Give

Szamóca and Muki, the story of the two „killer donkeys”
2013.10.10.

In May 2013 two donkeys got a really bad reputation when they attacked a man in unexplained circumstances. Unfortunately the man died. This accident got a high-profile was shocked and stunned the workers of NOÉ Pet home. The media recorded the two animals as “Murderer donkeys” even in the stage when the details were unknown. Still then everybody mentions these animals in that name.
We applied for the donkeys immediately because it was said they were put to sleep after the end of the observation period.
It took more than four months to investigate, get some samples from the animals (teeth, hoof prints), arrange papers, get their horse passports and declaring them as dangerous.



At 6 a.m. on 19 September came the moment we have waited for so long. We could leave to Magyarszőlős for Muki and Szamóca. We preaired for everything so there were two horsemen with us, Zsolt Molnár and László Waldez Vargha.
After a 3 – hour journey we arrived to Magyarszőlős. The owner of the donkeys, the vet of the county and the vet of the donkeys were waiting for us. After arranging the papers we walked along the farm where everything was clean and in order. It looked as it was clear every day and not because of our arrival. The farm was beautiful with the green grazing everywhere and the stalls were made of wood. Every animal looked healthy and happy.







In the end we arrived to the enclosure of Muki and Szamóca. There the stallion was “rutting” loudly and he said it’s his territory and didn’t like unknown people. His life turned upside down in the last few months. Every occasion when a stranger came he was stupefied and examined. So we can understand why Muki didn’t like us. The owner told us that Muki likes to talk. As the owner says “Muki, push it!” then he starts to speak as long as he got breath. It is typical for the relationship of the donkeys and the owner. The donkeys were never wearing a halter. Their controlling was organized by words.



After a short talk with the owner we knew much more about the donkeys. Among many topics it’s important that he would never put them to sleep! He bought Muki nine years ago (for ten kg carp and 25.000 Ft) from the former owner who an alcoholic was. Muki was beaten several occasions and he would send to the slaughter. So the early ages of Muki weren’t happy. Szamóca came to the farm as she was young to be a partner of Muki. She was grown up there and didn’t know any other lifestyle. Their relationship was formed in the sense of this: Muki is anxious for his wife and overbearing. Szamóca is waiting for the decisions from Muki and she is submissive. Their socialization is deficient because they have never lived together with any other donkeys or horses.

We haven’t done anything for an hour just waited for Muki to let us know better and calm down. During this Szamóca was waiting in the stall and was in secure. We tried to call her but as soon as she came Muki told her to go back to the stall. So we started to work with Muki.



We showed him the halter but he didn’t really want it. His owner told us Muki had never weared such thing or he have bad memories from the the time he was with his former owner. When we realized this won’t be easy we asked for the boys to use the lasso. Muki gave up the fighting with rope soon. After half an hour he was wering the halter and waited calm. While Zsolti was working with the trailer, Waldez and Muki were talking. It turned out that the stallion is curious.
It was easier to place him to the horse transporter than we thought, but Muki didn’t really like it. Thanks Muki for this, it could be much more dangerous if you didn’t want to go there!



Muki was followed by the frightened Szamóca. It turned out that she was much more anxious, she even didn’t want to join people. We called the help of the lassos again, but it was harder for the boys (Szamóca’s size is the other half of Muki’s). The boys were pulled by her in the stall as easy as nobody was on the end of the lassos. In the end the owner helped the boys to put the halter and the lunges on the donkey. It was hard to take Szamóca out from the stall but it was easier to put her to the horse transporter. Maybe it was because her husband was there.



After they were up on the horse transporter we said farewell to the farm ant to the owner who was fighting with his tears. We regretted to write him regularly about the donkeys and he can also visit them when he wants. It was really hard for him, and also for us to see him saying hello for his beloved animals. We know that he gave the donkeys to us just because they wanted to escape from the “anger” of other people. It was hard to leave this beautiful farm with the man and his beloved pets. All the dogs, the “racka” sheep’s, pigs and we know what other species were there to leave in a calm environment to avoid death or hard life.

