Update Safe Haven For Donkeys: a rescue sanctuary in the Westbank: severely abused donkey Blondie lying in the scorching sun and Rakan sat on fire, both donkeys safe and cared for

 

Dear friends, This week, I’m taking you to Arrana, our rescue centre in the West Bank, where a small herd of rescued donkeys enjoys the care and kindness you've made possible. Among them are Blondie and Rakan the donkey. Both needed urgent help when they were rescued. Today, their lives look wonderfully different, and I’m so pleased to share some recent photos with you. Thank you for helping make these transformations possible. Wendy Safe Haven UK Office An update from Arrana in the West Bank On a recent visit to Arrana, Dr Rakan had some lovely news to share: the donkeys are doing wonderfully, with glossy coats and healthy weights. He carried out health checks and caught up with Mahmoud, who looks after the herd every day. For donkeys who have experienced injury, abandonment or neglect, this ongoing care makes all the difference. Mahmoud looks after our rescued donkeys every d day, with help from your support. When we first found Blondie, he was lying in the scorching sun, unable to stand. Severely neglected, he was dehydrated and covered in wounds. His chances of survival were poor. But gradually, Blondie began responding to treatment and care. Today, he is healthy and enjoying life alongside the herd.  Your support helps give donkeys like Blondie the treatment and care they need to recover. Blondie, when he was first found in desperate need of care. Blondie now - safe and cared for at Arrana, our rescue centre. Rakan the donkey shares his name with the vet who rescued him from the streets of Jericho in 2023. He had been deliberately set alight, leaving one ear so badly burned that Dr Rakan had to remove it. After a long period of treatment, Rakan recovered. Today, he enjoys life at Arrana, with room to roam and other donkeys for company. When we found him, Rakan the donkey had been badly abused - set alight and left to suffer. Rakan the donkey is now safe and happy at Arrana, cared for by our team. At Arrana, your support helps provide care, food, regular hoof trimming, dental care and health checks. The donkeys also spend time each day exercising freely in the paddock. For Blondie, Rakan and their companions, this means all the care they need, long after their wounds have healed. Thank you for helping give them a home where they can enjoy their lives and receive the lifelong care they deserve. Nour trims the donkeys’ hooves - one of the ways your support keeps the herd comfortable and healthy. Thank You Erna  We hope that seeing Blondie and Rakan the donkey enjoying life at Arrana is a reminder of the lasting difference your kindness makes. Your support helps provide much more than urgent treatment. It gives rescued donkeys the daily care, companionship and safe home they need to thrive, long after their wounds have healed. Thank you for helping give them a happier life. Donate to help our rescue donkeys Every donkey in our care receives all the food, health checks and love they need to thrive. We can only do this with 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 Copyright © 2026 Safe Haven for Donkeys, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Safe Haven for Donkeys

Horses leap through flames and pets go to church in Spanish animal rituals honoring St Anthony

SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of Spaniards watched horses gallop through towering flames, hours before pet owners in Madrid on Saturday took their dogs and cats to church to be blessed with holy water.

The contrasting Spanish traditions take place every January to honor St. Anthony the Abbott, the patron saint of domestic animals. And despite criticism from animal rights groups, the horse-and-fire spectacle draws loyal crowds ever year.

Las Luminarias is a centuries-old tradition that takes place in the Spanish village of San Bartolomé de Pinares — population 500 — about 100 kilometers (60 miles) outside Madrid. Riders guide horses through bonfires in the middle of the street in an act believed to purify the animals in the coming year.

“In the old days, it was held because it was believed that the branches and the smoke blessed the horses and donkeys, which were used for farming, as a form of healing to prevent them from getting sick and to ensure they continued working in the fields,” said attendee Antonio Patricio, 62.

Festivities started around nightfall Friday as giant stacks of tree branches are placed on the side of the street, while locals mull about sharing wine, beer and sweets. Hours later, the stacks are lit and become the menacing fires that the animals must jump through — or around.

Animal rights groups have long criticized Las Luminarias, but locals say the horses are rarely, if ever, injured.

The next morning, on St. Anthony’s Day, pet owners in some churches across Spain take their furry companions to to be spritzed with holy water. That ritual blessing is also believed to bring the animals health and protection for the year.

Pet owners waited patiently Saturday outside the entrance of St. Anthony’s church in central Madrid, where Catholic priests blessed the passing animals. Many of the dogs were wrapped in winter vests, while the cats looked a little more bewildered.

