Welfare Groups Help Abandoned Horses in Egypt

Protesters in Egypt celebrated when President Hosni Mubarak finally relinquished his position. However, weeks of protests and uncertainty in the country left many animals abandoned and neglected, and welfare organizations are struggling to keep up.

According to the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA), many of the residents who fled the country left their animals behind. With businesses shuttered in Cairo, there is fear that pet shops left animals inside with no one to care for them. While ESMA’s original mission was to help protect the large population of stray dogs in Cairo, they are now taking on the extra task of finding and feeding the abandoned pets that are accustomed to being taken care of by humans.

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One of ESMA’s major projects in the wake of the Egyptian revolution is caring for the horses that used to take tourists on rides near the Pyramids. As the sole source of income for their owners, these equines literally earned their keep as riding horses. With no tourists visiting Egypt, the owners have no revenue and no way to feed their animals, their families or themselves. Additionally, during the height of the protests some of the roads around Cairo were blocked, leaving caretakers unable to reach the horses. As a result, many horses have been neglected for weeks or abandoned altogether. Earlier this month, The Daily Mail newspaper published photos that showed the bodies of emaciated horses that had perished after being left to fend for themselves shortly after the protests began.

Working equines and their owners often live at or below the poverty line and have few options without the income that comes from tourists. EMSA is working to feed and care for these horses in addition to other abandoned and stray animals in Cairo. British charity The Brooke, which specializes in providing care for working horses, mules and donkeys, has a long-established presence in Cairo and other parts of Egypt. The Brooke is providing emergency veterinary care and feed for Egyptian horses via its Cairo Clinic and its mobile veterinary teams.

Resources

Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals
American Friends of the Brooke
The Brooke’s flickr site

15 years ago

Abigail Boatwright

Abigail Boatwright is a freelance writer and photographer based in Texas, and is the editor of Horse Illustrated’s sister publication, Western Life Today.

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View Comments

c says:
February 16, 2011 at 6:54 pm
this is terrible.
Dan says:
February 25, 2011 at 12:16 pm
There is a really good first-hand account out of Egypt here: http://petsadviser.com/fur-and-prrr/egypt-horses-dying-after-revolution/ The writer also took quite a few original pictures of the scene, including the horse graveyard. It's a sad tale, but through getting the word out maybe we can make a difference. Please read and share this story.
Renee says:
March 10, 2011 at 8:59 am
Thank you to all of those who have given of themselves to help these poor horses and other animals in desperate need of help. It seems everyday I am reading cries for help for neglected and abused animals. In this case , Im sure there are owners who are very scared and sad for the animals they were forced to leave behind.
Thank you for your efforts
Renee at Equine Defined LLC
Sherry Robson says:
June 25, 2016 at 2:43 am
Fortunately, some not-for-profits have started providing aid and care for the sick, injured and abandoned horses and donkeys in Egypt. For example, Egypt Equine Aid http://www.egyptequineaid.org are doing a great job there!