The Brooke animal hospital causes suffering to animals

Freddie19 said:
Just to say that I have received email from Brooke this morning to say, that they are shocked and concerned re the remarks made in this post, have contacted their offices in Luzor and investigations are being carried out. They have said they will keep me informed. If I was a technophobe I would put email on here, but I am afraid I cannot. I will of course report any other emails back.
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Thanks Freddie.
 
Have been thinking about this thread quite a bit, and hope that the Brooke are able to respond accordingly.

Out of interest though, do the vets out there need an owners permission to euthanise a horse? I just can't help thinking that if permission is required then the owners might rather the horse take its chances than get put down anyway as it will mean they have to find a replacement?
 
Thank you for your response to my post. I am glad you only use the good ones. This is one of the problems that the charities have to face and deal with. The GOOD ones do need the work.;)
 
Thank you to everyone who has commented on the incident that occurred at the Brooke’s Luxor clinic. We appreciate your concern for working equines in the developing world and we were very concerned by this report. Please be assured we take these situations very seriously and
an internal investigation has been undertaken.

Our General Manager in Egypt has now sent over a report and our records show that on Saturday 14th April a grey mare was indeed admitted to the Brooke's clinic in Luxor after a car accident. A thorough clinical examination was carried out which revealed lacerated wounds to the right front leg and right hind leg.

The mare was sedated, then the wounded area was shaved and cleaned with antiseptic before an anti-tetanus serum was given. The mare was moved to one of the clinic’s large boxes and anesthetised to help her lie down on a large mattress, so the vet could begin stitching the wounds. The vet’s assessment concluded that the best way to know if this animal could make a recovery was to allow it the time to do so.

Unfortunately in this case the mare died on the same day, from suspected internal organ damage as a result of the car accident, and not from fractured bone or external bleeding. Although she was thoroughly examined on arrival, it was impossible for us to know the extent of the damage at an early stage and our priority was to give the horse an opportunity to respond to the initial treatment.
It is truly sad when any animal dies, despite all our efforts, but in this case we feel we did all we could to help this poor horse and we are sure she would not have been suffering in these final hours.

I would like to reassure you all that our vets in Egypt are very dedicated and hard working professionals who care passionately for the animals in their care. I sincerely hope this statement helps clarify some of your concerns.

We do respect the fact that other organisations have a different approach to us but our mission is to do what is best for the welfare of the largest number of working equine animals. With over 75 years experience, we aim to help communities to look after their own horses and donkeys and so help prevent disease and injury, visiting animals at home in their villages and treating them in a way that meets good clinical standards in addition to the work of our clinics.

Please note that we will be unable to comment on any posts raised on this forum until after the weekend. In order for us to respond appropriately, if anybody does have any questions, please do contact us directly via info@thebrooke.org. and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible. Thank you.
 
I have followed this from the start and didn't know what to think.

I think those who did not believe the OP will now have to change their opinion.

As the charity concerned has confirmed the facts there is no reason to doubt the OP at all now. If she had not been there and seen it, how would she have known.

I hope the charity take this seriously and monitor their clinics more carefully.
 
rockysmum said:
I have followed this from the start and didn't know what to think.

I think those who did not believe the OP will now have to change their opinion.

As the charity concerned has confirmed the facts there is no reason to doubt the OP at all now. If she had not been there and seen it, how would she have known.

I hope the charity take this seriously and monitor their clinics more carefully.
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I'm not sure where they have stated that suffering was deliberately caused to an animal in their care, as alleged by the OP?
 
They have not mentionned the dog with the broken legs either and that story really upset me. You don't need xray vision if a dog is that badly injured. I hope they will investigate thoroughly.
 
SusannaF said:
I'm not sure where they have stated that suffering was deliberately caused to an animal in their care, as alleged by the OP?
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No, of course not. But they have confirmed the facts that the horse was there after a road accident and was PTS.

I just dont think the OP would know this if her story was not true. It would be far too much of a coincidence.
 
YasandCrystal said:
They have not mentionned the dog with the broken legs either and that story really upset me. You don't need xray vision if a dog is that badly injured. I hope they will investigate thoroughly.
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That's the other charity, isn't it? I think they did put him to sleep almost straight away according to the OP.

Dunno what to think now. We clearly have the same incident reported from different perspectives. Did the OP misunderstand what went on? I'm pretty sure you could take a look at some brilliantly run equine hospitals in the UK and find things which you could perceive as deliberate cruelty if you didn't know what was going on. For example I would imagine assisted recovery would look pretty horiffic, where the horse's tail is tied to a corner of the box, winched up high and his head pulled in the other direction for dear life while he gets up, disorientated after an anaesthetic. But its actually a way to try to ensure that horses getting up from after surgery don't do themselves any damage.

