Author: Kristin Stone

In Odisha, India, where HSI is involved in a sea turtle conservation project, community volunteers, turtle guards, forestry personnel and technical experts came together last month for a training program coordinated by our local partner organization, Action for Protection of Wild Animals.

The workshop, led by famous scientist Dr. Kartik Shankar, along with Dr. Chetan Rao of the Indian Institute of Science/Dakshin Foundation and Ms. Madhuri Ramesh of ATREE, Bangalore, covered:

• safe relocation of eggs from beach to hatchery
• hatchery management
• beach management
• humane handling of hatchlings
• care of injured turtles.

The aim was to to learn from each other’s experiences; the agenda included a review of lessons learned from the events of the past year, an introduction to the project and an explanation of its objectives and expected results.

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Separately, we did a beach cleanup where 20 students, their teacher and headmistress joined APOWA volunteers to remove debris.

Sporadic nesting has already started, so the project team and community volunteers have been patrolling the beaches at night. From December 15 to January 15, in three locations, the team found 16 nests, 175 turtle carcasses and one whale carcass.

Bali conservation efforts

Meanwhile in Bali, Indonesia, HSI-Australia is supporting the Bali Sea Turtle Society to protect sea turtles and their habitat in that area of the world. From July-December 2014, this team rescued and released 23,833 hatchlings. July was the peak of the nesting season. Various nests were found by beach visitors, turtle rangers, police/security (including hotel security) and fishermen.

One nest was saved after a tourist reported it.

Another was preserved when the management of a villa, worried about the turtle’s safety, contacted BSTS for help. They arrived the same day and relocated the nest away from the path of motorcycles, ATVs and other dangers. The villa’s owners were very appreciative and promised to keep the eggs safe.

In a third instance, BSTS received a report that disoriented hatchlings were lost in a hotel swimming pool! BSTS, hotel management and guests gathered 35 baby turtles from this location and released them into the sea.

Sadly, four turtles were found dead, stranded by a monsoon.

Two groups of confiscated turtles—nine in one case and 41 in the other—were released; those who had taken them illegally were sent to trial.

Humane education is another facet of this project. BSTS gave a talk at a local high school and another at a university. They also conducted training for the staff of two resorts, one at the request of management after a nest was found on its grounds. Elementary school students helped with a beach cleanup. A kindergarten group visited the Sea Turtle Protection Centre; those children were fortunate to see hatchlings emerge while they were there.

The chairman of BSTS, Wayan Wiradnayana, was honored by the Centre for Orangutan Project with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to protecting sea turtles and for inspiring younger generations.

BSTS also promoted sea turtle conservation by doing community outreach. They participated in a village parade. They worked with ladies’ wear brand Surfergirl to promote sea turtle protection and put on an exhibit with a booth at a music festival. Finally, they printed a 2015 calendar and distributed it around the island. They received good media attention and much positive feedback from community members, hotel staff and management, and tourists for their efforts.

One precious hatchling at a time, we are working hard to help save these endangered species. Join us—become a Wildlife Defender.

Twenty-three dogs rescued by Humane Society International from a dog meat farm in Seoul arrived in Washington, DC, in early January, 2015. (Thanks to United Petsafe airline for helping us get them here!) HSI worked with the farmer to remove the dogs from miserable conditions and close the doors of his facility for good. As part of the plan, HSI secured an agreement with him to stop raising dogs for food and move permanently to growing crops as a more humane way to make a living.

HSI, the international affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, is working to reduce the dog meat trade in Asia, including South Korea, where dogs are farmed for the industry. HSI hopes to work with more South Korean dog meat farmers to help them transition out of this cruel business.

by Keren Nazareth

When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in November 2013, HSI was on the ground in the days immediately following the storm to help the animals left lost or injured by it.

Now, a year later, we celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to demonstrate our long-term commitment to the region, and the corresponding launch of our Catch Neuter Vaccinate Release program in partnership with the City Veterinarian’s Office of Tacloban, one of the hardest-hit areas. The goal is to spay/neuter 10,000 dogs over two years through the 138 barangays (districts) that were affected by the disaster.

Support our International Disaster Relief Fund to ensure we can be there for animals in need of aid.

Meanwhile, we offer updates on three special survivors whose stories we’ve been following:

Bubba

Many will remember Bubba, whose owner left a note on her doghouse reading “INT HUMANE SOCIETY PLEASE HELP ME, BUBBA” in a desperate plea for aid after having read about our past work in the Philippines. Incredibly, a photographer saw it and notified us, and we tracked them down to offer assistance.