Traveling back was easy in spite for the truck drivers who listened to the songs of Muki.
After arriving we decided to do things in another way than it was planned. We separated the donkeys. Szamóca was staying with two old mares for helping her in socialization and Muki lived next door alone.



Fortunately the next day came the smith from MAPE. Gábor Resch was scribbling the ones who needed narcotism. Gábor visited us for the first time but we told him in advance that maybe the donkeys would also need his help. We think that the donkeys needed a scribbling in May before the accident, but since then the owner couldn’t find anybody who can handle the “murderer donkeys”…
The hooves were long and the former left hoof of Muki (maybe because of an injury) was deformed and grew slippers.









We spent the last few weeks with getting to know the donkeys better. Muki is interested in many things but in any case when other things are happening than he wants he becomes hysterical. Unfortunately he is nippy. Maybe he was fed from a hand (it is forbidden in our place). Muki is going to be spayed in a few days. We hope he will be calm after it.



Szamóca is still shy. If we are out of her box then she puts her nose or head closer. Unfortunately the only thing she wants from us (to be more precise from our hands) is food. Because of this she is also nippy. It turned out to be a good idea to put Szamóca between the mares. She started too friendly with Diána (the oldest horse, 27, in our stud). It was unusual that Diána let her close to the bucket full of oat.
It seems that the socialization process will take a long time. They spent many years separated from other beings and the environment was unstimulus. They weren’t asked to do anything and they were grabbed only in case the smith or the vet was coming. They like to kick or nip but they aren’t aggressive. Now they are in stalls in quarantine where only our workers can enter. As they are dangerous animals we can’t let them among the stud of NOÉ. They will get a new corral and grazing.

The lessons we learned from this case:
It’s not enough to love animals and have good intentions. If someone keeps a horse/donkey it should take care of it. The founds of keeping an ungulate is to catch him, control him or let him to know people. Unfortunately you can’t know in advance when a case is when it needs these.
It is FORBIDDEN to give food to an unknown pet. If you give food to a pet it will command it next time.
Keeping a stallion is good for only those who want to breed animals and he knows everything about the way you can do it!

Muki and Szamóca got a new chance now. We want to clear the stigma they have. But it is a long way to have a happy life. We don’t want to hurry. We do everything step by step. We have some rules, the socialization has started. We hope they will understand that they are not in the same environment but they are going to be happy also with us.

Thanks for everybody who helped us and donated for the “new life” of the donkeys. Many thanks for the vet, dr. Zoltán Lantos who organized every documentations. Thanks for Zsolt Molnár and László Waldez Vargha who helped us moving the donkeys and they are also helping in the socialization process. Thanks for Roland Halápi that he gave us the horse transporter. Thanks for our staff and volunteers in helping for the donkeys in spite of their “bad reputation”.

Please donate for helping the new life of Muki and Szamóca. The blood tests, chip, vaccination, deworming, the horse passport, spaying and so on are the costs of NOÉ Pet Home.

The bank account of NOÉ Pet home: OTP 11710002-20083777.
If you are sending money from abroad: IBAN: HU62 1171 0002 2008 3777 0000 0000
SWIFT (BIC): OTPV-HU-HB
OTP Bank / Budapest, 1102 Kőrösi Csoma sétány 6.

Our Euro bank account: 11763103-13106883
Please write there : For Muki and Szamóca
Or you can donate us by calling the Adhat (you can give) hotline by the NOÉ Pet home:
Please call the following number: 13600 then after signing in push number 63 (this is the number of our organization).This means 250 Ft for us (that’s the amount we get and that is the prize you pay for the phonecall).
Until now you can’t send any SMS.
Now you can use this service from phone from the following service providers: T-Home, T-Mobile, Telenor, Vodafone and Invitel.

You can also donate from your bank account: ADHAT –online donation.
http://adhat.hu/online/adomany/56790

Thanks for your help!

You can read the whole story of how Muki and Szamóca arrived to NOÉ Pet Home here: http://noeallatotthon.hu/gallery/MENTESEK/MUKI-ES-SZAMOCA-A-MAGYARSZECSODI-SZAMARAK/

Share

Vissza a cikkekhez