Dorothy Brooke and the Old War Horse buying committee, Cairo, 1930s
Brooke Marks 90th Anniversary
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This February marks 90 years since Brooke began its journey to improve the difficult lives of working horses, donkeys and mules around the world. From humble beginnings as a hospital for ex-warhorses in the 1930s, Brooke now reaches over four million working animals and more than one million people.
Brooke’s story began with a British woman named Dorothy Brooke living in Egypt, who found hundreds of emaciated ex-warhorses wandering the streets having been abandoned after World War One. Dorothy vowed to do whatever it took to ease the suffering of these animals, writing a letter to The Morning Post (now The Daily Telegraph) exposing their plight.
The British public were so moved, Dorothy received £20,000 in today’s money to establish the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital in Cairo in 1934. Over the next three years, Dorothy purchased five thousand ex-warhorses to care for.
Today, Dorothy’s legacy continues, as Brooke works in 13 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, protecting working animals who are the backbone of communities in the developing world. Reaching 10,000 communities and 5,000 animal health service providers, Brooke makes long-lasting, positive changes to the health of vulnerable horses and donkeys - depended on by so many.
Brooke will continue to inspire generations of animal welfare champions, and help give working animals a life worth living.
For more information about Brooke’s history, visit https://www.thebrooke.org/about-us/our-history
More from Brooke
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- Brooke celebrates innovative vet training framework at BEVA Congress 2023
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