I was on my rounds in Lashkar, a town in Madhya Pradesh to see if the donkeys were in good condition and happy in their life. I was near the house of Goopy the donkey owner in Lashkar. In a small lane near his house I found the donkey called Mushke. Her head was down and her ears were in a tense way straight on the side. When I lifted her face, it was very terrible to see the cruelty done to her nostrils which had been cut and were bleeding. I could see in her eyes the pain and I could hear her voice saying help us. Water from her eyes was flowing continuously.
With the help of my brother, Ashish, I asked him to hold her head and then first I made her feel comfortable by grooming her. Then we did the first aid treatment. I then went to Goopy's house. His wife was there and said her husband was working in the brick kiln in Soregaw village . I asked her if the other donkeys were also in the same condition as Mushke is. She said yes. It was very terrible to hear that in such a condition the other donkeys were being taken to the work.
I immediately went to the Soregaw brick kiln. I could see Goopy's 13 donkeys in the same condition - nose blooded very badly and not able to work. Some donkeys were rubbing their nose on the bricks due to itching. The loads on their backs was making them restless for breathing. Immediately I called the owner and asked him to stop the work. The saddles were removed from the donkeys' backs and all were given first aid and tetnus vaccinations.
I asked the owner why such cruelty he had done to his donkeys. The answer was: "It is our old tradition that for good breathing, and to get more output from the donkey during the work in the brick kilns, we cut the nostrils".
I felt very sad to here this. At that time the only way which I could see to save the donkeys from this pain was, instead of scolding the owner in a polite way, to ask him to give the donkeys rest until they were cured.
This incidence, two years ago, made me start my education and awareness for nostril cutting to solve this cruelty. With the help of some good donkey owners, it was the start of my research into this practice.
- In 2006 there were 400-500 cases of nostril cutting
- In 2007 there were 200 cases
- And in 2008 there were only 3 donkeys in the whole of Solapur city
Today the donkeys are happy that they now have not to face this cruelty.
I am thankful to The Donkey Sanctuary for helping me in my education and awareness mission.
You are wonderful, and I thank you for your kindness to helpless, innocent donkeys who are overworked and treated cruelly.
Sometimes just caring, and pointing out that there is supposed to be concern for another's suffering will open someone's heart.
Bless you,
Ocean
You all are so wonderful, and this story I have to say, has stunned me.
Hope and forgiveness is the greatest burden you will ever carry. A burden so heavy that many times I would throw it off my back. But then I think of you. I think of Donkeys. And now I will think of you dear Mushke. I'm writing this drinking a tea from India and on the box it says, "Be happy so long as breath is in you". But you are in India, and have you ever felt happiness? I know you must have in your Donkey way, but I look at your photo and wonder how can humans ever say words like that to each other and never think to say them to you. I will sing you a lullaby of hope and send you blissful waves without pain. And I will hope that you have shared smiles and healing with strangers that may some day fill you with perfect peace. Here are other words more poignant still, "What lies before us and what lies beyond are tiny compared to what lies within us" - Thoreau.
My heart is at half mast for you.
Jenny