Dear Friends,
I would like to express my gratitude for the interest you have shown in our project and in our animals, and for your solidarity.
The
Associação Para a Preservação do Burro – Burricadas is a non-governmental organisation founded in March 2007. It aims the preservation of the donkey and its traditional uses in Portugal, and most specifically it aims to run the
Abrigo do Jumento (‘AJ’, as from now or ‘Donkey Shelter’). The AJ is a rescue centre dedicated to old, ill-treated, sick or even abandoned donkeys, aiming to deal with ill treatment and negligence cases, which unfortunately are still occurring in our country. Quite often, after enduring a long life of hard work and harsh conditions, these animals are sold to unscrupulous meat merchants, transported under appalling conditions to their final destination, as feed for the circus carnivores or the pet food factory. Quite often these animals present open wounds (often with years) and scars, severe hoof problems and emotional traumas, as shown in the picture below, one of the last cases of ill treatment referred to the shelter.
We hope that the AJ can provide a safe haven for these animals. However, due to our financial difficulties and provisory unsuitable facilities to develop further our work, we try to re-home all new coming donkeys by selling them to a minimum fee to people who approach us keen to help, so that we have the means to accept new cases.
The little Miranda donkey, who will travel to the UK very shortly, is one of those cases. He is an animal with pronounced mandibular prognathism, and unfortunately we were not able to find somebody interested to ensure his welfare.
In order to pay our feed and veterinary care bills, another fund raising scheme currently running is the ‘adoption’, whereby any member of the public keen to support the project, but unable to buy and keep a donkey, may adopt symbolically any of our animals for a year. The fee for the ‘adopt a donkey’ program is £20, and the ‘adoptive owners’ receive an adoption pack, comprising a photograph, adoption certificate and all the available life details of the chosen animal, as well as general information about the Donkey Shelter.
We are also hoping to raise enough funds to buy our own plot of land and to have better facilities than the present ones. We are currently using an old derelict dairy building on loan from an elderly friend of the project, likely to be demolished next year to give way to a new building estate, leaving us homeless.
Just prior to this, we were offered the chance to use an empty riding school for 5 years, or until we found new, better facilities, as this place was also rather run down. Soon after we had moved the animals to these facilities and we invested some money improving the conditions, we finally received the Tenancy Agreement. To our dismay, despite what had been agreed before between the parts, the contract stated clearly that there was no time scale and we could be evicted at any given time, allowed only 2 months to leave the permises, without any entitlement to a money settlement towards any expenses made in the course of improvement works carried out by the Association. At this point we realised that this was a devious plot on behalf of the proprietor, taking advantage of the animals and the project, as well as all the people who have contributed to help us, for his own benefit; no doubt, once the place was renovated, up and running he would evict us. In the face of the facts, we decided to leave and we moved to our present temporary facilities.
But we experience other difficulties, namely logistics. We have no trailer, not even a suitable vehicle for towing, and we only have access to an old cattle lorry rented by an elderly farmer, rather run down, not offering all the necessary safety conditions, and without a ramp for the animals.
On top of all this, there are other regrettable facts to condemn, such as the usual financial difficulties that affect most non-governmental organisations in Portugal. Finally, to mention a rather prejudiced folk culture against these animals; this sets us up as target for public mockery and unpleasant comments... obviously a very distasteful situation.
Hence, I’m pouring my heart out, on behalf of the Project, of the animals and all our supporters, and particularly on my behalf, I would like to thank all the people who, despite countries wide apart, committed themselves to help and to support us in our cause, giving us strength to carry on against all odds. To all of you a deep heartfelt THANK YOU!
With my Warmest Regards,
Diogo Pimenta (Foundor of
Burricadas)
