Support our silent cries appeal and help protect working animals like Dima from preventable pain and injury
For working horses, donkeys and mules, a comfortable harness can make all the difference, allowing them to work without pain. It’s what allows them to pull carts, carry loads and support the livelihoods of the families who depend on them. But when a harness is rough, makeshift or doesn’t fit properly, it can dig into the skin, causing agonising wounds with every step. And they only get worse the longer an animal keeps working.
Many owners have little choice but to use whatever harness or thin saddle they can access. Without proper equipment or guidance, these makeshift solutions cause daily, preventable pain. Left untreated, sores can become deeply infected and because working animals can’t communicate what hurts, the damage is often severe before anyone notices.
This is one of the most common and preventable causes of suffering we see in our clinics. Working with harnessing specialists, our teams develop practical training materials to improve harness fit and help prevent wounds, fit soft padding made from locally sourced materials, correct harness position and invite owners to community training sessions where they learn how to protect their animals for the long term.
Will you please donate today and help ensure the silent cries of working animals are not ignored?
Dima’s Story
In the rural town of Adami Tulu, Ethiopia, 11-year-old Dima works alongside his owner Kedo, providing an essential service to the local community. Together, they travel miles across dusty, uneven terrain under the blazing sun, helping people reach markets, schools and hospitals. The income Dima helps Kedo earn also supports his wife and two young children.
Dima is malnourished. His rough harness digs into his skin. His agonising wounds have become infected. Despite the pain and exhaustion, Dima doesn’t cry out for help.
We won’t let the silent cries of working animals be ignored.
Our mobile clinic, run in collaboration with local partner Addis Ababa University – College of Veterinary Medicine, regularly travels to towns outside the city, so that owners in more remote areas have somewhere to bring their sick and injured animals.
The painful sores on Dima’s back wouldn’t heal, and walking became painful. Kedo feared the worst. After hearing from a friend about the work of our local partner, he knew he had to act fast before his horse’s condition worsened.
As soon as the team examined Dima, they could see the distress his makeshift harness was causing him. The sore on his back was red and raw, and he flinched when touched. The vet team cleaned and disinfected Dima’s wounds, applied ointment and gave him pain relief to ease his discomfort. They also advised Kedo on how to clean the wound daily and continue the treatment at home, which was essential to his horse’s recovery.
With further guidance, Kedo learned how to fit Dima’s harness properly and added soft, locally sourced padding to his thin saddle. He also attended a community training session on preventing harness wounds and keeping his horse healthy through rest, clean, fresh water and a balanced diet.
Dima recovered because help reached him in time. But there are more animals like him, suffering in silence right now, who need our help.
Will you make a donation today and help ensure the silent cries of working animals are not ignored?
Thank you
Your generous donations will fund projects like those in this appeal and provide help where animals need it most. We would be so grateful for whatever you can give to this vital appeal. Thank you.
