Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall’s Charity Comes to the United States
International Equine Welfare Organization Opens Office in Lexington, Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky (January 14, 2013) The Brooke, an international equine charity that also helps people, has been assisting working animals (horses, donkeys and mules) and their owners in developing countries for nearly 80 years.
Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Britain’s heir to the throne, Prince Charles, is the organization’s president.
Headquartered in London, England, the Brooke has selected Lexington, Kentucky, as the location for its base in the United States. Petra Ingram, CEO of the Brooke, stated, “The purpose of the American Friends of the Brooke will be to support the world-wide programs of the Brooke in alleviating the suffering of working equines, thus improving the lives of the families who need them. Americans have a close affinity with horses and are exceedingly generous to the poor, so we believe this will be an excellent partnership.
“We considered a number of cities for our U.S. office: Washington, D.C., Palm Beach, New York, Los Angeles, and others, but in the end, it was the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington, Kentucky, that we chose.”
Currently serving her second term as President, Her Royal Highness has stated, “Having seen for myself the wonderful work the Brooke does in their clinic in Cairo and Pakistan to help the suffering of working animals, it makes me incredibly proud to be the President of this unique charity and to follow its course with enormous interest.”
It is estimated that 50 million working animals are suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, malnutrition, and abuse as a result of excessive workloads and limited animal health services in developing countries. They endure grueling, back-breaking labor under the harshest of physical and environmental conditions, on behalf of the working poor, whose very lives are inextricably tied to them in order to earn a living and support their families. These animals are a lifeline to countless poor communities.
The Brooke is currently working in Egypt, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nepal, Senegal, Jordan, and Guatemala, and last year the Brooke reached approximately 1.1 million animals, benefitting six million people. Their goal is to double that number by 2016. To do this, the Brooke is extending its outreach into North America for awareness, partnership and support. American Friends of the Brooke, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, is poised to generate that support.
Her Royal Highness continued, “Over the next few years the Brooke will be expanding into new countries, to bring it closer to achieving its goal of improving the welfare of two million animals each year. This is a hugely important step…”
The Brooke has more than 800 staff around the world, led by an impressive Board of Trustees* and assisted by an international group of advisors, patrons and ambassadors that include Her Royal Highness Princess Alia bint Al Hussein of Jordan; Sir Peter O’Sullevan, former BBC racing commentator; David Jones, DVM, Director of the North Carolina Zoo and President of the American Friends of the Brooke; and Major Richard Waygood (international three-day event competitor and Chef d’Equipe to British equestrian teams).
The Brooke has recently hired a Fundraising Development Manager, Cindy Rullman, who will coordinate the fundraising efforts for American Friends of the Brooke in the United States.
For more information, contact Cindy Rullman, 859-489-4795, Cindy.Rullman@yahoo.com , or go to www.thebrookeusa.org or www.thebrooke.org. To watch an introductory video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvhZtd4YsHU.
Editor’s note: High resolution photos are available for use with this press release by contacting Cindy Rullman.
*Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Major General Peter Davies CB, former Director General for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). Other trustees include Sir Robin Christopher, former British ambassador to Argentina, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Eritrea; Peter Coe, past Chairman of the Veterinary Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association; Paul Elphick, former Finance Director with the Royal College of Physicians; Ian Kerr, co-founder of the international development charity ActionAid; Sir David Madden, former British ambassador to Greece; and Caroline Stockman, CFO of Save the Children International.
American Friends of the Brooke is a sister organization of the Brooke addressing the same issues. American Friends of the Brooke is a 501(c)(3) organization and donations to it are tax deductible. American Friends supports the Brooke’s worldwide programs in alleviating the suffering of hundreds of thousands of working horses, donkeys and mules. When the animals are well and prosper, so do the owners, families and communities who depend on these animals for their livelihood.
Cindy Rullman
American Friends of the Brooke
859-489-4795
