Helping working animals in Tanzania

Working animals have a vital role in Tanzania. Donkeys are used by many families in rural communities to transport goods, act as taxis and help with agricultural work. In such a vast country, it can be difficult to access veterinary care. Many working animals wouldn’t receive treatment without SPANA’s free mobile veterinary clinics.

In Tanzania, we run three mobile clinics so that our vets can treat working animals in remote, rural villages. Common conditions seen by our vets include wounds, parasites, colic, lameness, tetanus and rabies.

Through community training for animal owners, we aim to improve knowledge of equine care, as well as supporting the development of more humane attitudes towards working animals.

Our education programme teaches children about the needs and welfare of animals. The programme trains teachers and reaches children in schools across the country.

In Tanzania, we are also working to stop the global trade in donkey skins for use in traditional medicine. We educate Maasai tribespeople in how to protect and secure their animals – working with them to build corrals to keep donkeys safe. We also supported the closure of a donkey abattoir, in Shinyanga, in August 2021.