Donkeys in South Africa are in agony! Can they count on you today?

In Bela Bela, South Africa, 250 donkeys suffer horrendous abuse that would turn your stomach. Relentlessly worked to the brink of death by day and mercilessly attacked by cruel people seeking to sabotage their competitors by night, life for donkeys in this dirt-poor township is a hellish nightmare.

Working donkeys are a heartbreakingly common sight in Bela Bela, all of whom bear the scars of suffering, pain and years of abuse. These hard-working animals are routinely used to drag overladen carts and are fitted with unsuitable makeshift harnesses and wire halters, causing untold pain and suffering.

Those who buckle under the strain are brutally whipped and beaten. When they simply cannot go on any longer, owners resort to barbaric methods of euthanasia.

In one of the worst cases, a donkey owner savagely beat a donkey to death by repeatedly clubbing it on the head. The donkey suffered immensely, enduring 20 to 30 strikes before it succumbed to its injuries. We know you agree that this treatment is truly unacceptable, and with YOUR help today, we can put a stop to it. 

We are ready to jump into action — all we need is your support!

Many working donkeys in Bela Bela are in constant agony. Locals who lack animal welfare education tend to ignore their donkeys’ ailments, and so many donkeys suffer from hoof injuries, infected wounds, and diseases like tick bite fever and respiratory infections. 

Most donkey owners are also so poor that they cannot afford adequate food, leaving their donkeys to starve as they work them to death. Neither do they have safe spaces to stable them overnight, abandoning them to the mercy of the streets. With no-one else to turn to, these donkeys are relying on us to ensure they get the care they deserve.

Horrifically, because donkeys are seen as ‘tools of the trade,’ rival donkey owners often attack each other’s animals with boiling water, knives and broken glass, hoping to put their competitors out of business. These attacks almost always happen under the cover of darkness, and these crimes frequently go unpunished.

We are working alongside our partner, Rest Ur Ass (RUA). Your generous donations will help us stop this cruelty by raising awareness, funding essential food and veterinary care, providing training, and supplying suitable harnesses and halters that prevent injuries. Your support will also help us offer assistance for emergency rescue missions.

The sights we see in Bela Bela are truly distressing, but the positive impact of this program is heartwarming to see – and with your support, we can change even more lives. Can you imagine the difference we could make with another 200 donkeys receiving the protection and care they deserve?

Your donation will ensure that 200 donkeys receive proper harnesses, life-saving food and veterinary care, and regular monitoring to ensure humane treatment.

Many of these poor animals, including their foals, have never known kindness, and without your help, they may go their whole lives without being treated with the care and compassion they SO deserve. Will you be a beacon of light in the darkness for these innocent souls?

Please help us save donkey lives and end suffering for these gentle creatures by donating as much as you possibly can to Network for Animals today.

For the animals,

P.S. Please donate generously today to ensure donkeys are treated humanely and provided with a safe space. Your support will help us continue this life-saving program and free up funds for a sustainable, long-term solution to stop the violence! Please donate right now.

Banner credit: RUA