In a country like Egypt, where many live below the poverty line, there is nothing left when it comes to paying for the medical treatment of animals. Thankfully, in Luxor there is help for these animals, thanks to the generosity and compassion offered by two British ladies...Kim Taylor and Julie Wartenberg. While in Egypt years ago, they saw small underfed donkeys suffering from neglect by the very owners who needed them so badly. They also saw animals being beaten in the street, horses with raw skin being worked with the very harness that caused the damage, as well as hundreds of homeless street dogs and cats because few could afford to spay or neuter them. They felt they couldn’t leave Egypt knowing there were so many animals in need of help, so they established Animal Care Egypt (ACE). Julie used her retirement package towards the set-up costs of the new charity, enabling ACE to rent a small piece of land and build a washing area, and she continued to donate a large sum of her own money towards the running costs during the first few years. Julie also worked tirelessly to organize all the paperwork needed to set up the charity in both Egypt and the UK, and relentlessly fundraised to ensure the future of ACE. Sadly, Julie passed away, but Kim, who now lives in Luxor, continues to keep ACE running. We had the great pleasure of meeting Kim when we were in Luxor and visited ACE, and we were given a tour by Anita, a volunteer who travels to Egypt regularly from her home in Britain in order to help out at ACE. We saw first-hand how this remarkable facility treats everything from orphaned and injured camels, donkeys, horses, sheep, goats, cats, dogs, and even desert tortoises. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience helping out with the animals there, and enjoyed meeting other volunteers like George, an Egyptian who is known as the "Dog Whisperer" because of the amazing work he does with all the injured and orphaned street dogs there. They have veterinarians on staff, and are always willing to take on volunteers. Volunteering at ACE offers a wonderful opportunity for anyone who loves animals, or dreams of becoming a veterinarian, as you will be offered many opportunities which will look great on an application when applying to Veterinary College. You can gain skills while assisting vets, or you can help socialize the animals, help educate local people and school children on animal care, assist in the feeding and cleaning of the animals, or help with administrative duties. As we were helping out, there was a constant influx of people arriving with animals, and the poor never have to pay to receive treatment for their animals. So if you ever happen to be in Luxor, Egypt, please check them out...and remember, they operate strictly on donations, so even if you are not fortunate enough to visit them in person, you can still help them out by donating. To learn more about Animal Care Egypt, make a donation, or receive information on volunteering with them, please check out their website at: https://www.ace-egypt.org.uk/. They also have a Facebook page. What we discovered, is that most Egyptians love their animals...but it is poverty that prevents them from providing medical care, vaccinations, spay/neutering etc., and when they depend on their camels, donkeys, and horses etc. for work to support themselves and their families, they may overwork their animals in extreme heat out of desperation to feed their families. Sadly, there was a similar animal sanctuary/clinic in Aswan, which recently closed due to a lack of donations, so the animals there have no hope. Poverty does not just affect humans.