Bless you and thank you to the brave vets walking through the rubble and dust in despair, people are starving, a piece of bread half for a child, half for the donkey

 https://www.facebook.com/SulalaSociety  Sulala Animal Rescue in Gaza. Helping a few cats and dogs that are still alive

https://www.safehaven4donkeys.org/  

Dear Friends I wanted to share the latest update we’ve received from Dr Saif, whose team continues their extraordinary work with donkeys and horses in Gaza, despite unimaginable conditions. His words speak for themselves. The situation is dire, but his determination is deeply moving. I hope you’ll take a moment to read his update below. Even now, the team is treating wounded animals and - at times - risking their lives to bring first aid to donkeys and horses. These animals are vital to their communities, helping to transport food, water, and even the injured to hospital. Tomorrow, we’ll be launching an urgent appeal to support this work. As one of our valued supporters, you're among the first to hear about it. You may receive a letter through the post, or email on Monday, but if you’d like to help right away, you can do so here: Give now to support Dr Saif’s team in Gaza. And if donating isn’t possible right now, you can still make a huge difference by sharing our appeal with friends and family - we’ll be posting updates on our Facebook page over the coming weeks. With kindest regards, Wendy, Safe Haven UK Office PS. There is still time to complete our survey to tell us what you think of the weekly e-news update, along with anything else you'd like to tell us about your support to Safe Haven. If you'd like to complete it now - please follow this link.   News from Gaza Thursday 24th July Securing veterinary supplies here in Gaza is nearly impossible. We had hidden essential medicines beneath the broken concrete of our old clinic, hoping they’d survive. Mohammed - my brother and a vital member of our team - had retrieved some already. But yesterday - despite everything - he went back for the rest. He returned covered in ash, riding his old bicycle with a bag of lifesaving medicines strapped to the back. I stood frozen with relief that he had made it back. His journey was full of risk, but he told me he had to do it - to help all the animals who need us. Mohammed exhausted from fetching vital medications hidden in the rubble of the team's clinic. He also received terrible news - this brother-in-law was killed while going to fetch food for his family from an aid point. Now those hidden supplies are all used up, from this point on, we will need to buy even more medicine locally. But prices are many times higher than normal, and every dose of medicine will cost us far more than it should.  Mohammed and the team continue - despite everything - to treat hundreds of animals in need. Many ask, “If people are starving, what happens to the animals?” The donkeys, our most loyal of companions, are starving too. Yet they survive because we share what little we have. We would tear our last loaf in half - one piece for our children, one for the donkey. It’s not just survival. It’s love. A bond forged in dust and despair. Even in the hardest times we remember them - because they never stop helping us by carrying our food, our water, even our people to hospital. Donkeys and horses are vital to life in Gaza - they are a lifeline for their owners and communities. This last week - despite the conditions here in Gaza - we managed to complete 18 field visits, walking through rubble and broken streets to reach wounded animals, mainly donkeys. In total 156 animals received first aid. This is all thanks to our supporters - you are vital to our work, helping us to continue.  Yours, Dr Saif. The team have carried out 18 field visits during the last week - helping 156 animals. Our work in Gaza continues because it must - we are the only mobile team helping donkeys and horses. And on Monday, we’ll be sending you an urgent appeal to help us raise money to restock our vital medicines. Please look out for it - or if you’d like to help now please click here. Your support means the world to our Gaza team - thank you so much. Thank You  Everything our vet teams do to support working donkeys, mules, and horses is only possible because of you. Your generosity helps us protect animals and support their owners across the West Bank, Gaza, and Egypt - as well as care for rescued donkeys at our sanctuary in Israel and our rescue centre and hospital in the West Bank. Thank you for making this vital work possible. Donate To Our Gaza Appeal Your support will help fund our mobile team in Gaza and buy vital medications to help donkeys and horses in need. Thank you. 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.

