Following a talk by Sanctuary staff, children at the N V Patel Vidyamandir School in Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat state, produced this and other wonderful paintings. They give an insight into two areas where donkeys are used locally to help earn a living - as beasts of burden for potters and railway maintenance staff. Pay is meagre in these areas of work and as a result donkeys are often overworked and overloaded.

For a limited period, the paintings are now on public display in our Hayloft Restaurant until the end of August and we are hoping to put them on tour around the county to promote our work overseas.

India Project

Gujarat is a north western state of India and is home to thousands of working donkeys. They are essential to the everyday life and work of the very poor families who own them. The Donkey Sanctuary runs both static and mobile clinics in the state, treating donkeys and giving advice on their welfare free of charge. Sanctuary staff also carry out educational work to raise the profile of donkeys - to influence the next generation of vets, teachers, donkey owners and the general public to respect and look after donkeys better. This work is often carried out in schools such as The N V Patel Vidyamandir School.

The Potters

Donkeys are used to collect the clay and water from which the potters produce their wares. Once ready, the pots are carried to market by the donkeys to be sold. The potters are spread throughout the region and rely on the mobile clinics which visit their villages on a regular basis. If emergencies arise, our veterinary staff will also travel out to a sick or injured donkey to help it.

The Railway Workers

Donkeys are used to carry aggregate and stones to help with the laying and repair of railway tracks. Other donkeys carry sand dredged from local rivers to help with the work. The workers, with their families in tow, are often nomadic, living in makeshift tents and moving around to where there is work to be done. They are entirely reliant on the support of The Donkey Sanctuary’s mobile clinic visits and on-site help in emergencies to care for their donkeys.

The potters and the railway workers are extremely poor and just manage to make enough food to feed their families. Their donkeys are of huge importance to them but they have little left over to cover any veterinary costs and without our team not only would the donkeys suffer but the people also who need the donkeys to carry the loads.