What does life mean and how much is it worth?
Two donkey mares get a fresh start
How much is a life worth? For one person it means nothing and for another it means the whole world. So who determines the value of life and does this do justice to the living being? We encounter this and other questions time and again in our daily work in animal welfare.
"Things only have the value we give them" - Jean Baptiste Poquelin
For us as Gut Aiderbichl, every life is priceless and above all precious. It is very difficult to realise every day that not everyone shares our view. But we continue to fight for every life that we can help.
So we wanted to help when we heard about two donkey mares in need. An animal lover had contacted our colleagues at Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf via WhatsApp. Shortly beforehand, she had seen two mares on the internet that were urgently for sale. Their foals had been taken away from them a few days earlier and were now worthless.
"The price is what we pay. The value is what we get" - Warren Buffet
Not quite worthless, because a slaughter price was still demanded. The woman couldn’t help herself and spontaneously bought the donkeys and brought them to her for the time being. Had she not intervened so courageously, the two good mares would probably have been slaughtered. Just like that – out of sight, out of mind.
But what now? Unfortunately, the two donkey mares could not stay with her and so the search for a home began for the animal lover with the big heart.
The Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf team couldn’t help themselves – they were determined to help and came up with a plan to take the two donkeys in despite the shortage of capacity. Together we were able to find a solution and when we received Dieter Ehrengruber’s confirmation, the Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf team couldn’t hold back. The transport was organised immediately and the two donkey mares were brought to Iffeldorf.
Of course, the two ladies were immediately given a health check and medical treatment. But one thing made us suspicious right from the start: both seemed rather plump and had an extraordinary appetite. They could probably be pregnant, but in the end we will have to be surprised.
Here, near the Easter Lakes in picturesque surroundings, our new protégés are given a fresh start, a name and their dignity back. Their value is no longer determined by their weight or the current price of meat – they are now more valuable to us than all the gold on earth. A warm welcome to Henriette and Wally!