Royal Patron: Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra the Hon Lady Ogilvy KG GCVO  Patrons: The Rt Hon the Earl of Stockton, The Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe DSG, Desmond Lynam OBE, Peter Egan, Kay Burley, Jan Leeming, and Anthony Head Copyright © 2025 Safe Haven for Donkeys, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Safe Haven for Donkeys Our mailing address is: Safe Haven for Donkeys Unit 23 More House Farm Business Centre Wivelsfield Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 7RE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Undercover investigation exposed shocking violations at a Foster Farms chicken hachtery California: chickens being crushed, drowned, mutilated

 

Newly hatched chicks at Foster Farms Hatchery were routinely crushed by automated processing machinery.

https://animalequality.org/campaign/ending-factory-farming/baby-chicks-factory-farms/  video

https://animalequality.org/who-we-are/

Undercover investigation inside a Foster Farms hatchery

Animal Equality exposed shocking violations of California’s animal cruelty laws at a Foster Farms chicken hatchery in Waterford, California. The facility sells newborn chicks to factory farms, which West Coast grocery stores, including Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Target, and Chick-fil-A,

Baby birds crushed, drowned, and mutilated

At the hatchery, live chicks were mutilated by fast-moving machinery and then left for hours until they were dumped into a chute where they would be ground up alive.

Hours-old chicks were discovered with their bodies ripped open, exposing internal organs, and found caught or crushed by the mechanized processing equipment. Chicks that were trapped in dirty trays drowned in scalding water in the company’s washing machine.

Animal Equality’s investigator documented chicks scalded to death after being trapped in trays going through the washing machine, which uses hot, high-pressure water.

Seeking Justice

In a letter dated December 2, 2021, Animal Equality presented its findings to the offices of District Attorney Brigit Fladager and Sheriff Jeff Dirkse. The letter, which was accompanied by extensive undercover video footage, detailed how the company routinely subjects the baby chicks to needless suffering, injury, and death. It also demonstrates that chicks are left to languish without proper care and attention after injury.

Animal Equality asserts that the acts and practices documented at the Foster Farms hatchery constitute “cruelty to animals” and “failure to care for animals” under California Penal Code sections 597(b) and 597.1(a)(1), respectively. These laws prohibit a broad range of cruel conduct, but most relevant is the prohibition on torture, torment, mutilation, cruel killing, and any other act or omission that “subjects any animal to needless suffering.”

Foster Farms’ operation of its hatchery reflects a complete disregard for the lives of the individual chicks. Preventable death, injury, and suffering were the result and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.

In the first 6 months of this year,195 rhinos were killed by poachers: Rhino horn trafficking is linked to money laundering, corruption, and violent organized crime.

 https://www.ifaw.org/journal/rhino-faq  Detailed information about the rhino

Dogs are being trained to find the poachers K9 projects 

South Africa’s Environmental Minister, Dr. Dion George, has announced rhino poaching figures for the first half of 2025. This marks the first high-level report of its kind under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

A rhino

Between January 1 and June 30, 195 rhinos were killed by poachers, 35 fewer than during the same period in 2024. While this decline is encouraging, the scale of the problem remains critical. The announcement coincided with the launch of a new government initiative, Rhino Renaissance, which aims to restore Kruger National Park’s rhino population to 12,000 within the next decade.

June recorded the fewest rhinos killed this year, with 22 lost across the country. Still, Kruger National Park remains the hardest hit. Half of those June losses happened in the park, although poaching numbers there have steadily declined, from 17 rhinos in January, and 30 in February, to 11 in both May and June. Could this be an inside job?

K9 projects to train dogs

As part of the Rhino Renaissance initiative, the South African government has pledged to train and deploy 90 dedicated Rhino Monitors each year in Kruger National Park. While this is a promising step in the right direction, the numbers still reflect a disturbing reality: rhino poaching continues almost daily.

White rhinos were once nearly extinct, with their numbers dropping below 100 in the early 1900s. Thankfully, South Africa turned the tide with bold conservation measures, protected areas, community efforts, and ranger-led protection. By 2010, more than 20,000 white rhinos roamed the country.

Kruger National Park became a conservation triumph, with over 12,000 rhinos, more than anywhere else in the world. Sadly, that momentum has reversed. As of 2024, South Africa’s white rhino population has dropped to 14,389. In Kruger, just over 2,000 remain.

