History of the Brooke Hospital for Animals (“The Brooke”)

In 1930, our founder, Mrs Dorothy Brooke, travelled to Egypt's capital, Cairo, where she encountered thousands of ex-cavalry horses being used as beasts of burden on its streets. Many of them had seen service in the First World War. After the conflict ended in 1918 they had been sold by the British Army into a life of hard labour. Mrs Brooke was tormented by the memory of the pitiful creatures she saw. On her return to England she wrote a letter to the Morning Post, which later became the Daily Telegraph, exposing their plight and appealing for funds to help save them. The public was so moved they responded with the equivalent today of £20,000 to help end their suffering. Within three years, Mrs Brooke had set up a committee to help fund the purchase of 5,000 of these tragic animals. Most were old and in the final stages of collapse and had to be humanely destroyed but thanks to this remarkable woman they all ended their lives peacefully with love and dignity.

What The Brooke does

The Brooke’s methods are simple, inexpensive and can be learned and implemented by local people. These include building water troughs and shade shelters, educating owners in the welfare of their animals and supplying medical items to treat minor injuries. We don't prosecute, campaign or get involved in politics. Animals in work can enjoy companionship and social interaction with people and their own species. We believe that working animals should be rewarded with consideration, care and relief of suffering. Teaching kindness to animals is at the heart of what we do.

The Brooke’s vision is a world in which working horses, donkeys and mules are free from suffering.To make this vision a reality, the Brooke delivers practical programmes and provides support, advice and infrastructure to its global network of employees, partners and supporters.

Brooke staff and staff employed by Brooke-funded affiliates and partners provide veterinary and animal health services in order to relieve the suffering of working horses, donkeys and mules.

Thousands of training sessions take place every year so that community animal health workers can treat working horses, donkeys and mules locally.

We also undertake valuable, practical research to support our evidence-based approach and help communities to better help their own horses, donkeys and mules, by building skills.

On a global scale, we also seek to influence governments and other institutions to raise the profile of working equine animals on the policy and development agendas.

In addition we lead from the front, in the field of animal welfare, ensuring our rigorous standards and guidelines are applied in all the areas where we work.

The Jersey Supporters Group (“JSG”)

The objectives of the JSG are
(a) To raise awareness of the work of The Brooke Hospital for Animals
(“The Brooke”), a charity registered with the Charity Commission for
England and Wales.

(b) To support The Brooke by raising funds to help pay for the work that
it does in improving equine animal welfare in Africa, Asia, Latin
America and the Middle East.

The aim of the JSG is to raise £20,000 per year. It does this by organising fund-raising events that raise awareness of The Brooke's work. About half of funds raised come from unsolicited donations, demonstrating the value of keeping The Brooke' valuable work in the public eye. The Brooke ring-fences funds raised in Jersey and they are applied exclusively to the welfare of donkeys toiling in the coal-mines of north Pakistan.

Events for 2023 (more details on our Facebook page nearer the time):

Dress Sale: This event will be held on Saturday June 3rd at St Bernadette's, Les Quennevais.. If you have good quality clothing that you would like to donate, please ring Michele on 853497

Market Fountain Collection: 11-25th July

Samares Fair: 28th August

Guide Dogs Book Sale Bric a Brac: 7th and 8th October

Clip Clop Carols: 9th December

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