Recently, we visited the area to follow up and found her roaming alone. On asking around, we were sad to learn that found that her human had passed away in July due to health complications. He had no other family and Bubba was being fed by the community.

People told us, though, that she was constantly crossing the road and was in danger of being hit by a vehicle. HSI veterinarian Dr. Rey, who knew her from their initial meeting, was moved and felt he couldn’t leave her to an unknown fate. She had started to develop mange and was looking unhealthy. Our team asked a local supporter to keep her at his warehouse, where some of his workers and other rescued dogs live; meanwhile, our staff are working hard to find her another loving home as soon as possible. She’s an unusually sweet, good-natured animal despite all that she’s been through, and we don’t expect we’ll have too much trouble!

Lando

Haiyan, also known as Yolanda in the Philippines, left a young male dog so scared that it took days of coaxing by HSI disaster responders to get him out from under a car. They treated and fed him in place until he finally found the courage to trust them.

Happily, we learned that he had been adopted by a family and is now a permanent member of his community, called Lando. He welcomed our team during their visit this past September, looking happy and healthy.

Gindong

Michael Odong, a volunteer for a relief agency in the area of Ginmayohan, found a little puppy he started taking care of and named Gindong (for where he was found plus Michael’s family name). Now, it’s time for Michael to go home to Uganda, and he wants to take the dog with him.

HSI met Michael at the City Vet’s Office and, together with Tacloban veterinarian Dr. Ty, has been helping to get all the necessary paperwork in order.

“My children keep hearing about Gindong and asking about him. I have always had dogs since I was growing up and this little guy has become my companion, my friend here. We go to the beach together and he swims better than I do. He makes me happy, I speak with him and he understands,” says Michael.

Gindong’s been stolen twice. Fortunately, people helped find him after Michael put the word out, but he feels strongly about hurrying to get his pet cleared to go home as soon as possible. We’ll do everything we can to help.

Thanks to the generosity of our compassionate supporters, these and many other dogs who survived a terrifying ordeal will have happier lives, and more suffering will be prevented through our planned sterilization effort. Please give to support our life-saving work.

Raising awareness

HSI, WildAct Vietnam and the Hanoi Education and Training Department (with sponsorship from the Kingsley Holgate Foundation and Helping Rhinos UK), recently organized an event called Rhino Art Vietnam to raise awareness about rhino conservation and reducing rhino horn consumption. Please, donate to help stop wildlife abuse.

Rhinos at risk

Rhinos are threatened with extinction because of poaching to supply the illegal international trade in rhino horn. Only about 28,000 rhinos of five species exist in the wild today. More than a thousand rhinos were poached in 2013 in South Africa. At this rate, scientists have predicted that rhinos will be extinct by 2020.

Mistaken belief

Vietnam is the largest market for rhino horn, as many Vietnamese believe that it will improve health, treat specific aliments, and even cure cancer, although science has proven that rhino horn is not a cure for any human condition. In fact, rhino horn is composed of keratin, the same material that makes up human fingernails and hair.

Sharing concerns

Rhino Art originated in South Africa to provide a platform for children to share how they feel about rhino poaching. Rhino Art Vietnam was launched in May 2014. Over 4,500 students have been reached by Rhino Art Vietnam.

Please, give now to help save rhinos and other wildlife.

Choosing the winners

The project team visited each of 20 schools to give a short talk on rhinos and the poaching crisis. They then left a template for each of student to complete. Later, they returned to collect the 2,000 entries, which were judged by WildAct Vietnam, Humane Society International, Helping Rhinos and the Hanoi Education and Training Department.

The six winners–Nguyễn Quỳnh Trâm, Nguyễn Hà Nhung, Nguyễn Tuấn Nam, Phạm Thành Hưng, Bùi Thị Kiều Trinh and Phạm Quốc Nam–will receive a chaperoned trip to South Africa to attend the first-ever World Youth Rhino Summit, to be held on World Rhino Day, September 22, 2014.

Encouraging results

“We are very impressed by the dedication of so many young Vietnamese students to helping to protect rhinos from poaching by reducing demand for rhino horn in Viet Nam,” said HSI Director of Wildlife Dr. Teresa Telecky. “The messages expressed in their artwork are sure to bring tremendous hope to people around the world who are concerned about the future of rhinos.” Help us stop rhino poaching and other forms of wildlife abuse.

For photos of the awards ceremony, visit wildact-vn.org.

