Over the past 8 months, work continues at the Nowzad Donkey Sanctuary in Kabul to provide rescued working horses and donkeys with respite and peace. In most cases, this is after many years of hard labour and often quite profound suffering.

*Shah Wali feeding carrots to the donkeys*

Thanks to our kind supporters' donations the sanctuary is able to sustain care and treatment for 7 donkeys and 1 horse through the harsh winters and scorching summers.

It can take years to earn the individual animal’s trust again, however our committed Afghan staff who continued caring for our rescued animals throughout all the challenges of the last three years never give up.

Crazy for carrots!

All of the resident donkeys go crazy for carrots! Every day, they eagerly await

Shah Wali, who walks back from the local market with bags of carrots for them. It’s his favourite job as he absolutely loves the sound of the carrots crunching in their teeth and enjoys hand-feeding them daily. Shah Wali has cared for these donkeys for over five years now and works hard on encouraging all the donkeys to live peacefully together – bonding over a shared love of carrots.

Watch the donkeys enjoying a fun swinging bucket of carrots the team made

In June all the donkeys and Azad the horse were given their booster vaccinations against rabies and tetanus and were all de-wormed. They are due a full set of hoof trimming shortly.

Read about each sponsored animal and how they continue to settle into life at the Sanctuary:

Pat

Pat / Pat’s son Charlie

Pat is a very calm donkey with a friendly and kind nature. However, she is not very active and struggles to stand or walk for extended periods. When Pat does move, she likes to lean on something for support due to the painful condition in her legs. She never strays far from her son Charlie.

Shadow and Jack

Shadow and Jack are close companions who usually spend their time together. Nowzad rescued them both at the same time. Shadow and Jack also have similar personalities and prefer limited contact with people. They will stand for some fuss and attention for a little while but will then become a little overwhelmed and back away.

Jack and Shadow are both quite frail donkeys, with Jack being our eldest resident at approximately 19-20 years old. Jack’s previous injuries still prevent him from fully bearing weight on his leg.

April had not had a good life before he came to Nowzad. When the vet team found him in Kabul, he was tethered 24 hours a day amidst rubbish and stray dogs, and he had lost an eye. This trauma has sadly made April very withdrawn and emotionally scarred. He finds it hard to trust and prefers space and distance from both animals and humans.

However, the sanctuary is working hard to create a peaceful environment for him, and day by day we see him starting to thrive away from such harsh conditions.

Maqbola

Maqbola is one of our friendliest donkeys; she gets along very well with both humans and other donkeys. She loves cuddles, being brushed, and always seeks out company from her stable companions.

Dehmazang

Likely due to his life before rescue, Dehmazang does not get along well with many of our other donkeys, especially the males.

He is very nervous and will become quite aggressive if he feels threatened by other donkeys. However, he has befriended Aussie, who was rescued in 2021, and tends to seek him out when all the animals are in the exercise yard.

Aussie

Sadly, Aussie is completely blind in one eye, which can make him relatively shy and nervous, preferring to be on his own whenever he can. However, he is also a very calm donkey and has helped Dehmazang learn to trust other male donkeys as they share a stable together.

Azad

Azad was rescued from very harsh working conditions, where the vet team witnessed her being treated cruelly. As a result, she is an extremely nervous horse and can sometimes be untrusting and a little defensive. She will only allow Khan, a long-term donkey sanctuary staff member, to enter her stable and care for her. Khan has been looking after Azad since her previous handler, Nazir, left in 2021.

💞 Thank you to our supporters for being a part of this journey and for helping us bring comfort and care to animals who deserve lots of love after their working lives.

If you can, make a donation to help support the sanctuary. Anything helps, big or small. Donate here.

Special Nowzad Sanctuary Update - AAA Sponsorship Program: Journey to Recovery