Alternatively has the vet involved protected his own back by not telling the whole story? I mean, who's to know, apart from the OP.


:confused::confused::confused:

I guess I would now (well, after the weekend) like to hear from the Brooke about:

What measures are in place for prevention of flies, and are they adequate?

Did the horse get into respiratory distress, and if so what action was taken and how quickly was it taken?

What was the level of bleeding /blood loss before and after stitching?

and How frequently are horses who have been anaesthatised, or who have suffered from an injury where internal bleeding is a possibility monitored, and did this happen in this case?
 
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I never said OP did not see an injured horse I fact the fact that she had pictures and whybwould someone do that .
However I do not accept that the horse was left to suffer it was clearly from her description receiving treatment and badly injured .
In the third world I am am not speaking with knowledge about the brooke but from what I saw when I was living abroad they are not as quick to PTS as we are here, I saw this many times horses were treated handled kindly but nature was left to take its course I don't know if that was what happened here but it may ,we also do not know what the ownership position with this horse did they have the right to PTS we don't know this.
I have seen the Brooke working helping working equines and the help they give makes real differences to horses working in conditions that break your heart but the people are working in these conditions too.
Was the brooke vet rude to OP perhaps if so not a wise thing to do but given the tone of her post I can just imagine how that would have gone down where I was helping.
 
OP can ypu get your photos up on this thread please.

Put them on a Photobucket account and then copy the img code on your reply for them to show.
 
Many Muslims do not believe in euthanasia as they feel it is Allahs's will as to whether the animal survives or not. It may have been the owners choice not to put down immediately. We need to know the whole story before we can judge. I guess this is what the Brooke is trying to do.
 
Naturally said:
I mean, who's to know, apart from the OP.
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The vet... He's the one qualified to make a diagnosis and order treatment - and would know if he was acting appropriately... Obviously if he wasn't, he's probably going to be less inclined to acknowledge that...

Even someone qualified who has not undertaken a proper examination and reviewed any notes would be hard put in many cases to make an informed decision about care based on a quick viewing...

amymay said:
I'm not reassured, The Brooke.
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I agree... The post, to me, smacked a little of a 'stock reply'...
 
TheBrooke said:
Thank you to everyone who has commented on the incident that occurred at the Brooke’s Luxor clinic. We appreciate your concern for working equines in the developing world and we were very concerned by this report. Please be assured we take these situations very seriously and
an internal investigation has been undertaken.

Our General Manager in Egypt has now sent over a report and our records show that on Saturday 14th April a grey mare was indeed admitted to the Brooke's clinic in Luxor after a car accident. A thorough clinical examination was carried out which revealed lacerated wounds to the right front leg and right hind leg.

The mare was sedated, then the wounded area was shaved and cleaned with antiseptic before an anti-tetanus serum was given. The mare was moved to one of the clinic’s large boxes and anesthetised to help her lie down on a large mattress, so the vet could begin stitching the wounds. The vet’s assessment concluded that the best way to know if this animal could make a recovery was to allow it the time to do so.

Unfortunately in this case the mare died on the same day, from suspected internal organ damage as a result of the car accident, and not from fractured bone or external bleeding. Although she was thoroughly examined on arrival, it was impossible for us to know the extent of the damage at an early stage and our priority was to give the horse an opportunity to respond to the initial treatment.
It is truly sad when any animal dies, despite all our efforts, but in this case we feel we did all we could to help this poor horse and we are sure she would not have been suffering in these final hours.

I would like to reassure you all that our vets in Egypt are very dedicated and hard working professionals who care passionately for the animals in their care. I sincerely hope this statement helps clarify some of your concerns.

We do respect the fact that other organisations have a different approach to us but our mission is to do what is best for the welfare of the largest number of working equine animals. With over 75 years experience, we aim to help communities to look after their own horses and donkeys and so help prevent disease and injury, visiting animals at home in their villages and treating them in a way that meets good clinical standards in addition to the work of our clinics.

Please note that we will be unable to comment on any posts raised on this forum until after the weekend. In order for us to respond appropriately, if anybody does have any questions, please do contact us directly via info@thebrooke.org. and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible. Thank you.
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I would be grateful if you could let me know what the cause of death was.

ETA. Suspected is not the same as proven.
 
