On April 6, the United States commemorated its World War One Centennial, marking the 100th anniversary of its entry into the war, and Brooke USA officially launched its Horse Heroes program to honor the one million American horses and mules who also served.

Brooke USA is hoping to raise $1 million dollars this year through its Horse Heroes program—a dollar in memory of each of those American horses and mules to fund equine welfare programs in some of the poorest countries around the world.

The war horses in WWI carried men to battle and wounded men to safety. They carried food, water, medicine, ammunition, guns, and other supplies to the front lines through weather, unforgiving terrain, terrifying situations, and often surrounded by dead and wounded men and animals. While often sick and wounded themselves, the animals continued to do their part. Many did not survive, succumbing to gunshot wounds, poison gas, or exposure and exhaustion. Of the 1 million American animals who were shipped to Europe, only 200 returned home to the U.S. after the war.

Despite their important role in the war, some of the animals that survived the war found themselves abandoned on in other unpleasant situations. Dorothy Brooke, the wife of a British Army officer stationed in Cairo, Egypt, became aware of the war horses’ plight and rescued 5,000 of them