22nd March 2006
TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall today came face to face with some of Egypt’s long-suffering working horses and donkeys at an equine welfare clinic run by the UK’s leading overseas equine welfare charity, the Brooke.
Their Royal Highnesses were given a tour of the clinic, fed carrots to some sick horses and explained how a Brooke mobile veterinary ambulance operates while visiting the British charity’s Egypt headquarters in the Zein El-Abdein district of Old Cairo.
The far-reaching aims of the charity – which helps half a million working horses and donkeys & their owners across eight countries worldwide – was explained to Their Royal Highnesses by the Brooke’s UK Chairman Lady Weir, who is married to the former British ambassador to Egypt, Sir Michael Weir, and lived in Cairo for many years. They were accompanied by Director of Brooke Egypt, Brigadier Hassan Sami, and Brooke’s chief vet in Cairo, Dr Ahmed Rostom.
In Egypt tens of thousands of horses, donkeys and mules suffer serious health and welfare problems as they work hard to support the livelihoods of countless poor communities. The Brooke’s 500 staff provide free veterinary care, and training and education programmes for animal owners throughout Egypt - and worldwide. It has most recently extended its work in Egypt to the reach the tens of thousands of animals toiling in the Delta region of the country.
The charity today is a far cry from its early roots when it was founded by Cairo-dwelling British animal lover, Mrs. Dorothy Brooke, in 1934 to help ex-British cavalry horses abandoned in Egypt after the First World War.
Mike Baker, the Brooke’s Chief Executive, said of the visit: “We were delighted Their Royal Highnesses had the time to visit our operations in Cairo, and see first-hand how our dedicated teams of vets help working equine animals in the region – animals which are the lifeline for so many poor people in Egypt. They also met with Fawzy, an animal owner, and his draught horse. Fawzy has been taking his horses to the Brooke since he was a boy. The visit by Their Royal Highnesses was a great boost for both our staff and the animal owners.”
To view pictures of the visit click here
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