‘Wonky’ donkey gets new foot for Christmas
1st photo: Hector walking Hector is being cared for by Animal Welfare of Luxor.
2nd photo: Hector with new leg
3rd photo: Donkey on floor: Hector could stand but could not walk, and spent most of his time sitting on the floor
An abandoned donkey missing one of his feet is walking again thanks to a human prosthetic leg donated from the UK.
Hector the donkey was dumped outside an animal welfare centre in Luxor, Egypt, and had not walked for four months.
His new foot was made using spare parts of a prosthetic leg donated to Legs4Africa, a Leicestershire-based charity.
It usually donates prosthetics to human amputees in Africa, but Hector is the first animal to be helped.
Tom Williams, the charity’s founder, said it was “fantastic to see Hector walking for Christmas”.
Georgie Hollis said Hector is so tiny he would have fitted in the boot of a car before being dumped 😪😤
A donkey in Hector’s condition would usually be left to die, 😭 or killed humanely.
However, Hector appeared to be happy despite being lame, so Animal Welfare of Luxor (AWOL) decided to help him.
Georgie Hollis, a wound specialist with a background in biomechanics, built the new foot after AWOL contacted equine medicine expert Prof Derek Knottenbelt OBE.
“He’s a friend of mine and he’s a bit of a legend really, or a leg-end,” said Miss Hollis.
“He sent me an email saying ‘Georgie, we must be able to do something for this donkey’.”
Prosthetic leg
Legs4Africa donated parts that are usually discarded from waste prosthetic legs
Miss Hollis suspects Hector lost his foot after being tethered by his leg, cutting off the circulation. 😔😤😭
“We are trying to save him from being a wonky donkey, which would be the end of it for him really,” said Miss Hollis.
“Hector is just one of a lot of donkeys that need lots of help. There are more donkeys used around the world for transport than there are cars.”
AWOL fitted the new foot, but Miss Hollis will visit Hector herself in a month or so to fit him with a permanent foot.
“I will cast his leg and make him one that’s more permanent, breathable, lightweight and sporty,” she said.
This story brought tears to my eyes and restored some faith in humankind. There are many horrendous acts of psychotic cruelty inflicted on donkeys by humans and young men around the world particularly in Middle eastern or Asian Islamist States. These despicable acts have left indelible scars on my mental state and caused me post traumatic stress. These men deserve capital punishment for their crimes towards these loving wonderful intelligent sensate animals. Love and peace to all donkey fans and carers of donkeys and love to the donks that follow this Donkalonk blog. 🐴♥️❌
Story accredited to the BBC 2014
