A charity that supports working horses and donkeys has launched an emergency appeal to fund their work as Covid-19 impacts developing nations around the world.
Brooke wants to ensure working equids can still fulfil their roles providing communities with vital access to food, water and medical transport.
The pandemic has reached every country where the charity works and many have now enforced lockdowns, including India, Pakistan and West Africa’s worst-affected country Burkina Faso.
Despite the tough restrictions on movement, horses, donkeys and mules are still working everyday in difficult conditions to support millions of people.
Brooke said that its long-term sustainable approach of training local vets, farriers and animal health workers means that these animals are currently still receiving support within their communities.
But it believes that as communities face huge challenges to their livelihoods, the animals will also feel the impact.
Petra Ingram, CEO of Brooke, said: “Around the world, families have had to make adjustments to their daily lives in order to stop the spread of this deadly disease. These adjustments have been even tougher for the millions of people across the developing world who depend on working horses, donkeys and mules for food, water and medical transport.
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“Now more than ever, these animals are essential. It’s so important that we continue to champion the welfare of these animals so that they can continue to keep their communities safe.”
More than 100 million horses, donkeys and mules are used by families worldwide to earn an income, put food on their tables and send their children to school.
Many of these animals are also suffering, so Brooke works in more than 11 developing countries, with owners, communities, service providers, governments and international organisations to make long lasting improvements to the lives of animals and their owners.
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