News
Here you will find news about our little donkey sanctuary. Although some of the pictures are very disturbing they reflect the pain and agony our dear donkeys have been through and survived before being rescued and brought to their new home, our sanctuary.
Please subscribe to our email alerts, newsletter or bulletin if you wish to receive news and updates.
Two poor little donkeys hit by a car
Lucy Fensom
May 27, 2019
A few days ago we received a call from the local police in the early morning asking for our help because a poor donkey had been hit by a car and left stranded and wounded. The police had noticed him standing by the busy roadside in the Arab town of Qalansuwa ...
Another two little donkeys, found beaten and abused
Lucy Fensom
April 07, 2019
ANOTHER TWO LITTLE DONKEYS, FOUND BEATEN AND ABUSED, COME TO THE SAFETY OF OUR SANCTUARY...Despite our desperately low funds, we could not turn these two donkeys away...This is Valerie and Taylor, possibly mother and son, found being viciously beaten.
Welcome little John - born to mama Siggi
Lucy Fensom
February 16, 2019
“Each little life is safely here with us, yet the costs to keep them safe with us will continue for as long as they live”
We all know how grateful we feel when we see how rescue shelters around the world have rescued and saved a little soul.
Welcome to the world, little Poppy!
Lucy Fensom
November 18, 2018
Our clever little Carrots finally gave birth to the tiniest, most endearing and precious little baby girl donkey I’ve ever seen. She is such a wise little soul. She has a deformity in her spine, Scoliosis so she has a little hunched back and it’s possible that she was born a little prematurely as she really is tiny.
Welcome to the world, little Bru
Lucy Fensom
July 28, 2018
♥️ Finally, our dear little ‘extra long ears’ is here at our sanctuary in Israel!
Rescued mama Elsa has given birth to this handsome little soul whom we’ve named ‘Bru’.
Another little mouth soon to feed once milk alone won’t be enough!
And we cannot do it without you...
We could rescue another abandoned donkey - Our dear Sika
Lucy Fensom
March 27, 2018
Whilst we are under instruction not to take in any more rescues until such a time when our charity may have more substantial funding, we have recently taken in another dear male donkey and I have called him Sika in memory of a friend’s beloved donkey, Sika.
Found in the middle of a busy highway - Our dear old Esther
Lucy Fensom
March 04, 2018
News from Israel at Lucy’s donkey sanctuary. Dear old Esther... ♥️ Recently we received an emergency call from the Toll Highway people and local police asking for our help to rescue an elderly donkey as she was standing in the middle of the highway.
We could rescue two very poor souls - Meet Michael and his dear friend Raphael
Lucy Fensom
February 07, 2018
We rescued this lovely boy, Michael, nearly 7 weeks ago, I posted a little video of his rescue story on January 15. Since he came to us, apart from his horrible back wound which is now very nearly all healed, we saw that he had large patches of layers of skin drying out and wanting to peel off.
Meet our little Molly
Lucy Fensom
January 15, 2018
Today we had a totally unexpected birth at our sanctuary...
Despite being just two hours old Molly already started to jump about and frisk like a lamb, thoroughly enthralled with her new, safe, little world!
A very shy and badly abused little donkey came to us - little Moses
Lucy Fensom
December 08, 2017
Moses has just come to our sanctuary, he was a very badly abused little donkey and was found being brutally beaten. We took him whilst he was still half harnessed.
International rescue: Meet the three women who make a chance to suffering animals worldwide
Lucy Fensom
December 02, 2017
Read about our work in the Sunday express.
Another little battered and bruised donkey rescued - dear Elijah
Lucy Fensom
November 13, 2017
We have rescued a young little boy from the same area as Noah and Jeremiah, near the Palestinian border - over-worked and beaten, left with horrible back sores and sores on his poor shoulders and rump area, from his ill fitting harness.
This is another dear rescued boy - Jeremiah
Lucy Fensom
November 05, 2017
Like Noah a few days previously, Jeremiah was also confiscated by the Israeli army at the border. He belonged to children who were beating him on his raw open wounds.
One of the services we are able to offer at our outreach clinics in the Palestinian West Bank, is for our vet to perform humane castration operations under a full anaesthetic.
