Liliya the donkey’s agonising back wound

Liliya is one of the thousands of animals who carry out backbreaking work in India’s brick kiln industry. The five-year-old donkey works hard for her owner, Mehul. In sweltering temperatures, she relentlessly carries huge loads of bricks on her back to help Mehul support his wife and two children. Her job is one of the toughest in the world.

Liliya’s exhausting loads and inadequate harnessing took their toll on the dedicated donkey. The weight of the bricks started to rub her delicate skin. Sweat, dirt and dust exacerbated her injury, and she soon had an agonising wound on her back. Mehul was worried. He knew that injuries like Liliya’s could become much worse if left untreated – his donkey was at serious risk of the wound becoming infected or developing life-threatening illnesses like tetanus.

Every day can be a living hell for animals working in brick kilns. But thanks to your kindness, SPANA is working to help save working animals like Liliya from pain, disease and despair. Your continued support will enable us to expand our work to more brick kilns, to provide vaccinations and urgent treatment to sick and injured animals, and to train owners on safe harnessing to protect their animals from pain and injuries. Thank you so much for your ongoing support.