How SPANA helped Beletu, a malnourished and overworked carthorse
Five-year-old donkey, Beletu, lives in Sheno, Ethiopia. The country is experiencing some of the worst droughts it’s seen in 40 years and life for most is a struggle. Every day, Beletu works alongside her young owner, Adune, transporting heavy loads of farm produce and water to help his family survive.
One day, Adune noticed his beloved donkey was behaving unusually. She was off her food and when Adune tried to comfort her, she turned her head away. Seeing she had thick yellow pus seeping out of her nostrils, Adune knew he had to seek help.
Fortunately, Adune knew about SPANA and taking care of his animal’s welfare thanks to being a member of a SPANA PAWS (Promoting Animal Welfare in Schools) club. He understood that if his donkey got sick, she needed to get treatment.
Adune took Beletu to SPANA’s mobile clinic in Sheno. The vets immediately diagnosed strangles, a highly contagious bacterial infection of the upper respiratory system. Beletu was showing signs of fever and had hot, painful abscesses on the sides of her face and on her throat. Strangles can spread fast and be fatal.
Fortunately, the clinic had the expertise and the antibiotics on hand to treat Beletu. Without medicine, her infection would have worsened, and she may not have survived. This is why SPANA’s work is so crucial.
Will you please donate today to ensure working animals like Beletu always receive access to the food, medicine, care and support they need? Thank you.
The world is in crisis. Can you help working animals face their biggest challenge yet?
An entire generation of working animals are at risk from the devastating impact of global poverty, political instability and climate change. Not only are the countries where we work still feeling the effects of the global cost-of-living crisis, but unprecedented temperatures, droughts and natural disasters are putting an immense strain on them too.
Increasingly, people cannot afford to feed or take care of themselves, let alone their animals. When basic survival is a struggle, it means working animals are at increased risk of malnutrition and developing life-threatening illnesses.
With your kind support, we will:
- Ensure our mobile clinics and centres are well stocked with medicines and veterinary equipment.
- Set up emergency feed programmes, so in times of scarcity there’s a ready supply of affordable feed for working animals.
- Teach owners the importance of good animal welfare and health. Help them to understand that, should their working animals need treatment, our SPANA vets are there to help.
- Respond to emergencies like the earthquake in Morocco last September.
- Help communities plan for the future so that more vulnerable animals survive, and ultimately have a chance to thrive.
- Strive to alleviate the pressures of poverty and climate change and the harrowing impact this is having on working animals.
- Reach even more working animals who urgently need help.
Together, we can transform the welfare of the next generation of working animals. Will you please help with a kind donation today? Thank you so much.
Thank you
Your generous donations will be used for projects such as those featured in this appeal and where they are required the most to help animals in need. We would be so grateful for whatever you can give to this vital appeal. Thank you.
To speak to our friendly supporter care team please visit our contact us page and get in touch.