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HORROR
IN EGYPT
While
exploring the glitz and grit that make up Egypt, Annette Crummack
came across a side to the country that made her travelling
companions vow never to put another penny into an Egyptian
pocket again…
The
brutality we saw shown to both working and domestic animals
was quite simply beyond belief. Within a few days, my party
witnessed a carriage horse beaten to death with a brick, and
a donkey kicked to death in the street.
This
was punishment from its owners for suffering a heart attack
while pulling an over loaded cart. Trying to intervene, we
had Kalashnikovs shoved in our faces by the police, and were
forced out the area.
A
great number of Egyptian families still depend on their working
animals for their survival and in many cases are forced to
push the animals beyond what we regard as reasonable limits.
Life
is shockingly hard for these families who often live literally
hand to mouth. Although I would give my heart to win a better
life for their animals, I won't condemn the hard working of
the horses, mules and donkeys.
I
am in no position to criticise a society so removed from my
own, not to mention a culture which is, according to the dazzling
TV ads, seven millennia old.
I
am, however, in a very strong position to blast the unforgivable
cruelty I witnessed being meted out to creatures through boredom,
mischief or sheer lack of thought.
Blatant
cruelty is very different from working an animal hard, and
cannot be excused away.
Under
unspeakably grim circumstances, I met the people who've taken
on the daily task of caring for these animals. The Brooke
Hospital for Animals has five clinics across Egypt, including
the original one in Cairo. When I visited the Luxor Hospital
it was full of emanciated carriage horses. They're employed
in getting tourists around the sights as speedily as possible
in temperatures of well over 100 degrees. Basic life-savers
such as water troughs and sun shelters are rare. Building
them is all part of the work done by The Brooke.
The
scheme was set up in 1930 by English woman Dorothy Brooke
and now provides veterinary care to over 180.000 working equines
in Egypt annually. It also has centres in India, Jordan and
Pakistan. They all operate at no charge to the animal's owners,
whether treatment involves a new shoe or major surgery.
The staff work closely with the farmers and carriage drivers
and strive to promote a programme of education and improved
care. There is even an annual contest for the finest carriage
horse in Luxor.
I'll
never forget the fading photographs tacked up in the yard,
especially one of a particular poor balding old mare. The
scarlet rosette seemed to dwarf her wasted face. It simply
said 'special'.
Spending
time at the Egyptian clinics was without exaggeration a life
changing experience for me. I am now involved in fund-raising
and promo work with the London office and plan to return with
supplies to their Indian clinics in the near future.
If
you think you may be visiting any of the above countries mentioned
and would like to visit a clinic, or if you'd like more information
about the BHA, you can contact them at:
Brooke
Hospital for Animals
Broadmead House
21 Panton Street
London
SW1 4DR
Tel:
0171 9300210
Or
contact Annette at desertsky@hotmail.com
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