This week, I wanted to share an update from Dr Ahmed Thabet and our veterinary team in Gaza.
For many injured donkeys, the first visit is only the beginning. As Dr Ahmed’s update shows, checking on an animal and treating them again can make a real difference to their recovery.
Next month, we’ll share more about the team’s work and the challenges they face. For now, thank you for helping them care for Gaza’s working animals.
With warm wishes,
Wendy Safe Haven UK Office
An update from Dr Ahmed in Gaza
On one recent day, 12 working animals came to us for treatment. Most had visited before. Over the past two months, around a third of our cases had remained open because owners had been unable to bring their animals back to complete their care.
We began calling them to check in, explain that treatment is free, and asking them to return. Seeing so many familiar faces that day was encouraging.
The team examines a returning patient. By keeping in touch with owners, they can check how injuries are healing and provide further treatment.
One was a five-year-old donkey who had slipped while carrying a heavy load, leaving painful grazes on her knees. We first treated her in August, but three weeks later her wounds were healing more slowly than we had hoped.
We treated her again and gave her owner wound spray to use at home. We’ve asked him to bring her back so we can keep an eye on her recovery.
Dr Ahmed checks the donkey’s knees when she returns to the team.
Another returning patient had a painful abscess. Two days earlier, we had carefully removed dead skin around the wound. When she came back, we could already see a remarkable improvement.
It was heartening to see, though she still needs us to check that the wound continues to heal.
The team checks how the donkey’s wound is healing after her earlier treatment.
Another donkey returned with wounds caused by fragments from an explosion near her owner’s home six months ago (pictured above and at the top of this email). Although the injuries were relatively shallow, rubbing from her harness has made them difficult to heal.
We treated her wounds again and added soft padding to her metal noseband to protect her from further injury. Her wounds are beginning to improve, and we’ll keep checking her progress when she returns.
Dr Ahmed adds padding to her metal noseband to help protect her from another painful injury.
Seeing these donkeys come back, and seeing their wounds begin to heal, means a great deal to our team. Some still have a long way to go.
Thank you for making it possible for us to keep treating them and to be here when they need us again. Dr Ahmed Thabet.
Thank You♥️♥️
We hope Dr Ahmed’s update has shown what it takes to care for an injured donkey in Gaza - from the first veterinary treatment to the return visits that help wounds completely heal.
Your support helps provide free veterinary care when donkeys, mules and horses need it, across Gaza, the West Bank and Egypt, while caring for rescued donkeys at our sanctuaries.
Our Gaza vet team are working tirelessly to help working animals in need - just like this donkey. Thank you for supporting our work. It really does make a world of difference to the donkeys, mules and horses you're helping.
Ostrich feathers are popular with both luxury fashion and fast fashion. This trend is not as harmless as people often claim, because ostrich feathers do not just fall out. Revealing undercover footage from South Africa shows ostriches being hunted, secured and sacked over their heads, then their feathers are cut off and the shafts are pulled out of the skin with forceps without anaesthesia to stimulate the production of new feathers.
Catching an ostrich to pull out its feathers without anesthesia | Image via World Animal Protection
Contrary to what many people think, ostrich feathers do not fall out by themselves but are 'harvested' in a cruel way from the animals. Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection conducted a joint investigation into commercial ostrich farms in South Africa and published the report Blood Feathers (pdf).
Cutting off the feathers and pulling out the shafts without anesthesia | Image via World Animal Protection
The cruel origin of ostrich feathers
The images show, among other things, how employees corner and immobilize an ostrich. The employees cut off the feathers harshly and pull the spring shafts out of the skin with pliers to accelerate the growth of new feathers. This is done without anesthesia or pain relief, which causes a lot of suffering to the animals.
Not moulting, but industry | Image via World Animal ProtectionUnstunned plucked ostriches | Image via World Animal Protection
The researchers also found several immature 'blood feathers', which caused severe bleeding and pain when removed:
"These images show what ostriches are done to out of sight of consumers for the benefit of a fashion trend. We hope that the research will wake up both consumers and the fashion industry.".
