Sharing the Load: A guide to improving the welfare of working animals through collective action

Promoting the welfare of working animals is important not only for the sake of the animals themselves, but for the livelihoods of their owners. Sharing the Load aims to stimulate collective action among animal-owning communities to improve the health and husbandry of their draught and pack animals, by applying the methods of community facilitation and collective action to the pursuit of animal welfare. Since 2005, the Brooke has been pioneering the integration of animal welfare science with best practice from the international development sector to build communities’ responsibility for sustained improvement in the welfare of their working animals. Sharing the Load documents the outcome of four years’ development of this process and includes field-based participatory methods and tools designed specifically for this purpose, using lively illustrations and text boxes in accessible language on the theory of development practice and animal welfare science. Sharing the Load should be read by anyone who has direct contact with working animals and their owners, including veterinarians, community-based animal health workers, government extension workers and the staff of rural development NGOs.

Lisa van Dijk was formerly Head of Community Programmes at The Brooke. She is an animal health and community development specialist with long-standing experience in the management of food security, livestock and sustainable livelihood programmes in developing countries.

Joy C. Pritchard is Senior Animal Welfare and Research Advisor at The Brooke. She is an experienced veterinary surgeon and animal scientist specializing in the health, welfare and productivity of animals in international development contexts.

Subir K. Pradhan is a Community Development Manager with The Brooke, India. He is a specialist in animal science and agriculture with expertise in participatory development in the rural sector, and has worked with The Brooke in Egypt, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Kenya as well as India.

Kimberly L. Wells is a Working Equine Behaviour and Welfare Advisor with The Brooke, where she facilitates training workshops and provides technical advice across the Brooke’s global programs.