The Brooke - Brooke people in the field

The Brooke has 800 dedicated staff working directly in the field across countries in which we operate. Our staff not only administer free veterinary care to suffering working horses, donkeys and mules, but also work to create a sustainable improvement the welfare of the animals through training.

The Brooke's ethos is to work locally and to use staff who are nationals of the country in which we are working. Local staff are are supported by UK staff who are based at Bristol University Veterinary School and the Brooke's head office in London.

To ensure that our teams overseas meet the needs of animals and their owners as effectively as possible, we work in several different ways, as described below:

Mobile Teams

108 mobile teams currently operate in Egypt, India, Jordan, Pakistan, Israel, Guatemala and Afghanistan. The mobile teams allow us to reach remote areas and sick animals so that they don't have to travel. The teams visit areas on a regular basis and at a time which communities can rely on to bringing daily veterinary care to working horses, donkeys and mules. With 6 mobile veterinary teams to be in place in Ethiopia by April 2007, we will be able to reach even more animals desperately in need.

Each van carries a vet and a paravet, and may also carry a farrier and a harness maker, and is well stocked with drugs, medicines, dressings and surgical instruments. The vets treat animals on the spot, while the farriers and saddlers tend to their feet and harness.

Brooke field clinics

Our field clinics in Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan where the mobile teams are based, are fully equipped to treat almost any injury or disease and provide shelter and respite for recuperating animals. Their excellent facilities include operating theatres, treatment rooms, x-ray facilities, isolation boxes, dispensaries and medicine stores, farriers shops and paddock.

Community animal health workers

Community animal health workers form part of our mobile veterinary teams. They visit communities and through education and training spread our caring message amongst owners of working animals. We are confident that with our new and growing Community Animal Health network, the dedication of our Brooke mobile vet teams, and the continuing kindness of our supporters, there is real hope for all the horses, donkeys and mules toiling in the poorest communities overseas.

Community Animal Health Workers

'Community Animal Health Workers' are members of the animal owning communities in which we work, who are selected by the Brooke and their community to be trained in animal first aid and best welfare practices. They work closely with the Brooke and help identify and address specific problems in the community. For example, we have started training selected brick kiln workers "They’ll be able to improve conditions at their kilns" explains Joy Pritchard, Brooke’s Head of Animal Welfare, "this will help to free our veterinary teams to reach new kilns."

Some of the animal owners who we have helped become great advocates for the Brooke and are sharing their knowledge of better animal care with their fellow owners in their community, as shown by Iman Muddin, a horse feed seller and animal owner in India:


	Before the Brooke, I used this Sanskrit book, which provides traditional Indian techniques for treating horses. When the Brooke arrived, it was a blessing. Their type of medicine works faster than our old techniques. I have complete faith in the Brooke and tell my friends and neighbours to listen to their vets. This takes time. Just as a child goes to school for the first time and can't sit still for too long, it has taken time for our community to listen to the Brooke. But now many follow their ways.