Terminology

In the world of animal health, there’s a great deal of terminology that’s used amongst professionals which doesn’t always translate to the greater public. This section digs deeper into best practices for terminology and vocabulary when communicating with your web audience.

The recommendations below take precedence over Guardian style. For anything else, go there.

Brooke or the Brooke

We’re Brooke, not the Brooke. Brooke is a single entity so it’s always referred to in the singular.

Brooke is

Brooke are

Brooke works hard to

Brooke word hard to

Equid/equine

Use equid/equine freely internally but avoid using them in external communications.

Here’s what to use instead:

horses, donkeys and mules

working animals

equid and equine

The exception to this rule is to avoid repetition.

Brooke improves the lives of horses, donkeys and mules by working with communities to improve their equine welfare knowledge.

Animal health vs. animal welfare

Animal health and animal welfare are sometimes used interchangeably, but the two terms should be differentiated depending on context.

Use the term “animal health” for topics relating to healthcare: Medicines, veterinary treatment and disease prevention.

Brooke staff improve animal health by administering veterinary treatment for donkeys in Egypt.

Use the term “animal welfare” when describing physical and emotional wellbeing, living environment and treatment.

Brooke ambassadors are concerned with the animal welfare of donkeys in Egypt, working to improve work conditions and treatment.

Working livestock vs. working animals

Use the term “working animals” unless writing a policy document directed toward an agriculturally focussed organisation or a larger body such as the United Nations, in which case use the term “Working Livestock.”

Commonly misspelled/misused words

• Acknowledgment not acknowledgement
• Adviser not advisor
• Between use only with two entities (Ann and John raised £500 between them; each working animal can support between five and 20 people). For more than two entities, use among (distrust spread among the supporters)
• email not e mail, e-­mail, E Mail, ‘email’, “email” or electronic mail. Give it a capital E only if it’s at the start of a sentence
• Webpage/website not web page, web site or web-site. Give it a capital W only if it’s at the start of a sentence
• Internet give it a capital I only if it’s at the start of a sentence
• Which or that
  • "That" defines what’s being discussed, and "which" gives extra information (often in a clause enclosed by commas):
    • This is the house that Jack built.
    • This house, which Jack built, is falling down.
    • The Guardian, which I read every day, is the paper that I admire above all others.
    • I am very proud of the sunflowers that I grew from seed (some of the sunflowers).
    • I am very proud of the sunflowers, which I grew from seed (all the sunflowers).
  • In these examples the sentences remain correct without "that" (the house Jack built, the paper I  admire, the sunflowers I grew), but not without "which".