Missy Daniels went to a horse-riding property in Perth expecting to go for a ride, but instead, she found a horse she couldn’t leave behind. Wally was in the distance, desperately trying to reach long grass growing out of an old 44-gallon drum containing barbed wire. According to Daniels, he was starving and suffering from mange.
She was 16, with little money and nowhere to keep a horse and then came an ultimatum.
“They gave me 24 hours to get him off the property or they would shoot him,” she says. “I didn’t go riding that day and never went back.”
A woman with a property agreed to help, giving Missy somewhere to take Wally.
“I got a weekend job and poured every cent into getting him better,” Missy told Starts at 60.
More than 20 years later, Daniels is the new Australian country director of Working Animals International, the charity formerly known as SPANA. Her home includes 20 rescued birds and a 16-year-old kelpie.
“Birds are messy but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Daniels says. “I never planned to have a menagerie, but when there is an animal in need – especially birds… well.”
Her dog was adopted at about three years old and still has the appetite for adventure that kelpie owners know well.
“She might be old, but a kelpie always wants adventure – it’s just a slower pace these days.”
Daniels is now helping draw attention to animals whose daily labour keeps communities supplied with water and allows people to earn a living.
Among them is Lagdaf, a 13-year-old donkey in Mauritania, and what better time to tell the story today on National Mule Day.
Footage released for World Animal Day earlier this month shows his working day from a donkey’s-eye perspective. According to Working Animals International, he hauls a load containing 400 litres of water and works for more than 10 hours a day.
The footage follows him through streets where busy roads and plastic waste add to the hazards and the charity says temperatures during filming reached 36°C, with summer heat capable of reaching 45°C.
For Australians accustomed to turning on a tap, it is a confronting glimpse of the work behind another community’s water supply.
“Working animals are essential in many communities for the people who depend on them for income, transport and essential services like water delivery,” Daniels says.
Their welfare affects the people who rely on them, too. An injured or exhausted animal can mean a family loses its means of carrying goods, collecting water or making an income.
A long-term donor before taking up her new role, Daniels says the charity’s work includes veterinary care delivered through local partners and mobile clinics that reach remote areas.
Local teams also help owners develop practical skills to care for their animals and prevent problems.
Working Animals International has supported working animals and the people who depend on them for more than a century. Its research released for World Animal Day points to concern among Australians about long working hours, injury and illness, and insufficient food and water.
But bringing those animals into public view remains part of the task.
“Part of the problem is that working animals are overlooked, and there are many other ways to help too, like sharing their stories,” Daniels says.
“It helps them become part of the global animal welfare conversation.”
Donations fund the charity’s programs, and some supporters choose to leave a gift in their will. For readers unable to contribute financially, Daniels says sharing working animals’ stories can help raise awareness. Travellers can also speak up if they encounter an animal being mistreated or struggling with its workload.
“Obviously, if you see a working animal that is suffering, contact a local organisation who can help,” she says.
“And if travelling, raise the issue with the tour provider.”
For Daniels, that willingness to act began with a horse in a Perth paddock and a deadline she couldn’t ignore.
For more information visit Working Animals International
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