We just rescued another little donkey - this is Noah
Lucy Fensom
November 03, 2017
Noah is an ungelded boy, but the vet will be coming in the next few days to see to that.
He’s about 7 years old and was confiscated by the Israeli army, from his Palestinian owner when a couple of Israeli soldiers saw the donkey cowering as the man was beating him.
Emergency horse rescue - continued
Lucy Fensom
November 02, 2017
I am broken hearted to have to report that the poor dear horse that we’d helped rescue from the muddy ditch a few days ago, has passed away.
We’d had high hopes for him and somebody had already offered him a good home once he would have recovered, but tragically it wasn’t to be.
Emergency horse rescue in the city of Tayibe
Lucy Fensom
October 28, 2017
We were called out the other evening to an emergency by the municipal vet of nearby Arab village, Tayibe, here in Israel, to help a horse.
The poor boy had been stuck in a muddy, flooded ditch for days, he was very weak and starving and had to be airlifted out (sadly not so professionally) by a local man with a JCB, but at least he was lifted out to safety.
Equine virus outbreak at Israel took our little Helen from us
Lucy Fensom
September 05, 2017
There has very sadly been a virus outbreak in Israel that originated in the Palestinian West Bank, affecting the equine respiratory tract. On Sunday, it claimed the life of one of Lucy's little donkeys, six month old Helen, despite rigorous veterinary treatment.
Our new dear boy Alfredo
Lucy Fensom
August 15, 2017
This is our dear latest rescued boy, Alfredo (aka Whitey Boy), he's taught himself to manage on three legs.
Alfredo was found at the back of an Israeli Arab village, Tayibe, which runs into Palestinian villages. It's presumed he must have come from there and was perhaps abandoned due to his poor leg injury which we feel sure is a result of having been ...
***Emergency Appeal *** Forced to find new sanctuary after arson attack
Lucy Fensom
August 08, 2017
We have very upsetting news to report, as our little sanctuary has fallen victim to an arson attack. The events of the past few weeks have left us feeling dejected yet determined at best - weary, bereft and discouraged at worst.
A story with a happy ending
Lucy Fensom
July 20, 2017
We were recently called to rescue two poor donkeys, a male and a female. They were being kept by some orthodox boys in a religious Jewish settlement, who had apparently bought them from some passing Bedouins.
Little Zachariah starts to heal
Lucy Fensom
May 23, 2017
A few weeks ago I posted a story about the beautiful boy, Zachariah, whom we'd rescued from the north of Israel. Everything suggested that he'd had his eyes deliberately and brutally removed and he would not and could not allow anything or anyone near him, even a little puff of wind made him jump and flinch.
Little Fiona
Lucy Fensom
May 19, 2017
Two days ago we were informed that a donkey owner in the Palestinian village of Deir Istia, about 20 miles west of Qalqilya, wanted to 'throw out' a baby donkey who was 'disturbing' her mother from carrying out her daily work. Tragically here in this region, people do these wicked things.
Treating a horrible mouth infection at the Palestinian city of Qalqilya - contin.
Lucy Fensom
May 05, 2017
One week ago I shared the story of this dear hard working boy in the Palestinian city, Qalqilya.
He had to have a thorough cleaning of his badly infected mouth after his owner appealed to us for help when his donkey had stopped eating.
Treating a horrible mouth infection in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya
Lucy Fensom
April 26, 2017
Just look at this poor, poor little soul... A hard working donkey in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya, right on the border with Israel. He belongs to an elderly man of about 80 years, who uses him to go to and from Market and for agricultural work out in the fields and course this is now the time of year here for cutting the grass to make bales.
A very, very poor boy found its way to our sanctuary - Zachariah
Lucy Fensom
April 25, 2017
We've taken in a very poor boy whom I've named Zachariah. He was found in the North of Israel, the Golan Heights area. We know nothing about his history or who did what they did to him, for all we know he could even have somehow made his way across the border from Syria.
Baby number four - little Angelo
Lucy Fensom
March 31, 2017
Our darling Apples finally gave birth: Meet dear tiny Angelo! He looks like a little Angel... He has a beautiful curly white coat and is so cute as he nearly falls asleep standing up.
