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Charity for AugustThe Brooke Hospital for AnimalsI am sure many of you have seen the advert “Goodbye, loyal little donkey”. Well, this is what The Brooke is all about. Helping these hard working animals, teaching their owners all about caring for them, so that they can help their penniless owners earn enough money to feed their families. The advert goes on to say “Day after day, this little donkey trudged miles along busy, dangerous roads so his owner could feed his family”. Over-loaded and choked by fumes, it was only a matter of time before he stumbled and fell into the path of a truck.Without the Brooke, horses and donkeys overseas like this one, would be left to die by the roadside. Now we desperately need your support for the cost of our mobile veterinary clinics - bringing urgent assistance to suffering animals and helping them on the road to recovery. The founder of the Brooke Hospital for Animals was a lady called Dorothy Brooke. On visiting Egypt in 1930, Dorothy Brooke was appalled. Instead of being welcomed home as heroes of World War 1, British cavalry horses had been abandoned, or sold into hard labour. Mrs. Brooke's letters to The Morning Post roused the emotions of animal-lovers across Britain who responded with incredible generosity. Her compassion and the public's kindness, was the start of a long tradition. Their continued support led to the foundation of the charity, The Brooke Hospital for Animals, and in 1934 the Old War-horse Memorial Hospital - once just a humble old stable - opened its doors as Cairo's first veterinary hospital. Heat exhaustion is a real danger to over-worked horses and donkeys. In 1938 the Brooke opened Cairo's first public water trough and shade shelter so animals could find relief from the scorching sun. They also bought their first motorised animal ambulance that year. In 1947 when launching an appeal for a new animal ambulance, Mrs. Brooke wrote to Riding magazine saying, “Animals have no nationality, all are dumb and cannot ask for help in their pain”. During the 1980s they looked further afield and opened a clinic in Jordan, and then during the 1990s they rapidly spread their work to India, Pakistan and Ethiopia, and helped with partner organisations in Guatemala, Kenya, Israel and Afghanistan. They not only care for the animals, but train owners in humane methods of care to improve the lives of the horses and donkeys. Millions of working horses and donkeys still endure suffering, which if they were properly cared for, could be prevented. Their owners, some of the poorest people in the world, risk losing their livelihoods if their animals cannot work. By 2016 the Brooke will reach ten times the current number, making life better for five million workings horses and donkeys and the 30 million or so poor people who depend on them, continuing the Brooke's long tradition of kindness and compassion. During August I will leave leaflets and copies of Brooke News in the Church for anybody interested in reading about this very worthy cause. I personally, during my travels abroad, have seen many a thin donkey or mule trudging along a dirt track or busy road, pulling a very heavily loaded cart, and my heart has gone out to that poor animal. By supporting the Brooke, I will feel that at last I can do something constructive for those four legged friends, whose owners, until hopefully sometime soon, don't really see them as anything but a means of moving their cart loads of saleable goods, scrap metal, food or whatever. Please help the Brooke, and support this charity, not only for the animals, but also for the very poor people who rely on their donkeys, mules, horses etc. throughout the Middle East and further afield. Thank you so much. Janet Powell, Charity Committee. www.thebrooke.org  Back to Top |
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