Brooke USA pledges five-year animal welfare support in Indian brick kilns
Brooke’s sister organisation, Brooke USA Foundation, has agreed to its first multi-year pledge to support more than 300 Indian brick kilns over the next five years, promoting animal welfare-friendly attitudes and environments.
Funds will go towards Brooke India’s Equine Welfare Projects in brick kilns around Gonda, Samba, Surat, Kaimur and Rohtak, reaching 4,500 working horses, donkeys and mules and 9,700 people who depend on them.
The pledge will benefit over 2,000 animal owners and workers in brick kilns, who are entirely reliant on the health of their working animal to generate income and support their families.
“This five-year commitment to Brooke India is historical for Brooke USA, as we embark on servicing communities with limited or no access to Brooke’s training and services."
Emily Marquez-Dulin, Chief Executive Officer of Brooke USA, which funds Brooke’s work around the world said: “We are following Brooke India through their journey to improve animal welfare and better human livelihoods by consistently measuring change against specific indicators.
“We can report progress and impact to our donors while positioning ourselves to reach larger contributions, helping more people and animals across the globe.”
Brooke’s Equine Welfare Projects in India will also help connect equine-owning communities with local veterinary and farriery service providers and empower women to earn an income through their animals.
India’s brick kilns, producing 21% of the world’s bricks, are where donkeys, horses and mules endure some of the most extreme working conditions including dehydration, heat stress and disease.
Brooke is advocating for change in kilns through training animal owners, partnering with governments and deploying a ‘One Health’ approach - which recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners in the USA for their generosity and compassion in creating a life worth living for horses, mules, and donkeys."
Jyothi Dharamadheeran, Country Director of Brooke India, said: “This pledge will help support Brooke India's efforts to improve the health and welfare of both equines and equine-owning families, empowering women and building economic resilience.
The project is part of Brooke’s 2025 strategy ‘A Life Worth Living’, which aims to transform equine welfare in communities, support them to thrive and boost resilience.
Learn more about Brooke’s work in brick kilns here.