The decline in rhino populations is primarily due to poaching, fueled by international criminal syndicates, greed, and the illegal rhino horn trade. Additionally, drought and shifting climates have had an impact on rhinos. Improved monitoring can provide a more accurate count of the species.

This crisis extends far beyond conservation; it impacts national security, economic stability, and the rule of law. Rhino horn trafficking is linked to money laundering, corruption, and violent organized crime.

“Bringing rhino conservation to the global stage through the G20 is a powerful move by South Africa’s leadership and a necessary one. Political backing and international focus are key to shifting the tide for rhino populations that have been pushed to the edge. The launch of the ‘Rhino Renaissance’ initiative is encouraging, especially the plan to deploy 90 new Rhino Monitors in Kruger each year. That kind of investment in boots-on-the-ground protection matters.

“But let’s be honest, 195 rhinos lost in six months is still devastating. That’s more than one rhino killed every single day. We can’t allow those numbers to feel like ‘less bad’ is good enough. Yes, some ranger teams are operating as strongholds, but far too many are still stretched thin, underfunded, and fighting this war without the tools they need. At the same time, we’re seeing too many court cases stall or fall flat, allowing traffickers and syndicates to slip through the cracks.

“Rhino conservation can’t rest on one plan or one country. It has to be a long-term, multi-pronged, international effort—driven by real funding, solid prosecution, regional cooperation, and daily commitment in the field. The drop in numbers is progress, but we’ve got a long way to go. Progress isn’t victory. Not yet,” Mike Veale, CEO and Founder of Global Conservation Force (GCF), told WAN.

We must continue to fight for these magnificent species before it’s too late! 

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand: 3000 monkeys in Thailand need your help to end the horrific abuse of collecting coconuts ( Plans to stop this and how video )

Chained, beaten, sick and living in the most horrific conditions imaginable, the monkeys used and abused to collect coconuts suffer the worst animal cruelty.

We believe there are around 3,000 coconut macaques in Thailand, and they need your help to end their nightmare. Southern (endangered) and northern (vulnerable) macaques are torn from their mothers at just a few weeks of age. They are "trained" through abuse and chains to climb trees and harvest coconuts.

It's time to put an end to this suffering!

We're doing everything we can to bring about real change, but we need your help to secure the land and build sanctuaries where the coconut monkeys can recover from their trauma and retire. 

The extreme cruelty they endure leaves emotional scars and it can take years for them to begin to heal in the sanctuary.

This will likely be our biggest animal welfare challenge yet.

By working with the coconut industry and Thai authorities, we have an ambitious plan to end the abuse of coconut monkeys. But we can't do it without you.

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Of the tens of thousands donkeys in Gaza only 4000 have survived and are in bad shape suffering from malnutrition, thirst and injuries

 Photos: Safe Haven for Donkeys

Palestinian veterinarian Saif Alden was barely minutes away from being hit by an Israeli bomb. He had just left the scene where he had recently treated a donkey. He survived, but his equipment was completely destroyed, and obtaining medicine and surgical supplies in Gaza isn't exactly easy.

It was a setback for the "donkey doctor," but it didn't stop him, says Wendy Ahl, who supports the donkey team in Gaza through the British organization Safe Haven for Donkeys. "They've managed to replace some of their equipment. Not all of it; they had a car, but it broke down, so now they use a bicycle to get to the donkey patients." Dr. Alden's team says they've helped around five thousand animals since the beginning of the war, primarily donkeys, horses, and mules. "Although they also treat cats and dogs."

Dr. Alden's work helps not only the donkeys themselves, but also the Palestinians. The animals have always been important in Gaza, but since the war started in October 2023, they have become vital.

“The doctors told us that 90 percent of the people in Gaza use donkeys to transport medicine, food, and supplies,” says Ahl. She's speaking because Dr. Alden can't be reached in Gaza due to the poor internet connection. "Many cars have been damaged by bombs and rockets, and there's no gasoline left."

