“I’m forwarding you this post found on Facebook, please help this donkey or he will be sent to a slaughterhouse”. “I received this message on WhatsApp, a milk farm is selling 15 foals, please take them”. “I saw the picture of this donkey on a contact’s timeline, do something!”.
These are some of the typical messages and posts we receive about donkeys in need via social media. Unfortunately, these posts do not help animals at all. Let us explain why.
A post on social media is not the same as a real report. Please keep in mind that by Italian law, you must make an official report to authorities. You can find advice and a list of authorities to contact if you need to report a welfare concern on our website.
Why social posts can be harmful
The standard process for reporting on social media involves copying and pasting a text post or often just a link, which can be inaccessible due to privacy settings, and sending it via message or posting it to a profile, without any other details.
In most cases, these shared posts do not contain any of the information needed for authorities and organisations to help. They concentrate on urgency and emotions, but do not include any useful details such as location, contact details or a date. In a lot of instances, these posts can refer to years before and it’s highly likely that the animals at the center of these posts are non-existent.
Our inbox and bulletin board can get filled with dozens of identical posts and links for weeks, which can causes genuine, urgent requests and reports to be at risk of getting lost in the noise created by indiscriminate sharing.
How to report a donkey in need
Even if you think that sharing is caring, take the time to check if posts and reports on social media are true and provide the adequate information that authorities and organisations will need in order to take action.
If you think a donkey needs help, call us on +39 015 255 1831 or contact us via email. Do not use Facebook or other social channels to report a welfare concern.
While reporting via phone and email can be a longer and more demanding process than simply pressing ‘share’, this is the only way you can really help animals in need, and allow the organisations that work for them to be able to make a difference.
Social media posts are not official reports
“I’m forwarding you this post found on Facebook, please help this donkey or he will be sent to a slaughterhouse”. “I received this message on WhatsApp, a milk farm is selling 15 foals, please take them”. “I saw the picture of this donkey on a contact’s timeline, do something!”.
These are some of the typical messages and posts we receive about donkeys in need via social media. Unfortunately, these posts do not help animals at all. Let us explain why.
A post on social media is not the same as a real report. Please keep in mind that by Italian law, you must make an official report to authorities. You can find advice and a list of authorities to contact if you need to report a welfare concern on our website.
Why social posts can be harmful
The standard process for reporting on social media involves copying and pasting a text post or often just a link, which can be inaccessible due to privacy settings, and sending it via message or posting it to a profile, without any other details.
In most cases, these shared posts do not contain any of the information needed for authorities and organisations to help. They concentrate on urgency and emotions, but do not include any useful details such as location, contact details or a date. In a lot of instances, these posts can refer to years before and it’s highly likely that the animals at the center of these posts are non-existent.
Our inbox and bulletin board can get filled with dozens of identical posts and links for weeks, which can causes genuine, urgent requests and reports to be at risk of getting lost in the noise created by indiscriminate sharing.
How to report a donkey in need
Even if you think that sharing is caring, take the time to check if posts and reports on social media are true and provide the adequate information that authorities and organisations will need in order to take action.
If you think a donkey needs help, call us on +39 015 255 1831 or contact us via email. Do not use Facebook or other social channels to report a welfare concern.
While reporting via phone and email can be a longer and more demanding process than simply pressing ‘share’, this is the only way you can really help animals in need, and allow the organisations that work for them to be able to make a difference.