Eeyore was found near death, hacked with an axe. He is recovering now, but he and 92 other abused and abandoned donkeys in Zimbabwe need ongoing shelter and veterinary care. Please, will you help?

Dear,

We have told you before about the horrific abuse and trauma endured every day by donkeys in Zimbabwe. They are forced to work with no rest, food or water, pulling carts that are overloaded with rubble, metal, wood and junk, and when they falter, they are frequently whipped, axed or stabbed - often until they are seriously injured.

GENTLE DONKEYS feel pain just like us but rarely show it until they succumb to terrible injuries.

Can you imagine being forced into a life of being cruelly overworked, stabbed and hit, only because you’re an animal? This is life for donkeys in Zimbabwe and it is why we are committed to supporting our partners on the ground. Without help, these animals would have no hope.

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In Bulawayo, our partner MARES (Matabeleland Animal Rescue and Equine Sanctuary) receives calls to help injured and traumatized donkeys, rescuing as many as nine a month. Cruelty like this should be prosecuted by local authorities, but they ignore the viciousness because they simply do not care! But we do - deeply - and our partners do, and we know you do too.

Recently, MARES rescued a blood-soaked donkey who had been spotted hobbling in a suburban area of Bulawayo…

The team found the poor animal in an atrocious state - frightened and in obvious pain. MARES rushed him to its sanctuary for immediate treatment. They discovered that his pelvic bone and spine had been brutally axed, sending shards of shattered bone into his body.

Can you imagine the pain this poor creature was feeling?

MARES named him Eeyore. After surgery, he was given strong pain medication and antibiotics, and his wounds were carefully treated and monitored. Eeyore’s recovery is expected to take three months, but he will never again be a working donkey because he will not be strong enough to carry even a light load.

Appallingly, Eeyore had been suffering alone for three weeks before someone called MARES. This says everything about how badly donkeys are treated in Zimbabwe.

MARES cares for 92 donkeys at its sanctuary. Many will be life-long residents after abuse and injuries left them disabled, blind or too traumatized to ever leave.

Donkeys with permanent disabilities due to cruelty or injury find a life-long refuge at MARES.

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Please help us rehabilitate Eeyore and all the other donkeys at MARES. If we can raise $5,000 (£4,100), we can help Eeyore and his friends.

These are donkeys who have nowhere else to go. Local authorities are supposed to help, but it is the MARES team who fights for animal welfare and provides hope for donkeys in desperate situations.

Many of these animals have experienced daily trauma and cruelty. Please help ensure MARES can give them the peace, care and safety they deserve by donating right now - any amount you are able to contribute will help greatly.

For the animals,