Merkato's Donkey Machines

For the 3,000 donkeys that pass through Merkato Market in the Ethiopian city of Addis Ababa each day, The Donkey Sanctuary's clinic provides a source of vital relief. Donkeys provide a means of transport in the area, delivering locally-grown produce to the market to be exchanged for grains from Merkato's wholesalers, and are treated more like machines than animals in this fast-paced commercial environment. Like an old car that has been used and abused, donkeys are often abandoned when they become worn out and are no longer able to work. That is where we come in. In 2007 the charity established a clinic in the heart of Merkato Market to try and alleviate the suffering of these hard-working animals. Our clinic employs a vet, several animal health assistants and a community worker to provide respite care to sick and injured donkeys and engage donkey-users in community education projects. Last year alone, 1,760 donkeys were admitted to the clinic, suffering from all kinds of ailments including back sores, colic (largely caused by ingesting plastic while scavenging for food), hoof lameness, hyena bites and diseases such as anthrax, rabies and tetanus. The following video shows what life is like for Merkato's donkey machines and how our clinic is providing them with some vital respite.