Joy and Loss at Starting Over's Sanctuary for Rescued Donkeys
Starting Over are our hard-working partner group in Israel. They are dedicated to rescuing donkeys from horrendous situations, including donkeys from Gaza’s war zones. They currently have 47 rescued donkeys living in their intensive care unit - the Hope Compound.
Your wonderful support and donations are going a long way towards helping these donkeys recover from injuries, abuse, neglect and trauma.
Last month, two donkeys entered the Hope Compound:
Rumba
Rumba is an older jenny, around 20 years old, and moved to the Hope Compound from the old donkeys' compound. Rumba has a chronic skin condition which worsens during the wintertime and requires close supervision and treatment.
Eve
Eve is also an elderly jenny who moved to the Hope Compound from the old donkeys' compound. Due to her age, Eve spends long periods lying on the ground and has developed pressure sores that require ongoing treatment and close monitoring.
In February, one jenny left the Hope Compound:
Tippi arrived at the sanctuary a year ago. She was deeply traumatised and afraid of humans. Following a successful rehabilitation process, which included close contact with her caregiver and a great deal of positive reinforcement, she has joined one of Starting Over’s rehabilitated herds.
In addition, the team had to say goodbye to three donkeys:
One donkey was an old jenny who had recently arrived at the sanctuary. She was very old and frail. She entered the Hope Compound for observation during her adjustment period. Her condition was poor and she had trouble getting up on her own. She was closely monitored, underwent tests and was treated with painkillers. However, when she stopped trying to stand up, it was clear euthanasia was the only kind option left.
Another donkey was an elderly jenny who entered the Hope Compound for treatment of an abscess. She remained at the compound due to limping and chronic pain. These were caused by back and limb deformities following years of hard labour. Despite being treated with painkillers, her suffering became unbearable and she also unfortunately needed to be euthanised.
The last sad case was a donkey who was in the Hope Compound due to laminitis. He died suddenly and unexpectedly from what appeared to be a stroke.
Despite these heartbreaking losses, Starting Over remain dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming as many donkeys as they can. Your kind donations are helping to make this possible and you are truly making a difference in the lives of these long-suffering animals.