Blood feathers are stunted when pulled out | Image via World Animal Protection
Ostriches do not moult en masse
Ostriches do not have a massive moulting period in which large amounts of feathers are released at once. Yet international research shows that 47 percent of consumers think that ostrich feathers have fallen out on their own. That 'natural' yield would not be able to cover the demand. In 2024-2025, South Africa exported more than 150,000 kilos of ostrich feathers, worth more than 50 million euros. South Africa produces about 75 percent of all ostrich products worldwide.
In 2024-2025, South Africa exported more than 150,000 kilos of ostrich feathers| Image (ostrich feathers ready for processing) via World Animal Protection
No residual product
Ostrich feathers are also not a residual product of the meat industry. According to the researchers, feathers are a primary source of income for so-called 'feather farms'. Ostriches kept for 'high-quality feathers' (suitable for the fashion industry) can be cut or plucked over and over again for years – and then still end up in the slaughterhouse.
Where would these orange feathers end up? | Image via World Animal Protection
No fur, but ostrich feathers?
The South African feathers examined go to major fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent. Fast fashion brand SHEIN and other mass fashion names are also customers. While many big names do have a policy against fur, ostrich feathers are often not part of the policy, according to the researchers. Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection are calling on the fashion industry to make concrete plans for phasing out ostrich feathers and other materials derived from wild animals.
Without your help, House of Animals and Animals Today cannot continue to grow and give animals a voice. If you appreciate what we do, please support us with a (one-time) donation.
Inside Scoop: Habitat and Quarantine expansion projects
Wildcat Wrap Up
SNOW LEOPARD RAJ EXAM
What a rare moment, seeing a snow leopard (especially with that long, heavy tail) up close like this!
At 14 years old and as a senior cat, it was time for a wellness exam for Raj. I think you'll find this video interesting since you get a more close-up view of this magnificent wild cat. Thankfully, Raj's tests came back within normal ranges.
Later in this enewsletter, watch some special moments with Raj during my live sanctuary stroll video, too.
Today is the last day of the Fill Our Freezer campaign. We're trying to raise $20,000 towards the purchase of food needed for the cats this winter.
If you've already given, thank you!! We still have a long way to go to keep their bellies full this winter. Yes, even a $5 donation helps in purchasing food, especially for the little hybrids.
If you'd like to get an idea what's involved in feeding 160 wildcats, come along on this feeding tour:
SNOW & STORM ALSO HAD A WELLNESS EXAM
If you know Snow and Storm's rescue story as kittens, you can understand why these wild-born cougars are some of our more reclusive.
But our caretakers have worked diligently with them to be able to sedate them easily for their wellness exams. I explain a lot more in this video about them...
As the summer starts to wind down, we're still in full throttle mode with our construction projects.
I know, construction photos might be boring to most. But, to us, it's so exciting! The concrete has been poured inside our new Quarantine building and the new Quarantine habitat outside area has been completed - yay!
The perimeter fence has been removed around the areas where we'll be expanding habitats. The fence company has been here this past week accomplishing a lot toward that part of the expansion project.
In this photo, you can see Mango in her current area and just how far her habitat expansion will go. Way back there to the woods with an awesome new cave to climb, as well as trees and hills. She's going to LOVE having so much room to roam and play!
I hope you enjoy when I take you around the sanctuary with me through videos. This way, you can witness the special moments I do, from time to time.
In this sanctuary stroll video, you'll see how fixated Raj is on tiger Indy, as well as so many other cats we'll visit:
Everything you've seen in this enewsletter today is possible because of YOUR support. No matter how it's given, whether volunteering, donating, or sharing, it gives all the cats here a life they could only dream of before.
P.S. A reminder to let us know if you've added the sanctuary to your estate plans. Legacy Pride members receive special invitations to our exclusive donor events at the sanctuary.
