Brooke Pakistan – Pakistan's Largest Working Animal Welfare Organization
Our programmes
Four connected areas of work, each strengthening the system that keeps working equids healthy.
Animal Health Care and Welfare
Sustainable local healthcare systems are key to meeting long-term health and welfareneeds of working horses, donkeys, and mules in Pakistan. Brooke Pakistan takes a broad and thoughtful approach that focuses on understanding the root causes of poor equine health and finding practical, long-lasting solutions. Our goal is to make sure animals get the right care at the right time, from well-trained and trusted local service providers.
Building Capacity and Raising Professional Standards
A core priority is improving the knowledge, skills, and confidence of Animal Health Providers including government and private veterinarians, paravets, and farriers. Through structured training, mentoring, and continuous professional development, Brooke Pakistan works to ensure that service providers uphold high standards of clinical practice, preventive care, and humane handling. Regular monitoring and field based mentoring help reinforce quality, bridge competency gaps, and embed a culture of compassion within local animal health services.
Strengthening Farriery Systems
Recognising the critical role of farriery in equine welfare, Brooke Pakistan invests in raising farriery standards across the country. This includes practical skills training, targeted mentoring, quality assessment, and the provision of improved tools and guidance. Collaboration with global farriery experts and regional partners enables the sharing of best practices and contributes to the development of quality, welfare-friendly farriery services that are embedded within equine animal-owning communities.
Strengthening Farriery Systems
Recognising the critical role of farriery in equine welfare, Brooke Pakistan invests in raising farriery standards across the country. This includes practical skills training, targeted mentoring, quality assessment, and the provision of improved tools and guidance. Collaboration with global farriery experts and regional partners enables the sharing of best practices and contributes to the development of quality, welfare-friendly farriery services that are embedded within equine animal-owning communities.
Strengthening Farriery Systems
Recognising the critical role of farriery in equine welfare, Brooke Pakistan invests in raising farriery standards across the country. This includes practical skills training, targeted mentoring, quality assessment, and the provision of improved tools and guidance. Collaboration with global farriery experts and regional partners enables the sharing of best practices and contributes to the development of quality, welfare-friendly farriery services that are embedded within equine animal-owning communities.
Enhancing Access to Essential Veterinary Medicines
Brooke Pakistan plays a leading role in improving access to essential veterinary medicines for animal-owning communities. By strengthening linkages with veterinary medicine suppliers, supporting government departments, and promoting responsible antimicrobial use, the organisation advocates for consistent availability of key medicines. Brooke Pakistan contributes to national and international dialogue on essential veterinary medicine standards, supporting the integration of equids within broader veterinary health frameworks.
Integrating Animal Health and Welfare into Policy & Academia
The organisation works closely with national and provincial governments to ensure that animal health is recognised as a vital component of public health and development. Through collaboration with ministries, livestock departments, and sectoral partners, Brooke Pakistan advocates for the inclusion of equine welfare in policy planning, regulatory systems, and public investment priorities. Engagement with academic institutions and Veterinary Training Institutes supports curriculum development, faculty training, and student exposure to humane handling, euthanasia protocols, and evidence-based health practices, preparing the next generation of veterinarians and paravets to deliver quality, ethical care.
Creating Community Embedded and Sustainable Health Solutions
Across all interventions, the emphasis remains on building systems that last, where trained local practitioners, accessible services, essential medicines, and improved farriery work together to deliver sustainable animal health solutions. Through this approach, Brooke Pakistan strengthens the foundations of long-term welfare, ensuring that animal-owning communities can rely on effective, humane, and sustainable care for their animals.
Community Development
In Pakistan, over 6 million working horses, donkeys, and mules play a vital role in supporting the livelihoods of thousands of families, both in rural and urban communities. At Brooke Pakistan, we work with animal-owning communities to promote compassionate and sustainable care for their animals. By improving equine welfare, we not only enhance the lives of these hardworking animals but also contribute to the wellbeing and resilience of the communities that depend on them.
Community Engagement and Sustainable Change:
Brooke Pakistan’s Community Engagement and Welfare Teams (CEWTs) remain at the core of Goal 1, working with equine-owning families to improve daily care, strengthen knowledge, and encourage practical welfare-friendly practices. Communities engaged through CEWTs, brick kiln associations, and targeted mining area interventions regularly demonstrate improvements in husbandry,reduced harmful practices, and better access to local resources. A phased exit process ensures that communities meeting agreed behavioural and welfare benchmarks can sustainably maintain progress without continued support.
Women and Child Engagement for Equine Welfare:
Women and young people play a vital role in shaping long-term welfare outcomes. Brooke Pakistan promotes inclusive participation through women’s groups, children’s groups, and community structures that encourage shared responsibility for animal care.
