The Brooke - Brick kilns

If you care about animals – as we do – you will find the story of India’s brick kiln donkeys heartbreaking. Nevertheless, we do hope you will read about their sad plight, because you have the power to save those innocent creatures from unnecessary suffering.

Here at the Brooke, we are dedicated to relieving the pain of hardworking animals. We know that this can only be achieved by working tirelessly with their owners to change hearts and minds. We also know that our approach works because we see the evidence around us, increasing numbers of healthy animals and enlightened owners in our project areas. But we desperately need the sympathy and support of like minded people.

Basanthi is a small, white donkey with a gentle disposition. She lives and works in the Uttar Pradesh region of India, where temperatures can reach a blistering 128ºF by six in the morning, when Basanthi starts her working day.

By breakfast time, Basanthi will have trudged nine miles to the brick kiln and back carrying her own bodyweight in bricks. Before the white-hot sun goes down, she must repeat her back-breaking journey. What’s more, Basanthi is heavily pregnant.

Thousands of animals toil day after day in the scorching heat of the brick kilns

Perhaps you are thinking that Basanthi’s owner is heartless. On the contrary, 14-year-old Ram loves his donkey and, unlike some of his colleagues, refuses to beat her. But Basanthi is his family’s sole source of income and he is paid by the number of bricks delivered to the kiln. The temptation to overload her is hard to resist.

Here in Britain, our attitude to animals is different, but in countries like India, horses and donkeys are seen purely as working animals, and their poor owners are utterly dependent on them. By local standards, Basanthi is one of the lucky ones. She is well fed, watered and rested – and Ram takes her to a Brooke vet if she needs treatment.

By contrast, many brick kiln donkeys are in horrific condition – so malnourished their ribs are clearly visible, covered in sores, limping on cracked and infected hooves and suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. In many cases, a little brick kiln donkey soldiers on for just 18 months before it dies... Much of their misery is due to ignorance – owners who believe a sip of water to soothe a parched throat or a cooling splash on a sun-baked flank will weaken their animal.

Fighting deep-seated traditional beliefs like these takes time. Earning the trust of owners takes year-round commitment. And treating the injuries and illnesses of these loyal, misunderstood creatures requires tireless dedication, month after month, year after year.

Our mobile veterinary teams are one of the things that make the Brooke special. These highly-trained and experienced local vets travel across the regions where we work – including the brick kiln where Basanthi works – offering free treatment for sick animals and informed advice to owners. And through patience, expertise and their regular, non-intrusive presence, they are slowly but surely changing the way that owners like Ram care for their animals.

Brooke teams spend time with animal owners in brick kilns helping them understand how to look after their animals better

The Brooke simply couldn’t achieve these long-term results without the regular support of people who care.

We are making progress. We are changing attitudes and saving lives. But the job we have to do is immense. We are working with countless horses and donkeys – and their owners – in countries including Egypt, Kenya, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. We don’t receive any government funding and urgently need help to reach more suffering animals.

Our goal has remained the same since we began our work over 70 years ago – to eliminate the needless pain and suffering of working horses and donkeys and help the owners who depend on them. Your gift today will help us get there.

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