Horses fleeing from Texas wildfires with residents in vehicles. CHAD CASEY VIA STORYFUL
Press Release
Lexington, KY – Progress has been made toward containing the Texas Panhandle Wildfires yet, the road to recovery is lengthy, complicated, and costly. These fires have caused catastrophic loss of livestock, property, financial, and environmental damage to local ranchers.
Horses are among the animals affected and they are essential to cattle ranching and agriculture, two big contributors to the state’s economy. News videos disseminated by news agencies have brought to national attention the anguish of horses as they tried to escape the smoke and fire surrounding them.
“Although the fires are close to containment, the need for financial assistance has only just begun. The disaster recovery process is paramount to restoring, redeveloping, and revitalizing those people and animals impacted,” explained Emily Dulin, CEO of Brooke USA. “Our goal is to assist The Foundation for the Horse, the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), in its efforts to provide hay, feed, fencing materials and veterinary supplies which are so desperately needed now and in the long run,” she added.
Two weeks ago, Brooke USA activated its Disaster Relief Fund and launched the Texas Panhandle Emergency Campaign with 100% of the monies raised allocated to these efforts. To date, $16,000 have been raised, thanks to a generous $10,000 matching challenge from The Isabella Moss Dattel Memorial Fund which was created by a Brooke USA contributor in memory of her beloved donkey and who is adamant about supporting working equines and the people they serve in vulnerable communities across the world and right here in the United States. The generous donor noted that “cattle ranchers are hardworking families, many of whom have been operating their business for generations. Isabella and I are proud to help during the recovery efforts, supporting working equines and their families. They are instrumental to an industry that has represented our country for centuries.” The Isabella Moss Dattel Fund pays tribute to the invaluable contributions made by working horses, donkeys, and mules everywhere.
Texas has 11 million livestock animals, 85% of which reside in the Texas Panhandle. The fire has scorched more than 1 million acres across Texas and Oklahoma. Farms have burned to the ground, forcing people to leave their homes. Horses, donkeys, and cows have been killed, injured of stranded. Emergency veterinarians and volunteers are helping as the fires are contained and are committed to helping during the aftermath of the state’s largest fire ever. They have been working at checking animals’ coats and hooves for injuries from heat and flying embers. They have also been paying attention to symptoms of smoke inhalation and heat related medical issues and applying first aid procedures to injuries, burns, or breathing problems. Emergency shade structures and shelters are being raised to protect animals from extreme heat, wind, and fire activity.
Brooke USA is calling upon donors and friends to help both people and horses across the Texas Panhandle by raising the remaining $4,000 toward the $20,000 goal. “Our Brooke family of supporters are known for their generosity. This is certainly a situation where we can come together and help as these fires have threatened the livelihoods of people and lives of horses and other livestock,” noted Dwayne Hildreth, Chair of Brooke USA’s Dallas/Ft. Worth Regional Advisory Council, and a member of the organization’s Board of Directors.
Restoring livelihoods for the most vulnerable disaster survivors – both human and animal – is at the heart of Brooke USA’s mission. Long-term care of these displaced equines and other livestock is the most pressing need, and hay and feed are paramount to support the equines whose owners have lost everything.
In the past, Brooke USA has partnered with organizations working on the ground and supporting the needs of equines and their owners – whether it was during the floods in Pakistan, the earthquake in Morocco, Hurricane Ian in Florida, or the wildfires in California.
To donate to Brooke USA Foundation’s Texas Panhandle Emergency Campaign and secure the remaining $4,000, please visit www.brookeusa.org/texas.
About Brooke USA Foundation (Brooke USA): The mission of Brooke USA is to significantly improve the health, welfare and productivity of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them for survival worldwide. We are committed to sustainable economic development by reducing poverty, increasing food security, ensuring access to water, providing a means to education, and raising basic standards of living through improved equine health and welfare. We accomplish this by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need.
Brooke USA strives to alleviate the suffering and vulnerability of developing communities by funding and implementing programs that improve the quality of life and health of working equines and thereby positively impacting their economic sustainability, protecting the planet, ensuring gender equality, and guaranteeing life on land resilience. We want to see healthy, happy people and equines that work in partnership to achieve sustainable local economies. To learn more about Brooke USA, please visit www.thedonkeyproject.org.
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