When disease strikes, working animals suffer. Can you help us fight back?
In Ethiopia, working animals are the backbone of daily life. Horses, donkeys and mules carry goods to market, transport people across difficult terrain and take children to school. For many families, these animals are not just companions – they are the difference between making ends meet and falling into poverty.
But infectious diseases spread fast in Ethiopia’s hot, humid climate. Epizootic lymphangitis (EZL), known locally as ‘biche’, is one of the most devastating. A highly contagious fungal disease, it causes painful swellings, open sores and, if left untreated, can attack an animal’s respiratory system, making it difficult for them to breathe. For working animals already pushed to their limits, it can be fatal.
When a working animal gets sick, owners face an impossible choice. Treatment and feed costs money they don’t have. And in many areas, accessible veterinary services simply don’t exist. So, too often, animals are abandoned by the side of the road, covered in sores, with nowhere to go.
Together with our partners at Addis Ababa University, we run weekly mobile clinics across rural Ethiopia, bringing veterinary care, medicines and training directly to the communities that need it most. We provide practical guidance on preventing infection from spreading, help owners learn how to spot the early signs of disease, and treat sick animals.
Right now, the rainy season is increasing the risk of disease and infection and driving more working animals to our clinics than ever. Every donation helps us stay on the road and reach animals before it’s too late.
Please donate today and help protect working animals and the families who depend on them.
Wako’s Story
Abduraman is 20 years old and lives in Batu, a rural town in central Ethiopia. He shares his home with his parents and three sisters. Every morning he hitches up his carthorse Wako and heads out to work. Together, they transport people and goods along the rough roads in and around Batu, earning the income that keeps his family afloat.
So when painful swellings began appearing on Wako’s legs, Abduraman knew something was badly wrong.
Wako was struggling to walk. Each day that passed, his condition was getting worse. Abduraman feared the worst, that Wako had contracted ‘biche’ the dreaded disease he had heard about from other horse owners in his community.
Fortunately, he had seen our posters around Batu explaining the symptoms of the disease, and he knew he had to act fast. He brought Wako to our mobile clinic, where the team carefully cleaned and treated his sores, gave him pain relief and showed Abduraman how to continue the treatment at home. They advised Abduraman about Wako’s diet and to ensure his horse received plenty of rest. They also explained how to reduce the risk of the disease spreading. This is particularly important because infections pass easily between working horses that share harnesses and equipment.
Abduraman followed their guidance closely and a few months later, Wako had made a full recovery. He was back on the road, back to work, and Abduraman’s family had their lifeline back.
Wako’s story is not unique. Every week, working animals just like him arrive at our clinics desperate for help. With your support, we can be there for them.
Please donate today and help us reach more working animals.
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.
