The Brooke animal hospital causes suffering to animals

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stormalong

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I have just returned from holiday in Luxor, Egypt and must bring to your attention lack of care and suffering caused to animals due to The Brooke.

On Saturday 14th April my husband and I were making our way to ACE - Animal Care in Luxor and travelling by horse and carriage (locally known as a caleche). The journey takes you past The Brooke, a much bigger and wealthier charity than ACE, and advertised quite extensively throughout the centre of Luxor and nearby the airport. The facilities and centre are poor to say the least. The offices rented by The Brooke, nearby the centre however are far more luxorious.

Our caleche driver was alerted to the fact that a friends horse had been admitted to The Brooke, and was badly injuredafter being hit by a bus. He told us it was the caleche driver and horse we had used the previous day, and a man we have known for several years. What I witness shocked me to the core of my heart.

The horse was lying sedated on foam mats in a stable with a sand floor. His wounds had been stitched up and he was covered in flies. I went over to the vet and asked him about the condition of the horse. He told me there were no broken bones, it just had superficial wounds, however it would make a full recovery, and stay at the centre for 3 weeks to recuperate. I must say the horse did look in a very poor state, it was lying in alot of blood. During my time here the vet spent all his time sat at a desk talking to other Egyptians. I felt he should be monitoring the horse and not sat relaxing.

We continued on our way to ACE, roughly 10 minutes further up the road. This is a much smaller charity set up 10 years ago, but their facilities are superb. We were made welcome and given a guided tour of the facilities there and the current inmates.

After a few minutes a dog was carried in and taken to the small animal treatment room. The staff were soon covering their noses as the smell of rotting flesh was very strong.
The dog was examined thoroughly, before it was decided the only humane thing to do was to put it to sleep. Its injuries included two broken legs. Three days previously it had been taken to The Brooke where they had wrapped cotton wool and a bandage round it and sent it home. When the dog started to deteriorate the owners brought it to ACE. My fears for the horse I had left behind were very immediate.

After spending one and a half hours at ACE we started to make our way back to the hotel, which again took us by The Brooke. I asked the driver to stop so I could look in on the horse. The sight that greeted me will stay with me for a long time.

The horse was now off the mats, lying on the sand floor. Much of the stitching had ripped open and it had gaping wounds. The flies were in masses over its body, and the horses breathing was very laboured. It had a large wound on its back leg, and it was losing a tremendous amount of blood.

The vet was sat down chatting showing no concern for the animal. The initial time I saw him he smiled and appeared concerned for the horse. This time he was very dismissive of me, saying the horse was perfectly ok and would make a full recovery. 15 minutes later the horse died.

I FEEL SO STRONGLY THAT THIS POOR ANIMAL WAS NOT EVEN AFFORDED THE VERY BASIC TREATMENT OF BEING PUT TO SLEEP.

The Brooke Hospital for horses according to its year end balance sheet had a record year in 2010/11. Fundraising income grew to 14.8m. They had record breaking legacies of £5,871.000. Their President is The Duchess of Cornwall, and two of their Patrons include Sir Peter O'Sullivan and Captain Richard Waygood.

The Brooke is a very well known charity in the equestrian world, however if you knew what was going on at the charity, and the poor level of care, I am sure you would give your hard earned money elsewhere.

I know they have centres elsewhere in the world, but what they are providing out in Luxor, Egypt is wholly unacceptable.

Where is the money going? In the centre parked up are four 4x4 signwritten vehicles. Do you see these out and about in Luxor tending to animals in need? They are never seen out and about, just ask any of the caleche drivers.

This Charity is corrupt to the core, and the injured horse was neglected and left to die in pain and agony. Dorothy Brooke who started the charity in 1934 would turn in her grave if she had witnessed the lack of care.

I have photographic evidence to support my case.

I felt Horse and Hound readers should be aware, please help me to expose this charity.
AN OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM THE BROOKE CAN BE READ VIA THE LINK BELOW:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...to-animals&p=10662456&viewfull=1#post10662456
 
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I have not contacted The Brooke. However they deny they have any vehicles out in Luxor. As I have seen them with my own eyes, I have no trust in them whatsoever.
 
If this is the full story, then it's a shame this centre has gone downhill - certainly when I visited The Brooke in Luxor a few years ago it seemed like a well run facility. The vet gave me a full tour and all the horses I saw were being well cared for. I would hope that The Brooke will investigate this if you get in touch with them.
 
Having raised a considerable amount of money for The Brooke in the past your story raises huge concerns. You should really try to persue this to find out what is going on. Certainly contact the main office in London, maybe meet them (sorry, not sure where you are located). You have photos to back up your story. This needs explaining and action taking What you describe is inhumane and the antithesis of all The Brooke is meant to stand for.

Maybe they have just one vet that isn't doing his job?

When i was in Jordan, having completed a fund raising ride, I know The Brooke was really unpopular with the locals. A bit of digging seemed to reveal that it was general resentment from people who had very little seeing so much funding going on their "beasts of burden". Apparently they would demand TV's etc - but its all one persons word against another.

