BY ALLISON LEE
In October 1930, Dorothy Brooke and her husband, Geoffrey, relocated to Cairo following his appointment to command the British Cavalry Brigade in Egypt. Horses already featured heavily in the Brookes’ lives — Geoffrey was the author of several books on horsemanship, and Dorothy had been a devotee of all things equine since childhood.
Born in Melrose, in the Scottish Borders, on 1st June 1883, Dorothy spent her childhood, a peaceful idyll, in Scotland and later in Wiltshire and Hampshire. Dorothy loved horses as a child and grew up to become an accomplished horsewoman. These early years spent in the world of equine husbandry stood her in good stead when she found her calling in Cairo, as she was well equipped to understand the plight of the horses she found there, and well connected with horse enthusiasts back home to build a movement to help them.
However, it was the fate of former war horses that were languishing in poor conditions in Egypt that really pulled on Dorothy’s heartstrings. These horses had been born in the UK and were shipped overseas to serve in the First World War, but they had never been returned home. The official reason given at the time for this was ‘lack of transport’, but it was a commonly held view that they were sold to Egyptian horse traders as the easiest option after the war. Many British horse lovers felt a sense of betrayal.
Now resident in Cairo, Dorothy felt a strong urge to seek out these horses and do whatever was needed to ease their suffering. It wasn’t an easy task at first — it took weeks of enquiries before she found her first one: an emaciated old chestnut horse with a clear army brand on his near quarter, whom she named Old Bill. Old Bill had served in Palestine once, but was in a terrible state now, with lifeless eyes and a gaunt frame supported by four shapeless, swollen legs that trembled under his weight.
Dorothy went on to find hundreds of poorly and worn-out animals desperately in need of help. She set up the Old War Horse Campaign of Rescue and began raising the funds needed to buy the horses from their owners, the first stage in lifting them out of a life of pain.
To raise more funds, Dorothy wrote a letter to the Morning Post (which later became the Daily Telegraph) exposing their plight. The public were so moved they sent her the equivalent of £20,000 in today’s money to help end the suffering of these once proud horses.
Within three years, Dorothy Brooke had purchased five thousand former war horses. Most were old, exhausted and had to be humanely put down. But thanks to her compassion, they ended their lives peacefully.
Dorothy knew thousands of hard-working horses, donkeys and mules were still out there suffering, so in 1934 she founded the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital in Cairo, with the promise of free veterinary care for all the city’s working horses and donkeys.
And that is how The Brooke Hospital for Animals was born.
Dorothy continued to work for her charity until her death on 10th June 1955. She was buried in her adopted home of Cairo, but the strong family association that founded the Brooke continues today. Family members are still involved with the charity. Dorothy’s granddaughter, Ann Searight, is a Vice President, ensuring that the spirit of Dorothy lives on.
Today, the Brooke charity is supported by some wonderful Ambassadors who help to raise awareness for this amazing organisation, including the actor Annette Badland and celebrity vet Dr Scott. And, as an avid supporter of equines, Queen Camilla is the charity’s President.
For more information about The Brooke charity or to donate, please visit the website here.
Allison Lee is a smallholder from North Yorkshire who has written for the Yorkshire Times and other publications. Her website can be accessed here.