On my way to an education course I was running in the Kumta Naka area of Solapur, India, I saw this donkey who had been injured badly in a road accident. I immediately went on to meet the donkey owners waiting at the course to find out if they could identify the donkey's owner. We all went back to find the donkey, but having searched all over, she had gone.
As the course was about the prevention of road accidents to donkeys, I wanted that day to show them all the pain the donkey would be suffering being left on its own. I was so upset at not finding her that I cancelled the course that day and arranged for all the donkey owners to come back the next day.
The following day we found the donkey and at my course was the donkey owner. He gave me all the information I needed for my road accident survey and I explained to everyone what safety measures they could take to prevent their donkeys being involved in road accidents and asked them to follow these safety measures as part of their every day donkey routines.
The course gave me an opportunity to discuss with the owners the problems we experience in following up cases of donkeys involved in road accidents and we discussed ways on how to take care of the donkeys, what the responsibility of the owner is to help the donkey and how the Sanctuary can help.
I saw a big change in the donkey owner who's donkey had been involved in the road accident. For the first time, she was given shelter and was taken care of until she had recovered.
The owner himself has a daily struggle to survive. He has no work and no earnings and during such a time like this, taking care of a donkey is very hard, but he did so and I am very happy that we were able to bring a change of attitude in the owner by educating him and the other donkey owners.
In the first photo above you can see how weak the donkey is and in the other photo you can see that she has gained weight and also her skin colour has changed. You will also see our wound dresser, Mr Prabhakar, who used all his knowledge and skills to dress the donkey's wounds because at the time the Vet of Solapur was on annual leave.
Thank you Suchitra and Mr. Prabhakar with your gentleness and education you have saved a Donkey's life and hopefully changed her future toward hope for better care by her owner. May her life become more important and her owner's soul become more prosperous!
All good to your hands that wash away the pain and your hearts that leave the lonely hills behind...
Jenny B.
Thank you Jenny.L. Bates for you kind thoughts. I need blessings and loving people for donkey care. Then only can we change the lives of the suffering donkeys.
It's so heartwarming to read about people like Suchitra who care about donkeys in countries where they are simply looked upon as beasts of burden who are expendable when something goes wrong. There are many people who love donkeys, suffer for them when they are neglected or badly treated, and are so relieved to read about caring souls who go out of their way for these sweet animals. I hope that little by little, kindness to animals will come to be seen as the norm rather than the exception.