Please do keep us updated with what you decide to do and what The Brooke have to say about it. As you mention it has some very high profile supporters and campaigners, it could be potentially explosive.
 
"just ask any of the caleche drivers"
What shall we call YOUR charity? FOECD (Friend Of Egyptian Caleche Drivers)? Why are you swanning around in a caleche in all that heat and obvious danger to horses (that are hit by vehicles etc.)?
I really CANNOT imagine that you would be allowed near the animals in the extreme state that you describe, as a jolly tourist, especially if the organisations in question HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE...
I will forward a link to this thread to Brooke, even though I am sure that they have much better things to do than deal with than your bad grammar.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday; I understand that half starved horses working in the environs of the pyramids are desperate for more work.
 
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My utmost concern is for the animals out there, and the lack of care shown by The Brooke, who are obviously out of their depth. Have you been out to Luxor, have you been in a caleche in April? Egypt is suffering due to the lack of tourists, we love the country and the people. We try to support them in this difficult time. We always chose horses that are well looked after, and reward the caleche drivers, so they can feed their horses and their families.

True my grammar may be bad, but then your geography is not much better. Look where the pyramids are in relation to Luxor!
 
I find it odd that instead of reporting your concerns to the Brooke, you wrote a long post on a public forum on which you've made few posts and in which you repeatedly sing the praises of another charity which could be said to be competing for the same funds.
 
Your experience seems a little odd to me. My parents whilst out in Egypt visited the Brooke at Cairo (yes I know different place to Luxor) on the 9th April, and had nothing but praise for the charity, facilities and care the animals received. Having seen photos I agree the charity are doing a good job in a very difficult environment, and have therefore increased my donation to them.

I would be interested to see your photos, and would urge you to contact The Brooke asap.
 
I also feel that your accusations would be more believable if you hadn't posted in various threads about the Brook - urging people to donate to your chosen charity instead.
If you can provide evidence of bad management at the Brook, then I will apologise wholeheartedly, but at present, this thread smacks of advertising for another charity in the worst possible way; by defaming another.
 
I too donate regularly to The Brooke and would love to hear their response to this. I just hope this thread doesn't get pulled before we find out the truth. Are you sure it was the Brooke hospital or another animal charity?

Anyway, what you saw sounds pretty distressing and would definitely give me nightmares.
 
stormalong said:
I have not contacted The Brooke.
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Clearly these are very serious allegations, and I for one wouldn't hesitate to cancel my subscription to them if they would found to be true.

Of course you must contact the Brooke to make a formal complaint, providing them with your pictorial evidence. A formal investigation will then be launched. I'd say you had a moral obligation to do so.

The Brooke's Chief Executive is Petra Ingram, and she can be contacted at: The Brooke,
30 Farringdon St, London, EC4A 4HH, United Kingdom.

You should also make sure that your allegations are copied to the Charities Commission also.

Do let us know how you get on - and what the outcome of the investigation is, so that those of us who do donate to The Brooke can make an informed decision about future donations.
 
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Until you have contacted the Brooke, making a formal complaint and giving them the opportunity that they are entitled to to respond to the allegation, and esp in the light of the promotion of a rival charity, I have to treat the allegation you make extremely warily, without dismissing it out of hand.

Do you not think you should approach the Brooke before you spend your time posting on forums? Would that not be a better way of ensuring as quickly as possible that no more animals are put at risk as you claim this horse was?
 
Goldenstar said:
I am sorry but my something does not make sense here monitor is on red here I feel you have an ulterior motive.
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I'm not getting that feeling and I'm normally sceptical as hell. I've heard similar things said before about some of the Brooke's centres. The OP is simply posting to make public her concerns, does not seem unreasonable to me either.
 
You are making these serious allegations on a public forum, but what are YOU (with all your photographic evidence) going to actually do about it?
YOU have visited the centre in Luxor.
YOU have taken the photographs.
YOU are apparently in the confidence of the caleche drivers.
Instead of expecting us to withdraw our donations without clear evidence that something is amiss, why don't YOU step up to the plate and do something about it??
Contact the Brooke's head office, Horse and Hound editorial, etc etc.
When and if the brown stuff hits the fan, and if your allegations are proven to be true, THEN people on here will consider stopping donations to the Brooke.
Put your money where your mouth is, as the old saying goes.................
 
Im very concerned about your claims. Please contact the Brooke direct with your photos etc. It seems very strange that you should post on here before contacting them.
 
If you have valid photographic proof, then prove it and contact them over here surely and find your answers if it's true.

I wouldn't be posting publically on a forum until an investigation or similar had been carried and I'd be much more subtle about it I know that much, by the time if anyone goes over there to investigate now, then they've got adequate warning to clear loose ends up frankly.
 
