Stuart Easby Safe haven for Donkeys in Palestine

Being a series of reports from the creator of www.1vet.info Stuart Easby

Southside`s dial-a-vet was recently able to lend his considerable expertise to the Palestine based www.safehaven4donkeys.org thanks to

www.williamhill.co.uk

www.elal.co.uk

www.robinsonsequestrian.co.uk

www.cavalliert.co.uk

www.jinnah.co.uk

It occurs to me as I write this that the trip to Israel occurred as a direct result of my involvement with Southside so I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Southside team without whom this adventure would never have happened and I would never have got to see first hand the happy and contented donkeys rescued and rehabilitated far away in the safe haven on the Moshav Gan Yoshiyya in Israel.  Run so effectively by this small UK registered charity based in East Sussex and registered in Israel as a foreign charity The Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land (www.safehaven4donkeys.org)(SHADH) was founded by Lucy Fensom  in 2000 to provide help for the donkeys of Israel, to improve their status and promote their welfare through education. It relies entirely on donations to continue this work. Unlike many larger charities this organisation has minimal running costs and consequently the funds they receive are all used to benefit the intended animals and not individuals pension funds. 

As Southside Challenges go this won gets my prize to date. The odds of ever completing it seemed very much in the Bookies favour until paradoxically it was the bookies themselves that caused the first serious shortening of the odds by their offer of extremely generous sponsorship. This flattened the first hurdle before take off and covered almost all my travel costs from home to Israel and back. My second huge thank you is therefore to William Hill who again demonstrated that their interest in animals extends beyond racing into welfare. El Al were particularly helpful in allowing me extra baggage allowance and fast track check in at Heathrow which meant that I was able to take a quantity of quite literally bits (horse bits that is) and pieces (headcollars) sponsored by Saleem Akhtar of Jinnah Restaurants (The Spice Clubs etc) supplied at seriously discounted rates by Bata (Robinsons) Equestrian at Gate Helmsley. Cavalliert supplied cloth to pad harnesses and creams.  So thank you to Rupert Adams, Martin Blake, Saleem Akhtar Jacquie and Diana and the companies they represent without whose help I could not have begun to help the Donkeys.

My check in through Heathrow was fast and efficient despite the Video camera and case which I was kindly supplied by Provision in Leeds borrowed attracting a fair amount of attention.  Fortunately it tested clear for traces of explosives and was soon repacked and fast tracked through baggage check in leaving me a little time to enjoy the excellent facilities provided by EL Al and pick up a duty free bargain digital camera.  The five hour flight gave me just about enough time to work out how to use it  between  drinks dinner and more duty free dispensed with amazing efficiency by the cabin staff.  Passport clearance for entry into the country took me a little by surprise as it did not occur to me that some may think it a trifle strange to travel all that way to spend a week in a haven for donkeys helping a charity with possibly a whistle stop tour to an occasional historical site.  I advice anyone entering Israel to take with them documents confirming where and with whom and for how long they are staying. I can assure you it will save you and El Al security a lot of time and stress on the way out. More of that later.  Baggage clearance was fast and efficient and for the first time ever I walked out to be greeted by a driver displaying my name on a card. Time in Israel is 2 hours ahead of home and consequently it was past human and donkey bedtime by the time I arrived at the Haven and was welcomed by Adi Lucy’s husband who helps her in the day to day running of the sanctuary.  The donkeys in the ‘high dependency’  barn by the house did not stir. A hallow of red light indicated where the newborn foal lay but they were all so settled that it was not fair to disturb them. The adherent alarm at 2.30 in the morning did not seem to disturb them either. It stopped just as I opened the door to see what was going on and left me standing there wandering if that was a sensible thing to have done and listening to the gentle re-assuring chudding coming from the barn. 

The donkeys were equally settled in the cool drizzly dawn of  the morning when a quick look over the barn rail revealed some 25 to 30 pairs of long pricked ears attached to heads buried in the hay rack. A second look revealed fit shiny bodies and it took a third fourth or fifth look for me to realise that several of these donkeys had partial or full limb amputations chronic limb deformities or severe scarring fro svere wounds.  Donkeys with limb amputations was something I had never seen before and something that I have to confess I was a bit apprehensive about. Any apprehension I had about the ethics of limb amputation in the donkey evaporated right there and then. Here were donkeys behaving normally in a loose housed herd situation behaving and coping with there disabilities without any indication of being stressed by them at all. They were not the obese flat topped unhappy animals that many of the ’rescued’ ones that I have seen in this country sometimes become. Not one was overweight, an occasional one had the characteristic long thick coat associated with  a chronically overactive pituitary gland and a few others where obviously showing their age but still bright eyed and inquisitive and alert.  That scene alone convinced me that this charity is worth supporting. To see those donkeys in  such a natural and settled group would not allow this place to bear any other name than The Safe Haven.  Pierre a vet who lives on the Moshav and whose work and work rate I was later to admire popped in about 7 am to do his daily check round before breakfast.  The new born foal was suckling well and thriving and her mother coping amazing well following the recent emergency amputation of the right hind leg at mid cannon.  Cleo the old one with the Cushing’s problem whose breathing had been causing concern was improving and a recent amputee was healing well having been left with the stump open for a few days.  

After breakfast whilst Soohn an immigrant Thai worked away raking and skipping out the barn and Abed another local helper changed dressings administered medication and dressed wounds Lucy and Adi showed me around the rest of the haven. Shelter for the 108 animals, mainly donkeys and an odd horse pony and mule in the haven is provided by simple barns constructed of tubular steel and corrugated sheets. Sand is used over hard core for the surface of the compound and larger barn. Extensive drainage work has been done and just how wet it had been just prior to my visit could be seen by the many channels cut into the sand and the spreading deltas around the drains. The braying of even the most important Jack was soon silenced by the rain as they sauntered off to take cover. We did the same a trifle more rapidly and I concluded that donkeys do not like rain any more than we do.   

