Annette Badland is Brooke's first Women’s Ambassador

Actress Annette Badland has joined Brooke in a new role, becoming our first ever Women’s Ambassador.

Around the world, women are the backbone of their communities - feeding families, navigating hardship and, in many places, caring for the working animals their livelihoods depend on.  

These women are not only caregivers; they are leaders, protectors, innovators and changemakers. 

A passionate advocate for women’s rights and for the protection of working animals, Annette will use her new role to shine a light on the extraordinary women standing at the heart of Brooke’s mission. 

Today, we celebrate four of these remarkable women, whose courage and compassion embody the future Annette is proud to champion. 

Until a few years ago, when a horse fell ill in Safura’s village on India’s coast, fear spread through every household. 

“I felt very bad. We had no knowledge,” she recalls. “When the horse fell sick, everyone fell sick.” 

Determined to change this, Brooke India trained Safura to become an Ashwasakhi, meaning “horse friend.” She learned to give basic treatment, understand dietary needs and recognise early signs of illness. Now the only Ashwasakhi in her village, she is the first person families turn to when their animals need help. 

With new skills came confidence. With confidence came healthier horses. And with healthier horses came a respected leader - a woman improving life for both animals and people simply by being willing to learn and to care. 

In Kakulolo, a village in Kenya, 58-year-old Josephine has weathered more hardship than many face in a lifetime. A widow and mother of nine, she relied on her donkey for everything: water collection, transporting goods and earning a tiny income to feed her four school-aged children. 

But in May 2024, tragedy struck. Her donkey was stolen and slaughtered for the donkey skin trade, plunging the family deeper into poverty. 

Two months later, Josephine’s life changed once again - this time with hope. Brooke East Africa brought her a rehomed donkey named Kamwana, supported by her local women’s group, who built a safe shelter to protect him from future theft. The day he arrived was filled with laughter, song and ululations, as a community celebrated the return of dignity and possibility. 

Josephine shared her gratitude when This Morning vet Dr Scott Miller visited her this summer while filming a new documentary, “From Skin to Skincare: The Shocking Truth Behind the Donkey Skin Trade”. 

“I am very thankful to Brooke for all the work they have done to make sure my family is happy,” she said. “Thank you, Dr Scott Miller, for meeting my sadness with kindness.” 

With Kamwana, Josephine has her livelihood back and her children can continue in school. 

In Ethiopia’s Halaba region, harness-making and animal care have long been dominated by men. But Aster, a handling and harnessing expert trained by Brooke, is changing this narrative. 

Aster designs welfare-friendly harnesses now used in communities and treatment posts across the region. She creates models of animals using papier mâché, to help owners learn how to fit equipment correctly and humanely. 

Her designs use soft, locally available materials that prevent painful wounds caused by the rope and metal bits that are traditionally used. She even tests her creations on her own family’s donkeys, tracking their improved comfort and health. 

“For me, when you make a small change, it makes a huge impact,” she says. “Horses are everything.” 

On Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island, veterinary work has long been treated as a male profession, leaving women’s expertise undervalued. For María Luisa, advancing the welfare of horses, donkeys and mules is also an act of resisting expectations in male-dominated environments.  

Traveling across the island’s remote mountains, she reaches horses and donkeys essential to local livelihoods while proving women belong in every aspect of veterinary care. “At the beginning it was very hard because in Nicaragua, the veterinarian profession is for males,” she said.  

Now she trains caregivers, teaches owners humane practices, and earns growing respect as attitudes shift. “Now they ask questions and call us,” she added. 

As Brooke’s new Women’s Ambassador, Annette Badland brings her voice - and her heart - to the extraordinary stories of women like Safura, Josephine, Aster and Gori. 

Annette’s role is to help ensure their stories are not just heard, but honoured. So that more women around the world have the chance to build safer lives for themselves, their communities and the animals they depend on. 

Together, we can create a future where women rise and animals thrive - one village, one family and one working animal at a time.