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Mithras said:
I'm not getting that feeling and I'm normally sceptical as hell. I've heard similar things said before about some of the Brooke's centres. The OP is simply posting to make public her concerns, does not seem unreasonable to me either.
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^^ This . I stopped my STO to the Brooke a few months ago due to the many slatings they were getting for not channelling their funds to the horses in need.
 
My gut reaction to this is that it is blatent defamation of a charity for the purpose of promoting another. If I am wrong then I apologise. But say you are 100% right and this did indeed happen, then all I can see is that the vet concerned needs dismissing and replacing by someone more competent and who cares more. It does not mean the whole charity 'causes suffering to animals'. IF this acccount is correct then you should be informing the Brooke themselves and only once they have had a chance to respond, put it on a public forum.
 
These are incredibly serious allegations as I'm sure you're aware.

If they are true, you absolutely must contact The Brooke directly with this report and evidence, as there is no doubt that what you witnessed is in complete breach of their charity mission and objectives. Their head office must be informed and given the opportunity to address this situation.

If you have photographic evidence you could also contact the press - though personally I would only do this once I had contacted the charity concerned and given them the chance to respond to the situation.

I imagine this thread will be pulled for being defamatory, but if you want people to believe you, posting the photos would be a good start.

If you are lying, and this is an attempt to garner donations for the ACE, then I would stop immediately. I'm sure the ACE would be absolutely horrified if you were slandering The Brooke in an attempt to gain more donations for them. Not only would you be associating them with lying and public mud slinging (which I'm sure they would not thank you for), but ultimately, both charities exist to protect animals from suffering, and any rivalry comes secondary to this overall goal. The last thing any charity wants is less support for its cause, even if a larger proportion of donations are going to other organisations.
 
Auslander said:
I also feel that your accusations would be more believable if you hadn't posted in various threads about the Brook - urging people to donate to your chosen charity instead.
If you can provide evidence of bad management at the Brook, then I will apologise wholeheartedly, but at present, this thread smacks of advertising for another charity in the worst possible way; by defaming another.
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Thank you for your responses. I will try and reply to all your concerns. I thought I had NOT repeatedly urged people to donate to another charity instead. I was trying to point out that another charity, with far less monies, had better facilities than The Brooke. Should this not be starting alarm bells?

I do have photographs, of both ACE and The Brooke. There was no intention of slagging off The Brooke, and trying to promote other charities, my first and foremost concern is the level of care the animals are receiving out there. Not even putting this animal to sleep causes me grave concern. I did not provide any link to OTHER charities out in Luxor, if you want to look up the one I mentioned you can easily google it.

Providing evidence of bad management at The Brooke? I am not commenting on heresay, I actually saw the horse shortly after it had been hit, and then returned later. The vet? was very surprised to see me later on in the day. I suppose most tourists who do visit, don't return later on in the same day as I did to check up on an animal.

I am saddened that many post are very sceptical of my claims, I am reporting on what my husband and I witnessed on that day. I appreciate that The Brooke are a major charity, and what they are doing in other countries I cannot comment about. However, the centre in Luxor is causing suffering to animals. The horse concerned, who is to say it didn't have multiple fractures? It was hit by a bus. I am concerned that maybe the vet did not recognise them. Certainly the dog which was brought to 'the other charity' had broken bones, and they were not recognised.

The Brooke have said they will look into my claims. However they have recently stated, that they have no vehicles out in Luxor, and they do I have seen them. So that makes ME very sceptical.

My first and foremost aim is that when animals are admitted to The Brooke in Luxor they are provided with better care, and if their injuries are very severe they are put to sleep.

Its very easy to come home and do nothing about what I saw. I have contacted a number of the newspapers to highlight my story - I am trying to do something about it.
 
Can I ask if there is a particular reason you are unwilling to share the photographs here?
 
The Brooke have said they will look into my claims
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So you've been in touch to the CE, in writing and provided the photos? That's great news.

I also don't think you've repeatedly urged people to donate to another charity. You've merely asked us to think about it as you consider them to have done such good work.

As for the papers - perhaps a little premature until the Brooke investigation is concluded.
 
just wondering if you got photos of the vehicles the brooke have out there? if you do and it's obviously their vehicles and they say they don't have any then yes they are being a bit 'odd'.
on the other hand maybe they aren't the brookes vehicles but other people have provided them and put the logos on but they still own them rather than donating to the brooke.
 
Regarding the photographs, I have many of 'the other charity', but they can easily be accessed online.

Re the photograph of the horse at The Brooke, is only reason I have not posted it, is that my computer skills are not up to it!! I would have to get my daughter round to help me with that one. I did not know my husband had taken a photo while we were there, its one of those things you are so upset, and I did shed many tears that day. I could have easily not gone to see the horse, infact at first I did refuse. However I am pleased I did put myself through the ordeal, as I want the personnel there thoroughly investigated.

If the only way many of you will believe me is to see photographic evidence, I can ask my daughter to post it online for you to view. Don't doubt me, it does exist.
 
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