You can help Mali’s working donkeys

Working donkeys in Mali don’t just carry the rubbish – they eat it too. We’ve witnessed the suffering of animals in many countries, but Mali’s rubbish dumps are nothing short of a living hell.

Donkeys strain under back-breaking loads, their weary heads hanging as they trudge through the mud and rubbish. Carting away tonnes of waste from homes and businesses is how their owners earn a meagre living, so there is no time to rest for man or beast – and very little food to go around.

These weighed down and weary animals are so desperate they’ll eat anything.

Hungry and exhausted animals resort to eating plastic and rotting waste. Plastic bags could be the only thing a starving animal eats all day!

This daily diet of rubbish can, and does, kill.

Eating a plastic bag can block a donkey’s gut leading to excruciating colic and without treatment can cause a prolonged, painful death. The dumps are a scavenging ground for starving donkeys and even livestock – and wounds caused by rusting metal and broken glass on the dump are common. Tetanus can be caught through deep wounds and is a deadly threat.

Please will you help give these animals the lifesaving treatment they desperately need?

Your gift can turn a miserable existence into a better life.

To speak to our friendly supporter care team please visit our contact us page and get in touch.