Update, August 11, 2014: Within just days, Chinese activists achieved further interceptions, bringing the total to nine trucks/3280 dogs at one point and then a further truck, number of dogs as yet unknown, on top of that! The spotlight is focused on the cruel dog meat trade like never before, and the world is watching.

The call that went out across Weibo was urgent; lives were at stake.

On August 3, a Chinese animal lover spotted a truck stacked with cages full of dogs obviously headed for slaughter along the Beijing-Harbin Highway.

Her message, sent via China’s version of Twitter, quickly pulled together more than 30 people in their own cars, including members of several of HSI’s partner groups, such as Capital Animal Welfare Association and VShine Group. They gave chase for more than 300km before surrounding the truck at a rest area in Hebei province.

The activists began negotiating with the driver; eventually, law enforcement officials—tipped off by CAWA—arrived to inspect what indeed turned out to be fraudulent documents.

Meanwhile, others responding to the initial call for help stopped four more trucks as they traveled along the same route. Sadly, a sixth vehicle escaped.

Please, give now to help end the horrific dog meat trade and keep all animals safe.

In the end, authorities handed over 2,400 dogs to the animal protectionists, who paid nothing to the dealers for their release. False reporting, lack of dog purchase records, and lack of health certificates were all cited as reasons for the seizure.

A historic rescue

Arguably the biggest interception of dog meat traders in China’s recent history, the liberation of these doomed animals has received significant media attention—and rightfully so. Widespread dog theft was implicated, as many of the dogs were wearing collars. Shockingly, one was even wearing a tag showing that he was a service dog for police. In another news-making story, one of the dogs was miraculously reunited with her family after they saw a photo on social media.

Video of the events shows vets working frantically as darkness falls on a field crowded with people and animals. They load food with pills, attach IVs and scatter antibiotic powder on wounds. Barking and whining can be heard all around as the camera zooms in on frightened, injured and confused dogs, some laboring to breathe. In one widely shared image that has provoked tears from many following the story, a brown dog looks up at a woman in seeming disbelief at being shown kindness as he is gently offered water after days of going without.

Even more heartbreakingly, we see mourners looking on while rescuers wrap the bodies of the 30 or so who didn’t make it in a plastic tarp, as rain pours down on them.

The counterfeit paperwork, the stolen pets, the horrific conditions and the massive scale of this one event—and the accompanying publicity—should serve as a wake-up call for Chinese authorities regarding rampant criminal acts by participants in the dog meat industry, and the suffering involved in this trade.

Encouraging progress

“I am truly impressed with the organization and mobilization skills of these activists, many of whom were born in the 1980s and 1990s. They managed not only to halt the trucks, but to ensure aid and supplies from across the country were quickly sent to the scene. They have polished their negotiation skills with the Chinese government and they are versed in Chinese policies regarding trans-provincial live dog transport and animal disease control and prevention. This was an amazing rescue and a huge blow to China’s dog meat industry. China’s young people are our greatest hope!” wrote HSI China Specialist Dr. Peter Li.

In total, more than 400 activists from Beijing and adjacent cities participated in the interception and rescue operations over multiple days. More than 1,000 volunteers signed up to step in when needed. With the help and support of the local government, the dogs were tested and treated by vets and volunteers from nearby regions, called in by CAWA and the other groups to deal with the sheer number of dogs who needed immediate attention. Hundreds of them were adopted on the spot by individuals who learned about the news and came right away.

“We are seeing an increasingly mature attitude on the part of Chinese animal lovers,” commented Li. “Many of those who came to the rescue site to adopt the dogs reportedly said, ‘We’d like to adopt dogs with disabilities or in need of medical care.’ The lady reunited with her lost pet also took an extremely undernourished black dog out of gratitude to the activists who helped find her companion and out of compassion for a less adoptable dog.”

On hearing of this incredible story, HSI immediately offered funding to help purchase emergency supplies, send 10 Chinese activists from VShine to help the rescue operation, and provide post-rescue care in a Beijing shelter. Dr. Li has also been advising our local partners and reaching out to local and foreign reporters to raise awareness of the news.

More to do

As of this writing, nearly all of the dogs rescued from the five trucks have already found homes and amazingly, two more trucks have just been stopped. More will come, no doubt, but the public and the government are beginning to take serious notice of this issue. The treatment of these animals is not only tragic but ironic, people are saying, given that down south at the same time, trained rescue dogs are being used to help save human lives after an earthquake hit Yunnan province.

We grieve those animals for whom aid arrived too late, celebrate for those who will now begin new lives as beloved pets, and promise ourselves that we will do everything we can to bring an end to this cruelty. You can help—please stand with us.