The weekly update from Safe Haven for Donkeys :Thanks to your kindness, we have been able to fund a new community vet team in Egypt, with vital hoof care provided by our farrier.

 

Thank you so much to everyone who gave so generously to our Easter appeal earlier this year. Thanks to your kindness, we have been able to fund a new community vet team in Egypt, led by Dr Ahmed, with vital hoof care provided by Ali, our farrier. This team is now bringing much-needed care to working donkeys and horses in rural communities in the Aswan region, where many animals have little or no access to veterinary treatment. Your support is already making a real difference. This week, Dr Ahmed and Ali visited four villages, helping animals who desperately needed their care. I hope you’ll feel proud to see what you’ve made possible. Wendy Safe Haven UK Office An update from our Community vet team in Egypt During their visits, the team found many working donkeys in urgent need of care. Some were underweight and weak. Others had painful wounds, hoof problems, or eye conditions made worse by flies and irritation. The team dewormed every donkey they examined, helping to tackle internal parasites that can leave animals weak, undernourished and vulnerable to further illness. They also cleaned and dressed wounds, treated painful hoof problems and distributed fly masks to help protect animals from constant irritation around the eyes and open wounds. As owners waited patiently with their donkeys and horses to see our community vet team, the need for this vital care is clear. In hot and dusty places, flies are more than a nuisance. They can quickly make existing injuries worse and lead to serious complications. One painful fly-related condition, called habronemiasis, often affects wounds and sensitive areas around the eyes. Treatment includes carefully cleaning and dressing the affected areas, as well as flushing the tear ducts to help relieve irritation and support recovery. Flies and their larvae can cause painful conditions such as habronemiasis One horse was suffering from severe lameness caused by thrush, a painful infection of the hoof. The team carefully cleaned the hoof, removing dead and infected tissue, treating the area and applied a protective bandage. Encouragingly, the owner has already reported that the horse is improving and seems much more comfortable. Dr Ahmed will continue to monitor the horse until he has fully recovered. This horse had a painful thrush infection in his hoof. Dr Ahmed treated the infection and, soon afterwards, the horse was already much more comfortable.  Another serious case involved a donkey suffering from tetanus after a puncture wound to the hoof. Tetanus is a life-threatening disease that affects the nervous system. The donkey was also severely dehydrated. The team set to work providing fluid therapy, alongside anti-inflammatory medication to ease pain, and a course of antibiotics. The owner was advised to keep the donkey in a quiet, calm environment while he recovers. Tetanus can be life-threatening. Prompt vet treatment is vital. Thankfully our team - funded by your support - was there to help. This work helping working equines is only possible with your support. Thank You  Your support helps us fund our vet teams in Gaza, the West Bank, and Egypt, bringing vital veterinary treatment directly to working donkeys, mules and horses in desperate need. You are also caring for rescue donkeys at our sanctuaries in Israel and the West Bank, where they receive nutritious food, specialist care, and the safety of a forever home.  Thank you for caring for these gentle animals. Help continue this vital care This donkey - in desperate need of vet treatment - is just one of the animals you've helped to support in recent weeks. 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. Registered charity number 1083468

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A weekly report from Safe Haven for Donkeys in Gaza: : "A heartfelt thank you for your continued support of working donkeys, horses and mules"

 

Dear readers, I wanted to send you a heartfelt thank you for your continued support of our work helping donkeys, horses and mules in crisis areas. Today’s update shares some of the latest cases our team has responded to on the ground. I hope it helps show the difference your support is making for animals who would otherwise have nowhere to turn. You can also click here to read our latest April operational report from Gaza, showing the scale of the work taking place thanks to your support. Because of your kindness, our Gaza team reached 634 donkeys and horses in desperate need of care - often in incredibly difficult conditions. Thank you again for caring so deeply about these animals and the people who depend on them every day. Wendy Safe Haven UK Office An update from Gaza In recent weeks, our vet team has carried out urgent field visits across different parts of Gaza, treating large numbers of animals in need of emergency care. While much of our work focuses on donkeys and horses, the team never turns away an animal in need - often treating sheep, birds and pets caught up in the crisis too. Many animals are suffering from illness, injury and exhaustion after months of hardship and very limited access to veterinary care. Animals are suffering due to delayed access to veterinary care - but our vet team are trying to reach as many donkeys and horses as possible. Recently, a Bedouin community leader contacted our team asking for urgent help before illness spread further among their animals. The team quickly responded and worked for hours under extremely difficult conditions to examine and treat sick animals. Their fast action helped contain the outbreak and prevent further suffering. Our team travel on foot or by bicycle to reach communities with animals in need of veterinary care. Shortly afterwards, the team received another urgent call - this time from an owner desperately seeking help for his horse. The team set out on foot to reach the animal and provide treatment. With roads badly damaged, fuel scarce and transport costs extremely high, some visits now take hours of walking to reach remote areas. Najeeba shares more about this case in our video update. Click to view Najeeba's video from Gaza Donkeys and horses continue to be vital 'family' members - helping transport food and water. Infectious diseases are continuing to spread rapidly among animals in Gaza, while harsh living conditions and the collapse of basic infrastructure are making life even harder. But despite the challenges they face every day, our vet team continues moving from one emergency to the next - carrying out treatments, monitoring recovery and returning for follow-up visits wherever possible. Thank you for making this life-saving work possible. Click to read Dr Saif's April Report from Gaza Thank You Erna  Your support helps us fund our vet teams in Gaza, the West Bank, and Egypt, bringing vital veterinary treatment directly to working donkeys, mules and horses in desperate need. You are also caring for rescue donkeys at our sanctuaries in Israel and the West Bank, where they receive nutritious food, specialist care, and the safety of a forever home.  Thank you for caring for these gentle animals. Donate today Because of your support, this donkey received the urgent treatment needed to relieve his pain and begin recovery. 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