“I’m happy to be able to do it,” Madrid resident Rosa Gómez said, holding up her pointy-eared dog Kia. ”She is a little dog that was given to us six years ago by a family that couldn’t take care of her, so we adopted her, and since then she has kept us great company.”

Hours before the start of Las Luminarias, riders wrap their horses’ tails in fire-resistant tape and braid their manes. Some apply a glaze on the animals’ mane to prevent them from burning as they leap through the flames. Others beautify them, tightly braiding their manes, tying pink and red ribbons to their tails wrapped in tape, and adorning them with decorative headpieces.

Livestock and farming were common livelihoods in San Bartolomé and scores of other central Spanish villages and towns that now stand empty for much of the year. Locals say Las Luminarias started after a mysterious illness swept through the village’s animals centuries ago, after which people started to believe that smoke could purify and heal the horses.

Going to Las Luminarias means returning home in the early hours the next day with clothes and hair that reek of smoke. In Spain’s emptying countryside, locals welcome that the tradition brings family, friends and onlookers to the village for one night each year.

Despite ongoing legal proceedings and protests from Animal Rights, AnimaNaturalis Spain, 'Toro Jubilo' where a bull's horns are set on fire, was once again held in Spain

  Photos: CAS International / AnimaNaturalis / Aitor Garmendia

CAS-International films fire bull Toro Jubilo in Medinaceli, Spain (November 2025) 

This year the event was held despite ongoing legal proceedings and health restrictions due to the outbreak of a livestock disease in the region.

Toro Jubilo

Toro Jubilo is a medieval festival in Medinaceli (province of Soria, region of Castile and León). During the event, a bull's horns are tied to metal frames to which burning logs are attached. These logs are often made of wool or rope soaked in tar. The bull is then released into the town square with the burning logs attached to its horns. The animal, panicking, tries to extinguish the flames.

This year, we once again documented the bull showing clear signs of fear and stress. These images serve as documentation of the extreme animal suffering during Toro Jubilo. We will therefore use them as evidence in ongoing legal proceedings.

The moment the fire is lit (November 2025)

The Castile-León authorities had extended a ban on livestock markets due to health risks.

An outbreak of dermatitis nodularis contagiosa (Nodules Contagious Dermatitis)

 is occurring in the region. This viral disease affects cattle and is characterized by painful,

lumpy swellings on the skin. However, an exception was made for Toro Jubilo, on the pretext that 

all the bulls came from the same farm and were returned afterward

without being mixed with other livestock. This exception was granted due to a ruling by the 

regional Supreme Court. CAS and AnimaNaturalis believe that holding the event posed serious health

risks.

Other legal proceedings initiated by the Spanish animal rights group PACMA are also ongoing . According to an earlier ruling by the court in Soria, the local ordinance allowing the Toro Jubilo was unlawful. The court ruled that this ordinance violated the recognition that animals are sentient beings and must therefore be protected from unnecessary suffering. However, 

the Supreme Court of Castile and León overturned this ruling. PACMA is not letting this rest and has filed a motion to have the case recused. 

The fire bull is completely exhausted at the end of the event 

Our director Maite van Gerwen spoke to German journalist Rebecca Hillauer  about Toro Jubilo. 

 Read her publication about the fire bull in Medinaceli here. 

Petition against EU subsidies

Did you know that your tax money is being used, through European agricultural subsidies, to breed cattle for bullfights and cruel folk festivals in Spain, France, and Portugal? This also applies to the fire bull of Medinaceli.

It's estimated to cost €200 million annually. We believe this must stop. That's why, at CAS International, with the support of the animal welfare organizations AnimaNaturalis (Spain) and ANIMAL (Portugal), we've launched a petition aimed at ending European agricultural subsidies for bull breeders.  Sign our petition here !

 

How are tapir Melancia and tapir Valente doing after fires ravaged their home? ( video)

https://oncafari.org/en/about-us/documentary/

Young Melancia was found without her mother, which made her recovery process even more challenging. With your support, she and another tapir Valente who shares a similar fate, are receiving treatment for their severe burns.

While Valente is close to returning to his natural habitat, Melancia will need more time to fully recover. She will need to learn essential survival behaviours before being reintroduced into the wild.

Tapir Melancia with 4 bandaged legs

You are supporting Onçafari in the rehabilitation of two tapirs, Melancia and Valente (pictured), who were rescued after being injured in fires. Credit: Fernando Faciole

 

Onçafari was established in August 2011, when the co-founder and creator of Onçafari, former Formula 1 racing driver, Mario Haberfeld, began his work at the Caiman Ecological Refuge (CER).