Find out how we tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing working animals around the world.
Did you know, there are over 200 million working animals that support the livelihoods of some of the poorest communities in the world?
Even though they’re essential to helping millions of vulnerable families, sadly, for many of these hardworking animals, life is extremely difficult. Especially as most lack access to even the most basic veterinary care.
That’s why SPANA is so passionate about protecting working animals, providing over 200,000 free vet treatments to horses, donkeys, mules and camels each year across Africa and the Middle East.
Some of the most common problems our vets treat each day include conditions relating to malnutrition, dental disease, and arthritis. Bullo a horse with colic
Animals such as Bullo, a horse from Ethiopia, suffer from painful conditions like colic as a result of dehydration and the wrong diet. Their owners aren’t trying to harm their animals on purpose, they just don’t know the best way to take care of them.
Which is why, as well as treating animals, we work tirelessly to protect them, by improving people’s knowledge of diet and animal care whenever and wherever we can. Dental problems are also a cause of terrible suffering for many thousands of working animals, such as Farook, a horse from Mauritania. In many cases, their owners are unaware of their pain, not because they don’t care but because they don’t realise anything is wrong.
This is why we run free dental awareness training sessions for owners at our clinics, making them aware of the importance of dental health and the need for regular check-ups.
Sadly, most working animals never get the chance to retire.
Elderly animals are still required to work hard to help families in some of the poorest countries in the world earn a small income. This can mean terrible pain for working animals like Fallou, a horse from Mauritania who suffers from arthritis.
As well as giving medicine to reduce inflammation and pain, our vets also give owners advice on how to manage conditions like arthritis. This includes making sure animals have plenty of rest and the opportunity to lie down to when they’re not working, and to make sure they bring them to SPANA for regular check-ups.
Every day SPANA focuses on protecting working animals, because we believe a life of work needn’t be a life of suffering.
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