Mama is fiercely protective so it's not always that easy yet to get so close. Apples is a very nervous little donkey as she was horrendously abused before she found us last year.
A new little surprise - Baby Sam
Lucy Fensom
March 28, 2017
26th of March is Mother's Day in the UK and though I'm British, we certainly have something to celebrate here in Israel with our very own little Mothers and Baby Unit!
Here is our latest new addition, little Sam born to his mama, Jane.
Little Katy and blind Thomas finally safe
Lucy Fensom
March 28, 2017
Dear old Thomas (brown) and Katy both of whom have suffered a terrible life are now safe, comforting and grooming one another and enjoying their retirement at our little sanctuary. Poor Thomas is blind and Katy helps guide him round and she herself has a poor broken ear after youths twisted it and tried to pull it off.
Arrival number 2 - Baby Helen
Lucy Fensom
March 26, 2017
Our wonderful, clever Elsa gave birth to her beautiful baby Helen on 21st February, and what a marvelous mummy she is... Elsa came to us last year having already conceived.
Little Helen is a gorgeous girl with a coal dark velvet coat and our other baby, Bilbo is already eyeing her enthusiastically knowing he'll soon have a playmate his own size!
Our little Ginger girl
Lucy Fensom
March 26, 2017
Our latest little rescued girl, Ginger, was found abandoned in the Palestinian city, Qalqilya. You can't tell in her photos but she is very small and looks as though she was separated from her mother at too early an age but just like our little Fresco, she learned early on, to be independent and survive against the odds.
Outreach work in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya
Lucy Fensom
March 12, 2017
This is our work in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya yesterday. Trying to make the lives of over worked donkeys and horses in that area, just slightly less unbearable - wound treatment, hoof abscesses, dental rasping, eye care, worming, pain management and a field castration.
Good-bye, little Samson
Lucy Fensom
January 08, 2017
We lost our dear old Samson on 11th December. He was very elderly and he'd had a very hard life of suffering before finally being rescued by us a few months ago. He suffered a stroke and could not move and we very sadly had to take the decision to euthanize him.
Happy New Year wishes from the Holy Land
Erika Winpenny
January 03, 2017
Our short 'Happy New Year' video...
So sorry it's a few days late but Lucy and her small team of volunteers have been overrun trying to deal with severe flooding at our little sanctuary in Israel, as they have had almost relentless torrential rain.
Thank you!
Calling all UK-based supporters
Lucy Fensom
November 30, 2016
If you happen to be doing any Christmas (or other!) shopping online, would you consider helping us at absolutely no extra cost to you?
Our outreach clinic in the Palestinian village of Ras Tira
Lucy Fensom
November 29, 2016
A selection of photographs of our work helping and treating the hard working donkeys and horses in Ras Tira, including a little blind foal, a crippled mule and a donkey with a severe skin irritation on all four legs.
Ras Tira is a Palestinian village a few miles south of Qalqilya, which is located in central Israel, about 25 miles from the cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv. Read more ...
Another little donkey rescued and a few photos of our sanctuary
Lucy Fensom
November 17, 2016
This little donkey came to us with twisted, broken and a bit overgrown hooves and she is also nearly completely blind, her vision is very limited. We have named her Jane.
She had apparently belonged to a woman who neglected her and then abandoned her. A neighbour then tried to sell her to somebody who wanted a donkey for children's rides. Thankfully she ended up coming to our little safe, peaceful sanctuary.
A happy reunion for Tony, the horse
Lucy Fensom
November 14, 2016
Remember our lovely Tony? We have just reunited him with his former owner!
We recently discovered that Tony, originally named Star in Arabic, had previously belonged to a local young man called Gamal. Gamal had been away overseas for a couple of years training to be a nurse, leaving his parents to continue to care for Tony.
Our outreach work in Tulkarem
Lucy Fensom
November 11, 2016
We are the only hope for these forgotten, overworked animals...
We were asked to help a few little working animals for a family in the Palestinian city of Tulkarem yesterday evening as one of the donkeys had a large abscess.
Carrot galore!