Donkey carts in Gaza have become taxis, shops, ambulances, and hearses all rolled into one. Veterinarian Alden, for example, told us about a pregnant friend of his who was about to give birth and needed urgent medical attention. “But all the roads were blocked, and ambulances couldn't reach her,” says Ahl. "She finally made it to the hospital on a donkey, and the baby was born. But donkeys also—however sad—carry people who have died.

Incidentally, it's not that donkeys weren't important in Gaza before the war. Even then, the animals transported fruits and vegetables, building materials, and garbage, as the Israeli army restricted the flow of cars and gasoline into the area. “Even in the heart of Gaza City, hundreds of donkey carts lend a 19th-century air to the chaotic traffic,” wrote  The Washington Post  on October 6, 2023, one day before Hamas's deadly attack on Israel.

But the donkeys, just like the people, are struggling. They suffer from malnutrition, thirst, and injuries. Over the past year and a half, the donkey team has seen parasites, rotten hooves, and open wounds caused by flying shrapnel from bombs. "And because the animals are very thin, they also get wounds where their armor chafes," says Ahl.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimated last November that some 43 percent of "working animals," such as donkeys and horses, had been killed since the beginning of the war. In February, the organization estimated that only 4,000 donkeys remained—though it added that making a precise estimate is difficult. "Based on the number of donkeys Dr. Alden cared for, we believe there are at least twice as many," says Ahl.

Despite the efforts of Alden's team, the number of donkeys in Gaza is declining, says Ahl. This may also be due to the Israeli army removing donkeys from Gaza, according to a June report by the Israeli public broadcaster Kan. It shows soldiers removing around sixty donkeys from Gaza to a donkey sanctuary in Israel called the Starting Over Sanctuary. From there, they will be transported to Europe, where, according to the broadcaster in France, they can "rest in peace." (A note from Erna,I am not sure I can believe this story )

Low supply

It's vital for both the animals and the people that the remaining donkeys are looked after, says Ahl. But medicine and food for the animals are scarce since Israel blocked the flow of goods into Gaza. "In April, we managed to get a shipment in, but it took us four months. Right now, a second shipment of food and medicine is gathering dust at the border, alongside the hundreds of other trucks that are not allowed in."

The donkeys working as ambulance 

The bodies of Palestinians shot dead at a GHF-run food distribution point near Zikim are carried on a donkey cart in northern Gaza Strip, 20 July 2025.Photo: EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

A former American guard for the Israeli‑backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says the organization’s aid sites endanger civilians, as France linked Gaza’s famine risk to Israel’s blockade and local officials reported fresh deaths from hunger and Israeli strikes.

In an interview aired by Israel’s Channel 12 and cited by Al Jazeera, the guard said GHF staff “pepper‑spray and hurl stun grenades” at Palestinians who pose no threat.

Once food hand‑outs ended, “the American security guards began shooting at them — at their feet and into earthen embankments — to make them leave,” he said.

“In all my military service, I have never seen such force against unarmed civilians,” he added, urging the aid system “be put to an end.”

Gaza’s health ministry said hospitals recorded 10 famine‑related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the toll to 111.

More than 100 human‑rights and aid groups warned in an open letter that a “dire situation” was pushing ever more families toward starvation, warning colleagues were “wasting away”, blamed Israel’s siege for “chaos, starvation and death” and demanded a ceasefire.

France echoed those concerns on Wednesday, calling the famine threat “a result of” Israel’s blockade.

Its foreign ministry condemned Israeli shootings that the United Nations says have killed over 1,000 Palestinians seeking aid in the past two months and criticized new evacuation orders that have uprooted tens of thousands in central Gaza, hampering UN and NGO work.

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency said Israeli strikes killed 17 people on Wednesday. Spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told French state-owned news agency AFP that eight, including a pregnant woman, died in a 2 a.m. blast in Gaza City’s Tel al‑Hawa district. Two others were killed elsewhere in the city, three in Bani Suheila in the south and four near a central‑Gaza food depot.

(jh)

Source: AFP, Guardian, FRANCE24, Le Monde