Hammed and Mohammed, a retired PE teacher prepared the trailer and restocked the outreach truck with dressings drugs instruments and bandages for the days
visit to Shif El Harris. The truck a double cab 4WD pick up has been fitted with an ingenious container just big enough for one man to stand in with a large lift up door. 

When we arrived in the village and the crowds gathered the logic of this design became apparent one man could both dispense what was required and guard the contents at the same time though I must say that the villagers were more interested in getting their animals treated than in the contents of the van.  Within minutes of arrival 50 -60 donkeys mules and horses milled around the van.  I was pleased to see that the majority of animals presented were generally in good condition. Those that were poor or looked ‘wormy’ were wormed using Equest syringes and checked for dental disorders. The majority of animals presented on this first outreach visit I did not have bits in there mouths. The majority of them wee controlled by three chains over the nose. This causes chronic thickening and hardening of the skin that protects the underlying tissue and no evidence of pain or discomfort. In some cases the grooves become sore and irritated and in these the chains were padded with foam and bandaged by the team to allow the sores to heal much to the appreciation of the animal and their owners. I had the satisfaction of removing a stone from an infected gravel in a donkey and the dubious pleasure of carrying out an internal examination for pregnancy, unfortunately having to declare the pony mare not pregnant. Pierre who as I previously indicted worked with incredible speed and efficiency despite the general hustle and bustle was amazingly prepared to castrate a mule on the barren mountainside. I was very disappointed when it was discovered that there was insufficient anaesthetic available and the operation had to be postponed until the next visit. This was the first ever visit of the outreach team to this village and the locals presented Lucy with a commemorative shield to mark the occasion after Mohammed in true school teacher fashion had sat the children down and with the aid of a comic strip book produced by the charity explained the benefits repaid by the donkeys for being well looked after. 

We left the hillside village as the sun set and by the time we got back to the haven it was dark. On the way back Lucy outlined some of the problems being faced by the charity through rising rents and the search for an affordable alternative permanent base which is a real threat to the continuation of the service provided.  Without this charity there is no help for many of the working animals in the poorer areas. SHADH started the Outreach project 2 year ago and for the past year it has been part funded through a partnership arrangement with the Brooke animal charity.   The day had shown me the working of the Charity both in the Haven and on the outreach project and had highlighted some of the problems faced. I was impressed by the way the common aim of improving the welfare of the donkey cut through the diverse ethnic cultural and religious origins of those involved. To me this was a demonstration of charity at its best and I felt blessed to have been a part of the team delivering it.
The following morning Adi unpacked the case of bits head collars bandages creams and cloth I had brought out courtesy of EL Al. The number of bits and head collars brought gasps of grateful surprise and the cloth and creams from Diana of Cavalliert were well received.  Lucy appreciated the Gauber UK humane spider catcher (she hates spiders) and Robert took immediately to Ian James’s Greedy cow books. Then there were dressings to change cheeks to clean out feet to poultice donkeys to groom and the truck to restock (not forgetting the anaesthetic)

Tuesdays outreach visit was to Haja which is in an area that has been visited several times. The general hustle and bustle was much the same a the previous day and in addition I had the pleasure of being able to make use of both a bit and a head collar that I had brought from England. Thanks to Saleem and BATA two animals got instant benefit from their generosity that day.  I got to practice my dental skills on a mule for the first time in my life and in return got a ride on a striking coloured Arab pony.

Unfortunately Thursdays outreach project visit to Hal Hul south of Jerusalem had to be postponed due to the appalling weather and lack of shelter in the area but it did give us the opportunity to go collect a load of carrots for the donkeys in the Haven from a packing station at nearby Netanya. Unfortunately there was not time to take up Mohammed’s offer of a cup of tea at his home in Taybe where one of the Haven’s resting stations is located so I did not get to see that functioning. I hope to do so next time I go out.

I confess that I was grateful that I did not have to try and explain why I had been to Taybe to the security agents at Tel Aviv airport on the way out. It took enough explaining why I had taken the opportunity whilst in Israel to visit Lake Kisseret and Jerusalem. I have to say that if you want to fly on as safe an airline as possible I can vouch first hand for the thoroughness of the El Al security agents . They were polite and civil at all times as they went trough me and my luggage with a fine tooth comb despite my inability to explain why an ageing English vet would want to visit Israel to see some donkeys and wander around Galilee and Jerusalem alone. I am pleased to say that my computer and other equipment was returned exactly as promised and despite the close call the rest of my baggage arrived at the same time as I did at Heathrow.  I was glad to be able to engross myself in The Brothers by Ian Lennox which captivated me as I read it from cover to cover during the flight back. It completely took over my consciousness as my adrenalin levels which peaked when I was convinced I had missed my flight settled to more normal levels and stopped me worrying about the laptop and other bits I had been asked to leave in Tel Aviv for further security checks.   

The Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land is a charity that was set up to provide help for the donkeys of Israel. To improve their status and promote welfare by education. I have seen first hand the effective way it delivers its mission statement.   I will have no hesitation in flying out again and taking as many bits headcollars hoof picks dressings and bandages as I possibly can.

Above all this charity needs funds please visit their web site href=”http://www.safehaven4donkeys” mce_href=”http://www.safehaven4donkeys”>www.safehaven4donkeys to see how you can help. I can assure you that your donations will be well used to help the donkeys in the Holy Land.  

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