Lucy Fensom
November 07, 2016
Our new little charity may be small but it has a has big mission and a big heart! Almost every week we have nearly half a ton of carrots delivered for our donkeys completely free of charge! ☺️
Our donkeys and horses have a real feast, as you'll see in the photographs, and we are so grateful to the Packing Company who have so kindly been donating carrots for our animals for many years.
Meet Joan, our latest rescue
Lucy Fensom
November 07, 2016
Today we rescued this little girl and we've named her Joan.
One of our wonderful helpers, Galit, saw Joan being brutally beaten yet again by some young boys. Because this little donkey was in a bad state and on the border between a settlement and the Palestinian West Bank, and the boys became very angry when she tried to reason with them to stop, Galit called for the army's help to confiscate her.
Our outreach clinic in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya
Lucy Fensom
November 07, 2016
This poor horse had a nasty injury to his right eye. He had apparently only been recently bought from a horse dealer and we were told he already had the injury when he was bought and that he had hit his eye on some sharp metal object...
Our glorious little sanctuary here in Israel (and my therapy)
Lucy Fensom
October 08, 2016
In just under a year we are now 'Home' to 19 beautiful donkeys, 7 dear horses most of whom have been rescued from appalling circumstances. And we have a few little desperate, stray dogs who found their way to our peaceful haven in the midst of the suffering and sorrow that they are tragically forced to endure in the surrounding area.
Ben Hur and Samson
Lucy Fensom
October 12, 2016
Not long ago I mentioned a bit of a covert operation which involved a hot pursuit and some 'undercover' work to get these two poor, sweet and partially blind boys to safety.
Poor old Samson was being whipped and forcefully pushed about despite his blindness. When we first saw Ben Hur he was being savagely beaten, galloped uphill at top speed and had his right eye gouged out.
Our new little girl - Erika
Lucy Fensom
October 05, 2016
We got a call to go into the Palestinian city of Tulkarem to rescue this little donkey we decided to call Erika. She is less than a year old but was being brutally beaten and ridden by young boys. Thankfully she isn't too badly wounded, a few scrapes and sores that are easily treatable.
Impressions from our sanctuary
Lucy Fensom
September 26, 2016
Precious times with our precious Donkeys and horses at our little sanctuary in Qualansuwa, Israel.
I thank God for all these rescued and cherished little souls.
Tony's amazing healing process
Lucy Fensom
September 25, 2016
We rescued Tony on 8th September and have taken care of him intensively since then. He is on a special diet to help him gain weight, we cannot do it too quickly of course because that wouldn't be good for him.
Another tragic loss of life
Lucy Fensom
September 16, 2016
Warning: upsetting photographs.
Once again I am sorry for having to show this tragic loss of life.
We received a call today about this poor, poor little soul. Somebody had finally noticed him in this unbearable state and we went immediately to humanely euthanize him.
Our outreach clinic working in the Bedoiun Camp Al Razaz
Lucy Fensom
September 14, 2016
This Bedouin camp sits on a little hill just south west of the Palestinian city of Qalqilya. Both the people and their animals live in the most squalid, insalubrious conditions contrasting vastly with the fact that the view in the near distance, reveals the tall buildings of the high tech companies in the affluent city of Herzliya.
Update about Tony the horse
Lucy Fensom
September 10, 2016
Our darling Tony out on his sunset walk. All covered in Sudocrem to help heal those open wounds but utterly determined to get through this. He has such character and spirit!
Meet dear Tony
Lucy Fensom
September 07, 2016
Once again I apologise for these shocking photos and I warn anybody easily upset to quickly bypass this post. Tragically, just because it's easier not to look at these terrible cases, it doesn't make them stop ...
At an agricultural crossing checkpoint
Lucy Fensom
August 31, 2016
Hard working little donkeys and horses at the agricultural crossing checkpoint between Hableh and Qalqilya in the West Bank.
Fun and frolics at the sanctuary
Lucy Fensom
August 27, 2016
Gorgeous Bear and Mac up to their usual tricks at our sanctuary in Qalansuwa, Israel.
Thank you to those who have made this possible for them!
The Story of Samson and Ben Hur
Lucy Fensom
August 26, 2016
A short while ago I wrote about two poor, severely abused donkeys who had only ever known interaction with humans to be violent. I said how it was a difficult operation but we were working on securing their rescue.
Another little soul