Tenacity Fair

Guest blog by The Brooke

Recycling is a vital part of life, and now you can make a significant change to the lives of working animals at the same time. To be a part of the solution and help the Brooke continue its work, visit www.thebrooke.org/brooke-a-brac.

You know how it is, in life there are some things on your to-do list that are quite easy to get done, and there are other things on the list that are those big, challenging jobs. The things that can be life changing, but seem too hard and you put them off. But you know that putting these things off makes it worse.

Parts of the Brooke’s work are like this, where the challenge to improve working animal welfare seem so hard. But in the coming year, we’re actively focussing on these areas of our work. We’re not putting it off.

One of these areas is equine fairs, where people go to buy and sell working horses, donkeys and mules. Equine fairs take place in many parts of the world, but mostly in India and Pakistan. Animals bought go on to help earn money for their owners, working in brick kilns, in construction, or transporting essentials like food and water. Owners can also sell their animals on, earning extra money to support their families.

Up to 13,000 animals are gathered in one place, and the fairs can very quickly get hot, overcrowded and chaotic. After travelling many miles on foot, or crushed into trucks, the weary animals arrive at the fair. Fairs often take place in blisteringly hot environments, and the Horses, donkeys and mules find little water to relieve their thirst, or shelter from the scorching sun. The extreme overcrowding isn’t just unpleasant – it’s dangerous. Infection and disease spread quickly and thousands of animals suffer.

However, the fair is an ideal place for the Brooke to reach as many owners, handlers and drivers as possible. We set up stalls at the fairs to provide shade and water, veterinary treatment, and most importantly, training sessions, where thousands of owners are shown how to properly care for their animals. These group sessions show how things like proper bedding, adequate rest, and how to recognise disease and infections can make a huge difference to their animals’ health.

A lack of awareness and access to qualified vets is common at the fair, and this can lead to problems. For example, equines are susceptible to tetanus, and if the condition is ignored the consequences can be fatal. Om Prakash, who makes money by transporting goods by horse and cart, brought his 10 year old mare to Brooke vet Dr Sanjay. Billo was pregnant, and Om had noticed that she wasn’t eating properly and her body had become stiff. However, the local health provider hadn’t been able diagnose her. Dr Sanjay diagnosed Tetanus quickly and administered treatment just in time. Billo gave birth to a healthy foal soon after.

Dr Sanjay gave Om Prakash guidance on vaccinations, encouraging him to pass the knowledge on to other owners. He was grateful, saying “I am really obliged and I feel the Brooke is truly there for poor equine owners and their animals”

Brooke vets out in the field have far less access to veterinary tools and equipment than a vet in the UK. That’s why, as well as owner training, our vets from the UK are constantly training our vets in-country as well. It means they’re more able to make a diagnosis by talking to an owner and examining their animal.

The situation is complicated, but we keep at it. Regular and sound research backs up our solutions to problems, and we’re always working on innovative ways to tackle the most difficult welfare issues. Yes, it’s hard, but when we see more well informed owners and happier animals, it’s all worth it.

Unfortunately, this work only gets done if we have help. We’re grateful for all the support we receive, and the good news is that now, by gathering together your old things and selling them for the Brooke. Recycling is a vital part of life, and now you can make a significant change to the lives of working animals at the same time. To be a part of the solution and help the Brooke continue its work, visit www.thebrooke.org/brooke-a-brac.