The Brooke - Pakistan's donkeys pay the price of world oil price hikes

“Working donkeys have always been used here to transport goods and people but, until the fuel price rises, seldom had to haul these far heavier loads of metals,’ says Joy Pritchard, Brooke’s Head of Animal Welfare. “Now you see them everywhere, struggling terribly with carts that are way beyond their strength.

"They are suffering exhaustion and appalling cuts and bruises. Some have even had their tails sliced off by sheet metal overhanging their carts. Oil economics is directly hurting these animals: using a donkey here is now four times cheaper than using a truck or motorised rickshaw to transport metal.”

Donkey owner helps his animal pull a heavy load

“Brooke’s mobile veterinary and community education teams in Pakistan, who offer free treatment to working equines and teach animal owners good care, are urgently advising donkey cart owners to limit the weight of loads in a bid to crack the problem.

Brooke has been helping working equine animals and supporting their sustainable use for the last seventy years, concentrating mainly on the Middle East, North and East Africa, Asia and, most recently, South America.

With its network of mobile teams the charity provides desperately needed care to stricken animals working in some of the harshest parts of the world, ensuring they are healthy, happy and fit for work - and benefiting the several million family members who are supported by their labours.

To view more pictures of Pakistan's working donkeys click here

Editors Notes:

The current cost of petrol per litre in Pakistan is 57.79 rupees (around 68 pence sterling now compared to 40 pence sterling in 2004). It costs around 200 rupees to hire a vehicle to transport scrap metal compared to 50 rupees to hire a donkey and cart.

Brooke has been working in Pakistan since 1991 and is now the largest animal welfare organisation operating in the country providing relief for equine animals in 7 different regions of the country, including the area affected by the earthquake in NW Pakistan.