Saving lives with SPANA. Amina's story

In developing countries like Morocco, most donkeys, mules, horses and camels are needed to support the families that own them: to carry goods or produce to market, to plough land for crops or to transport people and their belongings. 

If an animal is born with a condition which means they can’t work, I’m afraid to say they’re of little use. Their impoverished owners simply can’t afford to look after a lame animal, so if they're unable to pull a plough or carry a hay bale, they are usually abandoned or put down.

No matter how seriously injured, sick or malnourished an animal is, if there’s a chance they can recover to live a healthy life, we will do whatever it takes.  Animal welfare is at the core of all we do. 

Amina’s owner, Bouishak, lives with his family in the rural Ait Ichou region of northern Morocco. The family is poor and relies on Amina’s mother to plough their land and transport crops to market.

Thankfully, Bouishak had heard about the SPANA centre in the town of Khemisset which provides free veterinary care. Two weeks after Amina was born, realising the condition was not going to improve, Bouishak took Amina  SPANA centre in the hope they could help.

The wounds to her fetlocks were cleaned with antiseptic cream, and then carefully wrapped with soft padding and bandages. Dr Hinnach then applied splints to keep her legs in the correct, extended position while they strengthened. SPANA vets treated Amina’s legs… and gave her a future. Our head vet, Dr Hinnach, immediately assessed Amina’s condition and saw that it was treatable.

Over the next few days our dedicated team of vets closely monitored Amina’s care and her incredible recovery surprised everyone. Amazingly, Amina was able to walk a week later, but the splints were kept on for a few more weeks to allow the legs to fully strengthen. Dr Hinnach filmed Amina’s first steps Amina’s joy at being able to walk is clear to see.

The wounds to her fetlocks would soon have become infected and due to the poverty her owner lives in, he may well have had no choice but to put Amina out of her misery.   If Dr Hinnach and his experienced team had not been there to help Amina, I’m sure her serious disability would’ve gone untreated.

We will do whatever it takes to give a working animal a chance in life – but we can’t do it without you. 

Amina’s story of hope is just one example of how vital – and often life-saving – your support is. A gift of £25 for example is enough to pay for splints, padded bandages, antiseptic cream, three rolls of cotton and penicillin – five of the veterinary supplies that made Amina’s recovery possible.

Please send a Christmas gift and help us give more working animals healthier, longer lives.

£11.50 pays for milk replacer for an orphaned foal for three months

£25 pays for splits, padded bandages, antiseptic cream, three rolls of cotton and penicillin

£56 pays for eight sets of horseshoes

£266.31 pays for a week’s supply of drugs to treat working animals at our Khemisset centre

Thanks to caring people like you, SPANA’s fixed and mobile clinics provide free veterinary care to around a thousand working animals every single day. There are many thousands more working animals we must be here to help in 2012, so please send a Christmas gift if you can today. Whatever support you can give will save the life of another working animal. 

Thank you so much and I hope you have a very happy Christmas.

Jeremy Hulme

Chief Executive