Ladydragon said:
I could be wrong but I wouldn't expect a charity to be in a position to autopsy every animal that dies whilst in their clinical care... :confused:
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This. Complete waste of money that could be spent helping another animal. They don't even have x-ray equipment for goodness sake, honestly I don't think people have any understanding of what life is like for the animals or the people in these places :(

Next time you see your horses, remind them how lucky they are ;)
 
Ladydragon said:
I could be wrong but I wouldn't expect a charity to be in a position to autopsy every animal that dies whilst in their clinical care... :confused:
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Exactly. I don't think OP is lying when she says she saw the horse laying down etc etc - and was obviously very concerned, but it is very easy without being in receipt of all of the facts to see something and think it looks horrendous.

It sounds very much to me like the horse was given emergency initial treatment and made as comfortable as possible. It's stitches may well have burst open by the time OP got back, but these things happen - you visit any vet hospital or even human hospital! As for the flies - yes not great, but not sure it would be entirely avoidable in a hot country. Even over here we can't protect our injured horses from the flies 100% - all we can do is try and use fly repellant etc etc.

The vet looking blase isn't an indicator of anything. He is a professional who deals with dying animals every day - he isn't likely to burst into floods of tears over the matter is he?

With regard internal injuries - it is not entirely possible to foresee these problems initially when an animal is brought in.
 
rhino said:
This. Complete waste of money that could be spent helping another animal. They don't even have x-ray equipment for goodness sake, honestly I don't think people have any understanding of what life is like for the animals or the people in these places :(

Next time you see your horses, remind them how lucky they are ;)
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I think for a charity like the Brooke, good publicity is a necessity. They have the means to conduct an inquiry.
I would not accept an email from a member of staff, thousands of miles away as fact. Call me cynical, but it's a brush off.
 
Moomin1 said:
Exactly. I don't think OP is lying when she says she saw the horse laying down etc etc - and was obviously very concerned, but it is very easy without being in receipt of all of the facts to see something and think it looks horrendous.

It sounds very much to me like the horse was given emergency initial treatment and made as comfortable as possible. It's stitches may well have burst open by the time OP got back, but these things happen - you visit any vet hospital or even human hospital! As for the flies - yes not great, but not sure it would be entirely avoidable in a hot country. Even over here we can't protect our injured horses from the flies 100% - all we can do is try and use fly repellant etc etc.

The vet looking blase isn't an indicator of anything. He is a professional who deals with dying animals every day - he isn't likely to burst into floods of tears over the matter is he?

With regard internal injuries - it is not entirely possible to foresee these problems initially when an animal is brought in.
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I agree with this entirely^^^
I was cynical of the OP's initial post - I felt like she was putting the Brooke down in order to promote an alternative charity - it just sounded wrong.
I am a supporter of The Brooke and I pay them a standing order each month. If it does emerge that neglect has taken place then I will cancel my standing order and donate to another charity instead.
 
Holly Hocks said:
I agree with this entirely^^^
I was cynical of the OP's initial post - I felt like she was putting the Brooke down in order to promote an alternative charity - it just sounded wrong.
I am a supporter of The Brooke and I pay them a standing order each month. If it does emerge that neglect has taken place then I will cancel my standing order and donate to another charity instead.
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and how do think neglect will be established? The testimony of other staff? That would be naive.
 
blazingsaddles said:
I think for a charity like the Brooke, good publicity is a necessity. They have the means to conduct an inquiry.
I would not accept an email from a member of staff, thousands of miles away as fact. Call me cynical, but it's a brush off.
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Keep stating your opinion as often as you like. It's still just your opinion

And yes, I did doubt the OP's motives from the start. I haven't altered my opinion
 
blazingsaddles said:
and how do think neglect will be established? The testimony of other staff? That would be naive.
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No different from taking the viewpoint of one person (well one and her husband who is unlikely to say anything different to her). The Brooke have said that they won't be able to comment until after the weekend, so we should see what they come back with....

I suppose I should start considering which other charities I should give my monthly donation to (and it's not that small a donation either!)
 
Good lord, I thought I had seen the worst of people on this forum and am pretty immune to most of the sniping on here, but I am genuinely shocked at the way the OP has been treated by some of you.

Thank you OP for highlighting this issue, It certainly sounds as though this horse did not have the treatment it needed. If it was involved in a car accident it should not have just been stitched up and left unsupervised. The vet should have taken into account there may well have been internal damage, the animal was hit by a car for goodness sake. Any competant vet would be watching the horse like a hawk.
The response to this by Brooke is wholly unacceptable. I appreciate the charity does not have endless rescoures, but simple 15 minute obs would have picked up internal bleeding.

The OP was merely sharing what she saw, I would have done the same. To ask her to justify herself and "prove" she wasn't lying or working for another charity by showing pictures etc was really appaling.

Good for you OP.

I now look forward to having my spelling and grammer criticised and the speculation as to whether or not I am the OP's mother/ daughter/bestmate.....
 
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