To greener pastures: Donkeys rescued from slaughter in AP find new homes

Amaravati: A few days after 78 donkeys were rescued from being slaughtered in Andhra Pradesh, there remained the question of finding them new homes and a safe place to live. Thanks to animal rescuers, shelter homes, and rehabilitators who took up the issue on social media (Instagram), these animals have found new homes.

The donkeys were rescued from the districts of Chirala, Bapatla, Ongole, Guntur, and NTR in Andhra Pradesh by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with the support of the Andhra Pradesh police.

Zoha Jung who runs the Instagram page 'The Backwater Sanctuary' put up a story seeking to rehome the donkeys, and it is winning hearts. The sanctuary is located in the backwaters of Kabini, on the border of Karnataka and Kerala. She took to her Instagram to address the issue and asked animal lovers to rehome the donkeys. Of the total rescued donkeys, she is taking eight to her sanctuary and has stables ready for them. She, however, will need a new paddock to contain them which will cost Rs. 80,000, and she is now raising funds for it.

Another 20 donkeys were adopted by Probably Paradise Shelter, an NGO from Kajarat city, Maharashtra, run by Roxanne Davur and Pia Trivedi from Kalote Animal Trust. Shravan Krishnan, a Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary animal rescuer in Chennai, adopted another four donkeys. "If anyone is willing to adopt the remaining donkeys, even if it's just one, please let me know. (needless to say, they need to have adequate space and experience in handling donkeys," Zoha Jung wrote on Instagram.

The rescued donkeys are currently being checked by vets, vaccinated, and gelted. After the legal formalities, the adopted animals will be sent to their new homes.