Animal stories - issues and facts

Raja and Rani - ending harmful 'remedies'

Lalluram works in Sadar Bazar - the largest wholesale market in Asia - transporting people and goods around Delhi using his bay horse, Raja - this is his main source of income. Raja recently became lame and in a bid to treat him quickly, Lalluram applied some desi dawai (local medicine) on his knee joints. However, this only made Raja’s knees worse.

Felfel and Bolbol - the sugar cane harvest takes its toll

Egypt’s sugar cane harvest is a major source of income to thousands of Egyptian families. During the harvest, working horses and donkeys pull heavy overloaded carts of sugar cane and many of them suffer injuries as a result. Donkeys, Folfol and Belbel help their owner Adel during the harvest to support his family of seven by working all day, every day throughout the season.

Billu and Jugnu - help donkeys have peaceful births 

One owner we met in Pakistan, Mohammad Aslam, was very concerned about his mare, Jugnu. His usually active mare was reluctant to work. He didn’t realise that she was desperately trying to tell him she needed to be with her newborn foal, Billu. She was so anxious about the little one, it was making her weak and prone to illness.

Shiro - helping the unsung heroes 

In Ethiopia, Shiro works as a Ghari (taxi) for his owner Tamirat, and Tamirat’s wife and four young children. When Shiro became unwell, Tamirat took him to see the Brooke who diagnosed the horse with African Horse Sickness (AHS). The Brooke advised Tamirat on how to treat Shiro, but the disease was caught too late and it is unlikely he will survive.

Husna's story - spreading knowledge, easing pain

Every day, Brooke teams are reaching horses, mules and donkeys who are working despite terrible pain. The teams ease that pain - and train their owners to recognise the signs that they are distressed. The Brooke is working to prevent the suffering of animals like Husna, a mare who works pulling a Tonga cart in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Special care for older animals - Kavici's story

In Kimbimbi village in Mwea, poor Kavici (whose name means ‘The Old’) was working seven to eight hours every day. He was transporting water, 43 gallons per trip, with seven trips daily. Due to fatigue, worsened by conditions linked to old age, Kavici would often stop in the middle of the road. He even collapsed a few times, causing alarm to his owner, Andrew Kimani.

Lightening the loads of working animals - Mithu's story

Brick kiln donkey Mithu carried three tonnes of unbaked bricks each day up a steep bank to the Basti Labar brick kiln in Multan, Pakistan. He would make up to 25 trips, each time struggling in sweltering heat with 90kg of bricks. But one day the little donkey could take the load no longer and collapsed from exhaustion.