The Donkey Saved by Facebook

LONDON, December 8 - An injured Donkey, abandoned near to the Dead Sea in Jordan has been
rescued by UK veterinary charity SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals
Abroad) after a plea for help was made via its Facebook page.

Arwa Abualrub who lives in Jordan came across the donkey on November 25
and contacted SPANA via Facebook.

Arwa told how she had found: "…an abandoned old donkey trying its
hardest to reach its owners just above her. It …has a lame right foreleg
(which, in addition to its age, is probably why it was abandoned). Seeing her
struggling to reach her family - loyal as ever - absolutely broke my heart."

The charity contacted Arwa and asked for more details, but although she
returned to the area, the donkey had vanished.

Arwa said: "It was a dark grey donkey, and it did not put any weight
whatsoever on its right foreleg. It had graying by its mouth, and appeared as
though it may have some missing front teeth. We left some vegetables for it,
but the goats and sheep could have easily eaten it all before they did it any
good, though we tried our best."

SPANA's HQ in London immediately alerted its office in Amman, Jordan and
a team headed off to look for the donkey, although with fairly sketchy
details about its location, in a mountainous and desolate area, it was not
optimistic.

However after 3 days of searching, SPANA Jordan's Country Director, Dr
Ghazi reported that a donkey matching the description had been located and
was now being cared for at its refuge in the Jordan Valley. The 14-year old
donkey was suffering from sores around her eyes from biting flies, and was
very thin with old injuries to her feet.

Jeremy Hulme, Chief Executive of SPANA said: "Thanks to the work of our
team in Jordan, and to Arwa and to Facebook, this worn out old donkey will
get some badly needed care and attention. This Christmas she'll have a dry
stable in which to recuperate and a manger full of hay, instead of being
abandoned out in the mountains."

"SPANA always does its best to respond to individual cases like this
where it can, particularly when people are concerned enough to contact us in
the first place."

NOTES TO EDITORS

SPANA was founded in North Africa 80 years ago, and now runs 19
veterinary centres and 16 mobile veterinary clinics in countries like Mali,
Morocco, Ethiopia, Jordan and Syria. It focuses on working animals in the
knowledge that they play a vital role in supporting poor families and
communities.

Pictures accompanying this release are available through the PA
Photowire. They can be downloaded from www.pa-mediapoint.press.net
or viewed at www.mediapoint.press.net or www.prnewswire.co.uk.

For more information contact Simon Pope, Director of Communications,
SPANA, Tel - +44(0)207-269-2689 or Mobile - +44(0)7811-404-874.
Alternatively e-mail simon@spana.org

For more information contact Simon Pope, Director of Communications, SPANA, Tel - +44(0)207-269-2689 or Mobile - +44(0)7811-404-874. Alternatively e-mail simon at spana.org