IF YOU SEE A DONKEY IN DISTRESS

Our office responds to hundreds of concerns and enquiries from all over Europe, and this number tends to increase during the tourists season. Long hooves, lack of water, food or shelter, and injuries are the most frequent concerns and we always appreciate people taking the time to contact us. Obviously, long hooves need dealing with and often we can arrange for this to be done. Providing shelter and 24-hour water can often be very difficult areas to deal with.

In many Mediterranean countries, its common practice for owners to take water to their donkey very early in the morning and late at night. There are several reasons for this; buckets can be knocked over easily, filled with dust and insects and we've seen donkeys refuse to drink warm water.

Shelters can be difficult to erect on very rocky ground, and many donkeys are moved around from place to place for grazing. However, we do try to persuade owners to tether the donkey near to bushes or trees for some relief from the sun.

If you do see a donkey you are concerned about, we will always do our best to resolve the situation wherever possible, although we do need your help too.
Apart from knowing the exact location of the donkey, photographs/videos are so useful. Not only can they help us make an initial evaluation of the situation, but also provide vital evidence if we need to contact other organisations we frequently work with.

We do of course understand that it can sometimes be distressing to take photos or videos of difficult situations, or even inappropriate.

The more information we receive, the better and you can contact us with the information either by email or through our Donkeys in Distress Checklist.

If it's a real emergency for donkeys in Cyprus, please call us on +357 99892713.

A big thank you to all of you who have helped us help donkeys in need.