In remote areas in Egypt veterinary care is rare and donkey owners have been taught by Safe Haven for Donkeys to give first aid to the wounded animals

 

Safe Haven for Donkeys showing the new First Aid boxes with  basic equipment to help donkeys with wounds and  pain relief, whilst  working in the brick kilns in Egypt

Last week, we shared how your donations are already helping working donkeys through the new First Aid boxes being introduced at ten 'green' brick kilns in Egypt. Today, I’m so pleased to bring you another update on your support - this time through the launch of our new community mobile vet team in the Aswan region of Egypt. Because of the kindness of all our donors, more working donkeys and horses in remote communities will now be able to receive vital veterinary care - as you have helped fund the new team, their equipment, medicines, and a car to reach remote communities. We hope you enjoy reading all about it in this week's e-news. Thank you, Wendy Safe Haven UK Office An update from Egypt Our new Egypt veterinary team has now completed their training, as we prepare to expand our work with a third mobile clinic. Dr Ahmed, a veterinarian with eight years of experience, has joined Safe Haven alongside veterinary assistant Ali. They will begin travelling across an area known as Upper Egypt, covering Aswan, Luxor and Qena to reach working donkeys and horses in urgent need of care. Dr Ahmed (second left) and Ali (far right) - our new mobile vet team in Upper Egypt The team started work alongside our brick kiln vet teams, learning directly from Dr Shaaban and the wider team members, to deliver the same high standard of practical veterinary care. Understanding the reality of working in the brick kilns will provide a thorough grounding. From the harsh conditions and common injuries faced by the animals, to how our teams calmly handle donkeys and carry out full health assessments in difficult environments. Our new team completed their training in the harsh conditions of the brick kilns The training also included hoof care, lameness assessment and learning how to recognise problems such as tendon injuries and poor body condition. By building these skills from the very beginning, the new team will be able to deliver consistent and effective care to working animals. People were soon queuing up with their donkeys and horses to receive veterinary treatment - these remote regions have little access to such care We're pleased to report that Dr Ahmed and Ali have now carried out their very first mobile clinic in a village in the El Abasia district of Aswan. Working in the intense heat, they treated 25 working animals - including 22 donkeys and 3 horses - many of whom had no previous access to veterinary support. Every animal received essential treatment, including deworming medication. All funded thanks to your support. Our team will work hard to help animals in desperate need of veterinary care - their condition is in stark contrast to working donkeys in the 'green' brick kilns The team found many animals suffering from painful wounds, chronic tendon problems and poor body condition caused by undernourishment. These early findings highlight just how urgently veterinary care is needed in these remote communities. Donkey owners were happy to see our team - the health of their animals is a huge concern, but veterinary care is scarce in the area Owners were incredibly grateful to the team, thanking them for helping improve the health of their animals. Our initial work has also helped identify other villages in urgent need of our vet team's help, allowing us to plan future visits with local authorities. Thank you for helping us bring care to more working animals in need. Thank You Erna  Your support helps us fund our vet teams in Gaza, the West Bank, and Egypt, bringing vital veterinary treatment directly to working donkeys, mules and horses in desperate need. You are also caring for rescue donkeys at our sanctuaries in Israel and the West Bank, where they receive nutritious food, specialist care, and the safety of a forever home.  Thank you for caring for these gentle animals. Donate today Dr Ahmed helped to provide essential hoof care to a donkey in El Abasia - all thanks to your support. 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. Registered charity number 1083468