If we don’t move fast, hundreds of thousands of donkeys will die in Kenya.
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Donkeys are being slaughtered for their hides to meet an ever-increasing demand for Ejiao, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and beauty products. Ejiao is made from the gelatin produced from donkey hides.
For centuries, donkeys have been slaughtered in China for these products. There used to be about 11 million donkeys in China— but in the last 20 years, that number has dropped to 6 million. With their donkey population dwindling, demand has led to a search for a new supply of skins. This has caused an explosion of donkey smuggling and slaughtering across Africa to capitalize on this awful industry. Kenya is now an epicenter for the trade, and it’s having devastating effects on the donkey population and on the families who depend on their donkeys for survival.
The treatment of donkeys in this process is often gruesome and has a huge impact on the livelihoods of people in the areas we serve. Donkeys are being stolen, horrifically mistreated and cruelly slaughtered—sometimes in the brush or street just outside their owners’ property.
The current rate of theft, smuggling and slaughter in East Africa has the potential to kill one thousand donkeys every single day.
Not only are donkeys suffering and being killed at an unprecedented rate, but the loss of a donkey is crushing for the people who depend on these animals to survive. Families that lose a donkey can suffer colossal damage. By losing a donkey, many lose access to water, to earning money, to the ability to send their children to school, to putting food on the table—all setbacks that can plunge an already poor family even deeper into poverty.
Last year alone,
159,631 donkeys in Kenya were slaughtered
for their skins.
90,000 donkeys were stolen
from people who depend on them for daily life and to make a living. At this rate,
donkeys will vanish from the African continent by 2023.
We must accelerate our action—we must ban the trade of donkey skins, crack down on smuggling, and protect the donkeys.
With your help, we can stop this. Brooke USA is committed to changing laws, protecting the innocent donkey owners, and safeguarding the donkeys—but we can’t do it without you.
This crisis has reached a boiling point
. Our sister organization, Brooke, already has a team working on the ground in Kenya. Partners are ready to work with us in this fight. Local communities are crying out for support. And we need your help.
Our initial goal to address this crisis is $100,000—but we know that is just a starting point.
We have raised $72,000 and need your help!
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Support Our CrowdRise Fundraiser
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Looking for a simple way to help spread the word about the Donkey Hide Crisis? Look no further! Just like a Kickstarter or GoFundMe page, CrowdRise allows you to share with your friends and family to raise money for specific causes.
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#ClickForChange With
Our Photo Competition
Join Brooke USA and make a difference with the click of a camera button. Whether it is with a smartphone or a camera, supporters can win exciting prizes during our inaugural photo competition, all while raising funds for the Donkey Hide Crisis. Entries are open until August 19, 2019, World Photography Day and only require a donation of $10 to enter.
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Limited Edition Donkey Hide Crisis Shirt
Last year we launched a shirt designed to represent the donkeys in Kenya for our Women 4 Donkeys campaign. Using authentic Kenyan fabric to inspire the patterns, the shirt was a huge hit and requests have flooded our inboxes to bring it back. So we did!
Your purchase of the Custom Ink Donkey Hide Crisis shirt will help us reach our goals. Don't miss your chance to purchase this shirt. Sales close August 19, 2019!
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Thank You Jo Ellen Hayden!
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Brooke USA is thrilled to honor equine historian, researcher and founding member of The DOTS, Jo Ellen Hayden, author of the Horse Heroes website. She worked in collaboration with Brooke USA and the World War I Centennial Commission to complile a comprehensive account of the roles played by equines in World Ward I.
Jo Ellen researched and authored the site which includes historical information on the purchase, training, shipping, veterinary care and battlefield conditions for the over 1 million American horses, mules and donkeys that served Allied forces in Europe during World War I.
With 250 images and video clips, the site is the largest single digital collection of photographs of American animals involved in World War I.
Horse Heroes honors the role equines played during World War I and raises awareness of the needs of the nearly 100 million working equines in the developing world.
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Vicky Bush Shows Her Orange at TIEC
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A HUGE shout out to one of our amazing Brooke USA friends, Vicky Bush! She had a great time showing at our equestrian partner facility, the Tryon International Equestrian Center, and proudly supported Brooke USA by wearing her lapel pins.
Are you interested in sporting Brooke USA swag? Email
Kendall Bierer
to order yours today!
Photo By: Susan J. Stickle
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October 10 -19:
- Paint America Orange Kick-Off East Coast @
P
ennsylvania National Horse Show - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
October 16 - 20:
Paint America Orange Kick-off West Coast @
Del Mar International World Cup Finals CSI3*W
- Del Mar, California
October 22 - 27:
Paint TIEC Orange
- Tryon, North Carolina
October 24:
Divertimentos & Dressage - Campobello, South Carolina
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Are you ready to become a 2019 Dot?
It's hard to believe that we are entering our third year of the Dots! Have you made your $1,000 pledge for the 2019/2020 year? If not, now is the time!
Help us reach our goal of 50 women dedicated to the legacy of Dorothy Brooke.
Want to make an even bigger impact? Challenge your friends and family to join you as a Dot or to match your pledge. Together we will alleviate the suffering of working equines across the globe.
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Help Brooke USA significantly improve the welfare of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people they serve throughout
Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas and the Caribbean
by raising funds in your communities!
Paint America Orange allows you to create your own fundraising program or any type of event you want. Love dinner parties? 5k runs? Bake sales? Sport competitions? Give your passion a purpose by turning it into a fundraiser for Brooke USA. All proceeds go directly to Brooke USA.
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Join the Motlow Creek Equestrian Center for a benefit concert unlike any other. On Thursday, October 24, the equestrian center will transform the starry night into an evening of music and dancing, with a twist. Under the cover of the beautifully lit arena, the live Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra will play their instruments to the choreographed movements of dressage horses, making Divertimentos & Dressage the event you have been waiting to experience.
Divertimentos & Dressage is an exciting event that brings together people who genuinely want to make a difference by raising funds for Brooke USA and the Spartanburg Philharmonic. The night will kick off with registration opening at 6 p.m., and will be accompanied by an open bar and hors' d'oeuvres, providing the perfect opportunity for supporters to network and enjoy the bridging of the two causes.
At 7 p.m., guests will take their seats to enjoy the evening’s performances, consisting of two solo performances, including rider and Brooke USA Ambassador JJ Tate with one of her grand prix horses to a compilation of pieces that includes
The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba
, by George Frederick Handel, and Carolyn West on her horse Iris, to
Entracte
, by Jacques Ibert and
Reverie
by Claude Debussy.
Brooke USA strives to alleviate the suffering of working horses, donkeys and mules, and the people they serve in the developing world. The Spartanburg Philharmonic enriches, inspires and educates the public through live performances of high-quality music.
Individual tickets are $65 per person, and sponsorship opportunities are available at five different levels. Join us in making the inaugural Divertimentos & Dressage a resounding success.
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Interested in creating your own Facebook or Crowd Rise fundraiser for Brooke USA?
Click on the buttons below to get started!
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2333 Alexandria Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
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Brooke USA
's mission is to significantly improve the welfare of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people they serve throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas and the Caribbean by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need.
We do this through a holistic approach to funding which includes capacity building, sustainability programming, female empowerment and international advocacy. Brooke USA connects private philanthropists with their passion for helping relieve the suffering of working equines and their owners.
EIN: 33-1173163
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