In Israel, donkeys are treated with sickening cruelty by people who have never been taught that animal cruelty is wrong. Donkeys are starved, brutally beaten, and worked to the bone, often collapsing from extreme exhaustion or succumbing to their horrific injuries. When the animals get sick or old, they are abandoned by their owners and left to die – helpless and alone.
Our partner, the Starting Over Sanctuary (SOS) in the Moshav Herut region of central Israel, saves countless donkeys from deplorable conditions like these. SOS receives regular pleas for help from all over Israel, and dispatches teams to rescue as many donkeys as possible and bring them back to the safety of its sanctuary.
SOS also bravely intercepts traders attempting to transfer donkeys to Egypt, where donkey slaughterhouses are suspected to be active and serving the insatiable Chinese donkey skin trade.
Our partner’s compassion and dedication to helping donkeys in need is admirable, but it means that they often find their shelter full to capacity with needy animals. Because SOS never turns away a single animal, their sanctuary is now completely inundated with over 680 donkeys, and with the skyrocketing costs of food and veterinary care, it is on the brink of closure.
We have a plan to ease pressure on the sanctuary and the hundreds of formerly abused and neglected donkeys that call it home, but we desperately need the support of kind-hearted animal lovers like you.
In 2022, NFA supported the relocation of 200 donkeys rescued from abuse and the donkey skin trade in the Middle East to La Tanière, a well-vetted sanctuary in France just outside of Paris. This remarkable 4,595-kilometer (2,855 mile) journey was only made possible thanks to your unwavering generosity
Rescued donkeys arrive at the SOS sanctuary near death’s door, suffering from severe malnutrition and excruciating injuries. Donkeys are sensitive creatures and, heartbreakingly, many of the gentle creatures experience emotional trauma.
SOS does its very best to provide these poor souls with the tender loving care that they desperately need following their horrific ordeals
Credit: SOS
Credit: SOS