Imagine being a terrified baby donkey, ripped away from your mother’s side and dumped alone in a field of stones and sand in scorching heat, only to be mercilessly beaten by children and left to die.
This is exactly what happened to Sunday, an abandoned, four-month-old donkey foal who was found at death’s door in the West Bank, just north of Jerusalem.
Children had cruelly tortured this poor donkey until he was in so much pain he couldn’t stand.
This level of abuse is common here, and we and our partner work tirelessly to save donkeys from misery and death.
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Cold-hearted children spent hours abusing this donkey foal, mercilessly attacking him until he was nearly dead.
Tragically, in the Middle East, foals like Sunday are often ruthlessly discarded because they “distract” their mothers from working and lack the strength to serve as beasts of burden themselves. Often, they are killed or deserted to die of exposure and starvation.
Many local people do not see donkeys as gentle creatures who suffer and feel pain, but as tools to be used until they drop. They are often terribly abused, starved, whipped, beaten, stabbed, stoned and forced to carry heavy loads on their backs, until they collapse from exhaustion.
Sunday was saved in the nick of time.
This tragic little soul was discovered by a 12-year-old girl who saw the children torture him to the point of collapse. She bravely chased them away and tried to help the animal herself, but Sunday was so badly injured that he could not stand up. Judging from his wounds, his abusers had tormented him for hours on end.
Luckily, the young girl knew to call our partner, Starting Over Sanctuary (SOS), which quickly dispatched a rescue team.
It is heartbreaking to think of the terror poor little Sunday must have felt as he lay injured and baking under a blistering sun, unable to move due to his unbearable pain.
Sunday has been saved, but his fight for survival is far from over.
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SOS rushed Sunday to its sanctuary for emergency medical attention and discovered that he was suffering from extensive injuries to his pelvis and hind legs, as well as extreme malnutrition and dehydration. This defenseless donkey was so weak when he was rescued that he had to be carried to safety, his tiny legs buckling beneath him.
Sunday’s recovery will be slow, painful and extremely costly. He currently weighs only 66lb (30kg), half the healthy weight of 132lb (60kg) for a foal of his age.
To regain his strength, Sunday needs high-nutrition supplemental feeding and intensive physical therapy, regular blood tests, antibiotics and pain relievers so that he can eventually walk on his own.
As if a culture of abuse isn’t enough, the area’s worsening conflict is causing even more pain and suffering.
SOS currently cares for 900 donkeys, many rescued from dangerous war zones and deplorable abuse across the Middle East.
Our team is already facing skyrocketing costs for food and medical care. With an attack from Iran and Hezbollah seeming more and more likely by the day, the situation is becoming even more serious, and we MUST be ready.
We desperately need YOUR help to save little Sunday’s life before more injured, traumatized donkeys pour into the shelter as this terrible war intensifies.
Can this baby donkey count on you?
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With your support, we CAN nurse baby Sunday back to health.
Sunday’s health problems are extremely serious and demand emergency care as soon as possible.
Together, we can give Sunday the care and love he desperately needs to survive after his awful and traumatic start to life. Please help us give him this chance by donating generously today!