Although they receive bad publicity, donkeys are one of the most intelligent, friendly and kind hearted animals that exists. Due to his high physical abilities - he was born into an ancient reality of hard and cruel exploitation by humans.

 

In addition to the dire consequences of the donkeys' degrading and widespread perception as a "stupid beast of burden" - in recent years the situation has worsened, and 2 more things have happened that have made their lives a living nightmare.

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1. Social Media

As social media has taken on a more central place in the social lives of children and adolescents- abuse by children has become a common, accepted and daily phenomenon.

We encounter disturbing cases where in a nutshell children beat, tie, aggressively ride, cut off their ears and tails, burn them and even water them with alcohol.  

 

The bad publicity that the donkeys get gives children  legitimacy to abuse them to death for amusement.

The lives of the donkeys that carry loads  are unbearable, during the day they work, carry and are beaten.

They do not receive basic conditions of shelter, food and water on a regular basis.

And in many cases their legs are tied mercilessly for long hours- until the leg is amputated..

 

Shockingly, many of the cases on social media win the viewers' sympathy, although there are reactions against it, but the fact that sharing the abuse with music and laughter is a common thing that people feel comfortable doing - reflects a violent and disturbing social phenomenon.

Why is this happening?

Along with research, educational activities around the clock, and the support of the police and the IDF for treating these cases, we know one thing - we must protect those who are under abusive hands, and those who we know that it's only a matter of time before they fall into such hands.

The only way we have found to ensure this is to turn the donkeys into a protected nature value which the law must protect and even rescue, seize and send them to us or other protected sanctuaries.

 

A donkey that is not under the protection of a sanctuary- ends up falling into abusive hands, and finally, if he survives after decades of hard labor and abuse he will reach the last stop - the slaughterhouses of the ejiao industry.

 

 

 

2. The ejiao industry

What is ejiao?

A gelatin used for Chinese cosmetics and natural medicine which has become extremely popular and the companies that supply the ejiao have grown and become huge companies.

Ejiao is produced from the skins of donkeys only and in light of the demand this industry is claiming the lives of millions of donkeys a year.

In 2016 this industry claimed the lives of 4.8 million donkeys imported from all over the world, and since then this industry has only grown and the donkeys have reached the status of endangered.

But this industry that is rolling in huge sums and its market value is estimated at $ 3.2 billion as of June 2022 - has found a solution and started factory farming of donkeys.

 

For those unaware of how animals are raised industrially, this includes genetic engineering involving great suffering, invasive breeding, daily violence, living conditions that cannot be called living because death is better than that, and in conclusion - it is a life of fear and darkness from birth to death.

 

Donkeys, one of the most intelligent and friendly animals in recent years, are undergoing an accelerated process of entering the animal industry, and we are determined to remove them from this industry before it is too late - we have found that the way to prevent this is by defining them as a protected natural value in Israel and other countries and it will be the fastest and most effective step to boycott the ejiao industry, just like it was with the rhinos, tigers and other animals that needed the protection of the law.

 

In recent years, tens of thousands of donkeys have been transferred from Israel to the skin industry - they have been transferred from Israel to Gaza, from Gaza to the slaughterhouses in Egypt and from there to China.

As of today, and despite the organization’s success this year in preventing another 400 donkeys from finding themselves in this industry, there are hundreds of donkeys left in Israel who need protection and rescue from their fate.

 

We are in a race against time!

As long as the trade in donkeys is allowed - the horror continues and traders try to get their hands on them.

 

It's time to demand change!

Please sign the petition and help us stop the bitter and unbearable reality of Israel's donkeys.

Support and take part in the struggle to change the status of donkeys in Israel to that of a protected nature value.

Only in this way will they also be protected by the law and the abuse, slavery and trade in their skin will cease in Israel.

The struggle to turn the donkey into a protected nature value is led by MK Yasmin Sacks Fridman, who accompanies us every step of the way in our activities for the animals.