Donkeys in the dark

In Luxor it is now officially Autumn yet the daytime temperatures remain in the very high 30s though with it being dark by 6 p.m. it is definitely much cooler in the evenings which is such a relief for the working animals but dark evenings bring on another problem especially for the donkey carts as they are virtually invisible on the roads once the sun has gone down. There are many stickers available here in Luxor that look like warning triangles that people put on the back of their cars or vans but none are reflective so if anyone has access to reflective material we really could do with as much as we can get in order that AWOL can fix it on to the back of the donkey carts. If you have been to Luxor you will know that many drivers do not put their lights on after dark but just flash their lights every now and then. What you may not know is that out in the villages where there is little or no street lighting they do exactly the same. We don't know how they drive like this but they do and they travel much too fast. Anything reflective that we can permanently secure to the back of the carts will help stop accidents and injuries to animals. The nights are puling in very quickly and in December it will be dark by 4 p.m.

AWOL has gone to the Dogs

We have seen so many donkeys and dogs this month that have needed the assistance of AWOL that we have been rather rushed off our feet. Schools reopened on the 20th September after the usual long summer break which has made El Marise and Armant quieter but just as busy for AWOL as it is the children that remain on the donkey carts that we need to educate. Children that go to school and get a proper education are very unlikely to end up working on any donkey cart. It is the education that AWOL gives on the streets that ensures permanent improvements in animal care.

In addition to our donkey work AWOL spends so much time with the locals giving assistance and guidance on how best to care for their dogs and as regular readers will know from our newsletters and photo pages we have had some really heartwarming and great success stories. Repeat visits and frequent monitoring is the way forward so by popular request we are adding a complete dog section to the AWOL web site so that you can see more of what is being done by AWOL for the dogs in the villages of El Marise and Armant on your behalf. It will take a little while to be compiled but we will e-mail everyone who is on our mailing list once this is completed so if you are not already on our mailing list do please Click Here and send us an e-mail so we can keep you regularly updated. AWOL has definitely gone to the dogs (and never forgetting the donkeys) and this has to be a long term commitment between AWOL and the dog's family but we can only do this with your continued support.

UK Weather Affects AWOL Fundraising

The weather has been so bad in the UK that many fundraising events that AWOL was attending were cancelled in September such as the Equestrian boot sale as the field was waterlogged, and health and safety quite correctly cancelled the heavy horse show for the same reason. Back in July Jan was particularly looking forward to taking up AWOL's invitation to the Arab Horse show but even that event was cancelled due to the weather. This obviously affects our ability to raise the much needed funds to help the animals but always one step ahead of the weather Jan, AWOL UK Managing Trustee and her daughter Amy, despite both having colds, undertook a sponsored swim and raised an amazing £600.

If you have a little spare time and could help AWOL with fundraising in any way please do contact Jan on 01372 726702 or drop Jan an e-mail to jan@awol-egypt.org and she will give you any help, advice or assistance that you need.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the anonymous donor whose donation appeared on our bank statement. It is very much appreciated, thank you and all AWOL supporters as it is your commitment to AWOL that is making such a difference to the animals and the families that rely on them.

Click Here if you would like to see our September photographs.

Click Here to go back to our AWOL Newsletter Index.

You can help Animal Welfare of Luxor

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