When Cheick was suffering from an irritating cough, vets at SPANA’s mobile clinic in Mali were on hand to help him receive the vital care he needed.
Cheick has an incredibly tough job. The seven-year-old donkey works at the Badalabougou rubbish dump – a sprawling site in Mali’s capital city, Bamako. Every day, Cheick and his owner, Moulaye, haul heavy loads of the city’s rubbish to and from the dump so that Moulaye can earn a basic income. They’re at constant risk of injury because Badalabougou’s mountains of rubbish are littered with shards of glass, sharp scraps of metal and rotting waste.
Hundreds of donkeys work at Badalabougou, so SPANA’s veterinary team in Mali make regular visits there to ensure they are safe and well. These visits provide hardworking donkeys with professional veterinary care through a mobile clinic, which is stocked with all the essential medication and equipment our vets need to treat sick and injured working animals.
Moulaye recently brought Cheick along to a SPANA mobile clinic when he became concerned for his donkey’s health. Cheick had developed a cough that was making him weaker and more tired than usual.
Our vets examined Cheick carefully. They told Moulaye that Cheick’s cough was most likely due to allergies relating to the dusty environment he works in, which had been made worse by his intense, physical work. The vets administered an anti-inflammatory injection to provide Cheick with some pain relief and to reduce the inflammation in his lungs. Moulaye was advised to make sure that Cheick had plenty of fresh water and rest until he had recovered. He was also advised to bring him back to the clinic for a check-up, or if his condition worsened.
Moulaye couldn’t thank our vets enough for their help. He said: ‘I have known about SPANA since I started working with donkeys seven years ago. I appreciate your work because I can get care for my donkey.’
Your continued support enables SPANA’s mobile clinics to reach sick and injured working animals, like Cheick, across the world every single day. Our 39 mobile clinics travel thousands of miles a year to reach animals working in intensive urban environments or in rural and isolated communities. Wherever we are and wherever we go, our charity’s veterinary care and support is always needed. Thank you so much for your care and compassion towards working animals.
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