Brooke Hospital for Animals
| Motto | Action for working horses and donkeys |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1934, in Cairo |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Purpose | Education, training, medical, animals |
| Headquarters | Brooke 5th Floor, Friars Bridge Court, 41-45 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8NZ |
|
Region served
|
Egypt, Jordan, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Kenya, Ethiopia and Nepal |
|
Founder
|
Dorothy Brooke |
|
Budget
|
£11,088,938 |
|
Staff
|
48 |
|
Volunteers
|
800 |
| Website | www |
Brooke is a United Kingdom-based international equine charity, which focuses on the welfare and care of donkeys, horses and mules. With more than 900 people working helping to deliver services, Brooke is the largest equine charity in the world.
Formerly known as Brooke Hospital for Animals, the charity rebranded in May 2016 to Brooke – Action for working horses and donkeys.
The charity's President since 2006 is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. Other supporters include dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin OBE who became Global Ambassador in 2015 and deceased horse racing commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan who is Patron.
In 1930, while on a trip to Cairo, Egypt, Mrs Dorothy Brooke encountered thousands of ex-cavalry horses being used as beasts of burden. She was shocked to see that these horses which had served the British army so faithfully during World War I were now living a life of gruelling hardship on the streets of Cairo.
On her return to England she wrote a letter to The Morning Post newspaper (now known as the Daily Telegraph), exposing their plight and appealing for funds to help her save them. The public response was overwhelming, and they donated the equivalent today of £20,000 to help. In 1933, Mrs. Brooke set up a committee to help fund the purchase of 5,000 animals, most of which due to their health were humanely destroyed.
In 1934, she established the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital to provide a free veterinary clinic for all the working horses and donkeys of Cairo. The original hospital which Mrs. Brooke established in Bayram ElTonsi Street, now known locally as "The Street of the English Lady," is still open and operating.
Today, Brooke has over 800 field workers based in 12 countries in Asia, Africa, Central America and the Middle East: Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, India, Kenya, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Nepal, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nicaragua and Mexico. Last year, they reached 1.8 million working animals. In most locations of operation, where most earn less than a US Dollar a day, equines form the backbone of the developing economy with one equine often supporting a family of six.
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Wikipedia