Return visit to Palestine for Top Dial-a-Vet Stuart Easby

As promised here`s the latest Stuart Easby letter from Palestine !

Return trip to Safe haven for Donkeys 10^th June 2007 I determined on my return from a week in
Israel in March that I would return and two months of planning took me on the afternoon of Saturday 9^th June to the

Hayward’s Heath head quarters of the Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land (SHADH). This simple rented wooden office and store room is the uk base for SHADH and where Wendy (

Wendy Ahl 75% of the uk staff of SHADH) spends 37 hours a week efficiently coordinating the worldwide fund raising that supports the sanctuary in Gan Yoshiyya.

Here we did our best our best to cram as many of the accumulated supplies gathered there into my suitcase, along with the remaining head collars and bits kindly donated by

Saleem Akhtar (Jinnah.co.uk) and bandages padding and tack from Barbara Streather (Nee Pulleyn York) that I had brought down from Yorkshire. El Al had, as for my first visit, allowed me extra baggage to enable transport of much needed equipment out to the sanctuary. Penicillin, animalintex nose chain padding sleeves, gamgee, bandages creams gels and fly repellents from the Hunter range donated by Spotless uk who now distribute the Humane Spider catcher previously marketed by Guaber and already much appreciated by Lucy were packed and recorded. This helped my passage through security at Stanstead, where amazingly I was recognised by the security officer who checked my baggage at Heathrow on my previous trip. Martin from El Al had kindly informed security that I would be carrying equipment and consequently security clearance although thorough was smooth relaxed and easy. Unfortunately the flight was delayed for 2 hours which meant that by the time I arrived by taxi at Gan Yoshiyya I was well tired. I have yet to master the art of sleeping on planes.There was no outreach project planned for Monday and after brief ’hello agains’ ‘and welcome backs’, a quick check on Valentine and her new foster sister followed by a good hot shower in the visitors annex I was soon flat out catching up on lost sleep. Soonenough there were healing wounds to attend to, a sore eye and a lame donkey to look at. It was good to wander around the contented donkeys and catch up with old friends. Tuesday there was more work in the sanctuary. Pierre the local vet arrived at 7.00am for his regular check round and we were able to discuss the poorly eye. We decided against any surgical intervention as the condition was improving and the lame donkey far less so.The visiting donkey dentist Shufe was due to be working on the premises for the next few days and it was good to be able to help out. I learned a novel way to adjust the height difference between human and donkey which has always made donkey teeth rasping a back breaking job. Simply dig a hole in the ground to stand in. I was well impressed byAbed’s Donkey Stocks. These he had made fromscratch and the hinged swinging side was a stroke ofdesign genius when it came to getting reluctant donkeys in.One big problem that was not evident on my first visit was theaggressive nature of the local flies. They are remorseless in attacking any wound or sore and particularly aggressive on thelegs. Even when there is no apparent wound they will attackthe legs of the donkeys until there is. Fortunately the staff atthe sanctuary have found an excellent fly spray formula44 which at least gives some temporary relief. We are now looking for a spray that will prevent the problem with less frequent application. Whilst I was there final negotiations where in progress over thepurchase of the premises which have been the home of the safe haven for the past years. This did give me the opportunity to take an evening trip into Tel Aviv and I must admit that despite not being enamoured with cities I found the evening atmosphere relaxed casual and enjoyable. I sat with some friends sat outside a Café in central Tel Aviv and was amazed by the variety people strolling around, exercising their dogs. I felt relaxed warm and in real holiday mode. This was fortunate in that it was rather late when we left the night club and I was glad that there was no early start planned for the following day. Lucy had earlier expressed concern over the quality of life of 4 of the long term inmates. I had examined Sybil in March. She had been having repeated bouts of infection affectingher lungs and showed many of the signs of advanced Cushing ’s disease. It was a tribute to the skill of her carers that she did not suffer from laminitis and was still in reasonable condition despite her age. She had unfortunately developed a significant heart murmur with associated circulatory difficulties and consequently I reluctantly advised that she be put down humanely soon. I had to advise similarly for poor Alfie whose stifle injury had resulted in alkalosis of his left hind limb in such a position as he was no longer able to get up or down unaided. The resulting pressure sores could no longer be controlled. They both went together and are now buriedon the sanctuary that came to be their home and salvation. The other two I am pleased to say were quite able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity at Safe Haven for a while longer. I spent a wonderful evening with Muhammed visiting his home where the Taybe treatment centre is based, some of his friends with the most beautiful Arab horses and honey reputed to solve all manner of male ageing afflictions. Sampling the honey and the delights of local delicacies inTaybe and other local villages was a ‘night to remember’, as Muhammed remarked on our way to Hebron the following day (though he did confess to stopping off for more coffee after dropping me of and then not getting home until the early hours of the morning.)

Thursday was to be a novel experience for us all. This was the outreach project’s first visit to

Hebron and the first of a revised format visit as requested by

Brooke

Animal

Hospital as part sponsors of the outreach project.

Thursday morning was somewhat hectic with several donkeys to treat before leaving and the journey took longer than expected. Consequently the welcoming committee took a little persuading that before any treatment could commence Hammad was to address the assembled crowd on general care and first aid of their animals. The threat of no treatment at all produced the desired result and I was impressed by the general level of attentiveness of the crowd in the shelter of a nearby metal workshop. Hammad performed his task admirably Examination and treatment of the animals some of which were trucked in on an open lorry was soon underway. Some of the animals presented were past our help. This seemed to be beyond the understanding of their owners who it appeared had done all that they could with the limited resources available to them. This I found the most distressing aspect of the day as education without resources would appear to have little benefit to animal or to the owner. It was with considerable relief that time caught up with us and a halt was called and I began to think about the plane I had to catch early on Friday morning. We were not though allowed to leave before we had enjoyed the excellent local hospitality. Coffee, chicken coffee and rice and more coffee. I left having seen that obtaining the trust of those whose animals need care is the first essential in helping those animals and that can only be obtained by demonstrating not only the willingness but the ability to help through treatment. There is a balance between treatment and education and on both of my visits to Israel and the territories I have seen this charity operating from a small wooden office in Sussex with one and a half full time staff on a shoe string fulfil their mission statement to improve the welfare and status of the donkeys of Israel through education combined with compassionate and available treatment. I am looking forward to going back to help with the routine care of the donkeys in the sanctuary and to help needy owners treat and care for their animals. Can you help? To find out how go to www.safehaven4donkeys.org . They particularly need our financial help at present to secure the premises to enable their work to continue. £150,000 will secure the future of the sanctuary. Please consider being part of it. Thanks to;- El Al for assistance with extra baggage allowance. Jinnah Restaurants (

Saleem Akhtar) for bits and head collars

Bata Gate Helmsley (Jackie) for supplying and collecting bits etc Spotless

UK for ointments etc Safe Haven for Donkeys in the

Holy Land for inviting me out again Southside Radio and Minty without whom I would not have done any of this Alex for all he does for Southside Stuart Easby June 2007 (se@1vetinfo)