Morocco

There is a special place in Fez, Morocco where donkeys, mules, sheep, horses and many other animals receive vital care that keeps them, and their owners, alive. That place is the American Fondouk, a charitable animal hospital with an endowment and operations overseen by the MSPCA.

There are 27 million pack animals working in developing countries in Africa. These mules, donkeys and horses are a poor family’s only hope of getting water, transporting goods, harvesting crops and earning a livelihood.

They are saddled with everything from crafts and leather goods to cement and (literally) the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, they are often improperly packed – leaving these silent employees with severe lacerations, hernias, tetanus, pressure sores and tumors.

The American Fondouk is a full service animal hospital with a modest staff of ten, providing free medical care for the animals of Morocco. Last year, American donors made it possible for the Fondouk to treat over 22,000 animals, including the two donkeys that belong to 16-year-old Mohammed Abousema’s family.

Mohammed’s family depends on the donkeys to harvest crops and make a living. The Fondouk makes that possible. The Abousemas are eternally grateful to generous donors like you and to Dr. Denys Frappier, Director of the American Fondouk.

Dr. Frappier treats over 80 animals each day. Today, he has three wishes for his facility. He dreams of obtaining a used ultrasound machine ($16,000) to aid in the care of pregnant mares and donkeys and provide improved eye care; an updated X-ray machine ($7,500) to precisely identify fractures and breaks; and a fiber optic scope ($16,000) with enough length to examine an animal’s stomach and mouth to further ease diagnosis and care.

Please visit http://www.fondouk.org to help grant these wishes and to see before and after photos of the impact of your donations.

Photo Animal friends could easily find themselves shocked from what they see around Fez. There is little in Fez that secures the situation of the animals. Hence the donkeys and mules are loaded to the maximum before the journey around the narrow and often steep streets of Fez begins.