Community Revolving Funds (CRFs), fodder hubs, and other collective initiatives help families mobilise local resources for cart repair, harness improvement, treatment support, shelter, and water access; strengthening both welfare and resilience. National and international recognition of Brooke Pakistan’s female staff underscores the organisation’s commitment to gender equity and leadership.
Compassionate Handling and Behaviour Change:
Human behaviour change is central to improving equine welfare. Brooke Pakistan promotes compassionate handling through training, mentoring, motivational sessions, and creative awareness activities such as puppet shows and children’s competitions. Field teams apply global best practice frameworks including positive reinforcement and the Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) approach to encourage safer, kinder interactions with animals. Collaboration with academic institutions and participation in international communities of practice further strengthens technical capacity and sector-wide learning.
Harnessing, Equipment, and Practical Solutions
Improving equipment and reducing injury risks is a major focus under Goal 1. Through participatory research, skill building, and community-led innovations, Brooke Pakistan supports the adoption of safer harnesses, better saddlery, and welfare-friendly alternatives to injurious practices such as hobbling. Training on maintenance, rope headcollar making, and problem-solving helps communities become self-reliant and promotes long-lasting improvements in equine comfort and performance.
Evidence-Based Programming
A data-driven approach guides all interventions. Tools such as the Equine Welfare and Owner Behaviour assessment enable teams to identify priority welfare issues, understand owner behaviour, and track progress over time. Insights from these assessments inform planning, resource allocation, and the design of targeted solutions that deliver meaningful, measurable change.
Supporting Livelihoods and Resilient Communities
Brooke Pakistan’s livelihood-focused initiatives strengthen the ability of equine-owning families to care for their animals in challenging environments. Support resources such as water troughs, shade structures, first aid kits, and tree plantation enhance animal comfort and reinforce sustainable welfare practices at the community level.
Advocacy & Partnerships
Brooke Pakistan advocates for a future where working horses, donkeys, and mules are fully recognised in policy, legislation, and national development agendas. By engaging government institutions, civil society, academia, and global partners, Brooke Pakistan works to ensure that the welfare needs of equines are visibly reflected in laws, systems, and public commitments.
Strengthening Policy and Legislative Frameworks
Brooke Pakistan plays a leading role in advancing animal welfare legislation at federal and provincial levels. The organisation actively engages policymakers to ensure that draft animal welfare bills, livestock policies, and national animal health frameworks formally recognise working equids as sentient beings and include enforceable welfare standards. Continued collaboration with livestock departments, parliamentary bodies, and regulatory institutions supports the development and future implementation of comprehensive legislation.
Government Partnerships and System-Level Engagement
Strategic engagement with government agencies aims to institutionalise equine welfare within existing structures. This includes advocating for the revision of formal agreements, strengthening local-level service delivery, and ensuring that animal welfare is incorporated into sectoral planning. Brooke Pakistan also works with mining, brick kiln, and workplace associations to promote the provision of welfare resources such as shelter, water, shade, and first aid as part of routine operational standards.
Integrating Equine Welfare into National Priorities
Brooke Pakistan champions the inclusion of working equids within Pakistan’s broader development frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and One Health agendas. Through policy dialogues, research inputs, and technical submissions, the organisation highlights how equines contribute to livelihoods, food security, labour, and community resilience. Brooke Pakistan’s advocacy ensures that animal health and welfare remain visible in discussions on national planning, pandemic preparedness, and economic development.
Addressing Emerging Welfare Risks
The organisation maintains a proactive stance on emerging threats affecting equine welfare, such as the donkey skin trade, by conducting evidence-based analysis, engaging policymakers, and advocating for protective legal measures. Multi-level awareness efforts, civil society partnerships, and policy-focused interventions aim to safeguard millions of working donkeys from exploitation and unregulated slaughter.
Building Broad Coalitions and Public Awareness
Brooke Pakistan strengthens alliances with NGOs, academic institutions, SPCA bodies, youth organisations, and community structures to elevate understanding of animal welfare across society. Through seminars, campaigns, and collaborative events including university partnerships and national awareness days, the organisation fosters a supportive environment for systemic change. These collaborations amplify the message that working equids are essential contributors to livelihoods, transport, and economic activity.
Promoting Safe and Humane Work Environments
In mining, brick kiln, and transport sectors, Brooke Pakistan facilitates improvements in working environments for both equines and people. Partnerships with associations and industry bodies help drive practical measures that reduce injuries, dehydration, and preventable suffering. These efforts reinforce the shared responsibility between government, private sector, and communities in upholding welfare standards.
