Donkey pulling heavy cart of rubbish.
Working animal owners are struggling to care for, feed and even keep their animals.

Every day working animals endure pain and hunger, while facing deadly disease in the world’s worst workplaces.

Did you know that, every day, more than 200 million working animals do the jobs of trucks, tractors and taxis in extreme conditions to support entire families and communities?

All year round, working donkeys, horses, camels, oxen and elephants endure long hours in some of the world’s worst and most dangerous workplaces.

Sadly, working animals are currently facing their biggest ever challenge to survive. In a world in crisis, soaring temperatures and rising global poverty mean access to quality feed and water is becoming dangerously scarce. Working animal owners are struggling to care for, feed and even keep their animals. Too often, desperately hungry and thirsty working animals resort to eating cardboard, rotting waste and plastic bags – or collapse and die from starvation and dehydration.

By donating to SPANA today, you can help working animals facing extreme conditions, including donkeys like Yaya – whose story you can read below. Founded in 1923, we are one of the longest running charities dedicated to the welfare of working animals in need. We receive no government funding, so we can only care for working animals in need with your support.

Can you please spare $35 to support working animals by helping communities access quality and affordable feed and making sure vital veterinary medicines and vaccinations are readily available?

A working donkey receives treatment from a SPANA vet after he was injured by a cord wrapped around his leg.
Yaya the donkey receives treatment from a SPANA vet after he was injured by a cord tightly wrapped around his leg.

Yaya’s story

In Mali, Yaya the donkey spends 12 hours a day trudging up and down piles of rubbish containing deadly bacteria and hazardous sharp objects. Yaya’s job is to transport heavy loads of rubbish to the local dump so her owner, Daouda, can earn a meagre wage to feed his family.

One evening, towards the end of another hard day working at the rubbish dump, a cord wrapped around three-year-old Yaya’s leg. Can you imagine the donkey’s distress as he wrestled to get free and the cord wrapped tighter, causing a gaping wound? A wound like that could kill him if it became infected – which is a real risk when your workplace is a rubbish dump.

It’s hard to believe but Yaya is one of the lucky rubbish-dump donkeys. He received treatment and care for his painful wounds from SPANA’s expert vets – thanks to caring people who believe no animal should suffer a lifetime of pain.

SPANA often provides the only veterinary treatment that working animals like Yaya will ever receive. By sending a gift today you can help pay for medications, vaccinations and proper feed – so that more working animals can live healthy and valued lives.

Will you please make a lifesaving donation of just $35 to provide vital veterinary care to working animals like Yaya? 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.