticker in a shop on the island that I found out about the blackout. When it was explained to me, I decided to come back and document it.

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To me, the message of this story is that there is always hope, especially when we involve future generations and teach them to care about our planet and its beauty.

Today, Corvo is still the only island that performs a full blackout of public illumination to help the birds find their way to the ocean without interference from artificial lights.

• A long exposure photograph of Vila do Corvo during the blackout, with only security lights on. People do not have to turn off their household lights, but many choose to do so. The island of Flores can be seen in the distance

• Tania Pipa, left, a marine biologist from SPEA, checks each artificial and natural Cory’s shearwater nest on the island. A native of São Miguel Island, the largest of the Azores, she travels to Corvo every year to check on the birds. ‘To me, the day I don’t hear Cory’s shearwaters in the Azores, it will certainly not be the Azores,’ she says. Right, a Cory’s shearwater in its artificial nest

The island sinks into darkness and the stars can be seen clearly; the birds begin their journeys, hoping to find their way to the ocean, while people walk through Vila do Corvo, the only village on the island, to find and rescue any fallen birds.

Those rescued will be placed in cardboard boxes overnight to recover, and released the next day from a cliff close to the ocean, giving them a second chance to reach the water, their new home.

The campaign says more than 30,000 Cory’s shearwater fledglings have been rescued in the Azores since 2015 – about 6,000 of them on Corvo alone.

This collective effort is a powerful example of how reducing light pollution can restore ecological balance. It demonstrates that small changes can significantly affect biodiversity.

How can an action like this inspire global reflection? This intentional blackout is not just an act of conservation but a step towards developing the ability to coexist with nature.

• The night sky above Caldeirão, the volcanic crater that shapes the island of Corvo