The Brooke - Case studies

THE LUCKY BLACK HORSE

Superstition and folk beliefs cause widespread suffering to working equine animals in less developed countries. Across India, shoes from black horses are considered lucky, meaning many are continually and carelessly re-shod by poor owners simply to feed the horseshoe trade.

Brooke vets in Delhi witnessed this in a black horse called Kalu, who was brought to them in pitiable condition. Kalu had overgrown, cracked and severely damaged hooves caused by years of re-shoeing and was suffering chronic pain.

'Lucky Black Horse' case study © Amit Pasricha

Brooke vets helped the horse and taught his owner, Bhoora, good shoeing skills. "Now Kalu is happy to be with me," says a grateful Bhoora. "The Brooke made me see he has emotions and feelings."

A LITTLE DONKEY’S GOLDEN MOMENT

A weary donkey struggling to pull a load on a chaotic street in Lahore

After a hard day’s work on the streets of Lahore, cart driver Razaaq’s donkey - ‘Chandoo’ - had an agonising hind leg sprain that had left him unable to work. A quack doctor had failed to heal him, and Razaaq was distraught. Without income he was borrowing to feed his family, and falling into debt.

Razaaq took his donkey to a Brooke mobile team in the area where vet Dr Muhammad Amir treated Chandoo's injuries with anti-inflammatories and painkillers.

“Chandoo put his hind foot on the ground again and a wave of joy crossed Razaaq’s face,” says Dr Amir. “A watching crowd began applauding, appreciating our efforts, none more so than Razaaq…it was a golden moment.”

A CHILD'S DEVOTION

12-year old Azim Khan's and his little donkey ‘Chitta’ both work hard. They have to - Azim is the breadwinner, with eight brothers and sisters relying on him. Every day, Azim and Chitta brave the burning heat and blinding dust to struggle to and from the brick kiln, transporting crippling loads of bricks. Azim is devoted to his loyal little donkey, so when she collapsed to her knees one day, he was distraught.

Brooke vet came to his aid - Dr Iqbal quickly identified that Chitta was in terrible pain and desperately dehydrated. He gave her water and treated the raw pack saddle wounds on her back. Meanwhile Brooke Community Worker Zahir Shah showed Azim how to groom her, clean her hooves and mend and fit her saddle comfortably to prevent further suffering. Today, Azim cares for Chitta in the way he was shown. He says he now wants to be a Brooke vet like Dr Iqbal.

Equine animals are vital to the brick making process in India

THE UNKINDEST OF CUTS

Animal owners think slitting a donkey's nostrils will make it work harder

"A friend told me that donkeys with slit nostrils breathe more easily and work better," says Allah Ditta, a brick kiln worker at Multan, Pakistan. So he took his donkey to a quack doctor. The quack slit open the poor animal's nostrils with a knife. "It was horrible - blood was everywhere, my donkey in terrible pain," said Allah.

Allah's donkey had fallen victim to a horrible and ancient myth, one that's still the scourge of working equine animals in many developing nations - and one that the Brooke fights relentlessly to eradicate.

Distressed at his donkey's agony, Allah rushed it to a Brooke mobile veterinary clinic located on the roadside, which, that day, was serving many surrounding brick kilns.

Brooke vet, Dr Rab Nawaz, gave the donkey emergency treatment and pain relief, telling Allah that all nostril slitting achieved was needless pain.