Issue Type: Companion Animals

Over 130 animals sterilized in humane animal management program for remote First Nations communities

Humane Society International / Canada

MONTREAL – Humane Society International/Canada recently completed its 17th free veterinary clinic in partnership with Friends of HSI and Chiots Nordiques (northern puppies). The veterinary response team examined, treated, sterilized and/or vaccinated 162 animals during its deployment (162 animals examined, 133 sterilizations – 128 dogs and 5 cats).

Matimekush, an Innu community located over 1,100 km north of Montreal, has struggled with street dog overpopulation for years. Many animals there suffer from malnutrition, untreated injuries, parasites and other veterinary health challenges. The free veterinary clinic, conducted at the community’s request, was designed to help manage stray and roaming dog populations while fostering improved coexistence between residents and animals.

Ewa Demianowicz, senior campaign manager for HSI/Canada, stated: “Helping Matimekush humanely manage its stray and wandering dog population is our primary goal, as this community is very isolated and has been struggling with animal welfare issues. Since December, every week, dogs have been flown out of the community because of urgent and serious health issues. Our operation, which focused on spaying, neutering and vaccination, will help reduce animal suffering in the long term.”

Dr. Daphnée Veilleux-Lemieux, President – Chiots Nordiques, added: “We started our mission eight years ago in Matimekush and we were excited to be back in this community where the need for veterinary services is crucial. Our team of volunteers did an amazing job at caring for hundreds of dogs over the last four days and working hard to sterilize and vaccinate 133 animals. This clinic will have tremendous impact on the welfare of the animals and people of Matimekush for years to come.”

Remote indigenous communities in Canada commonly lack access to veterinary services, leading to overpopulation of stray and roaming dogs. HSI/Canada works with Chiots Nordiques in remote communities in Quebec to provide mass sterilization, vaccination and emergency veterinary services for such animals. Since 2013, the groups have treated over 1,000 dogs in First Nation communities.

 

Media Contact: Christopher Paré, Director of Communications – o: 514-395-2914 x 206, c: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

Campaigners urge China to end dog meat trade as pet trade booms

Humane Society International / China

WASHINGTON – As Shanghai prepares to host the 2019 World Dog Show despite global condemnation of China’s brutal dog meat trade, Chinese campaigners have exposed the sale of dog meat at restaurants in the same city as the major canine event.

In addition to identifying the restaurants, Humane Society International’s partner group in Shanghai also rescued 22 dogs from one of the restaurant’s slaughterhouse suppliers. The dogs – including a poodle and a French bulldog – are suspected to be stolen pets much like those being celebrated at the World Dog Show. The exposé demonstrates the troubling double standard in the way that dogs are treated in China, says Humane Society International, as the charity renews its call on the Chinese government to end the dog meat trade ahead of the infamous Yulin dog meat festival in June.

The World Dog Show starts on 30th April and bills itself as a “Joyful gathering for dog lovers and lovely dogs across the world!” However, less than 20km from the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center where attendees will gather to celebrate their canine companions, Humane Society International’s partner group discovered three restaurants serving up dog meat soup for human consumption.

One of the restaurants displayed several dog meat dishes on its menu and also advertised dog meat in its window, with a sign boasting that its dog meat is supplied by slaughterhouses in Xuzhou city, notorious for the country’s biggest dog meat processing industry in Peixian county, Jiangsu Province (north of Shanghai). When the activists travelled to Peixian and visited one slaughterhouse, they discovered 22 dogs cowering in the corner of the facility having just witnessed their cage mates being beaten to death.

As there were several clues that these dogs were likely stolen pets, including a pile of dog hair and pet collars discarded in the corner, the activists were able to negotiate their release and swiftly rescue them.

Dr Peter Li, Humane Society International’s China policy expert, says: “This investigation exposes the horrifying way that millions of China’s dogs are abused for the meat trade while others are pampered for the pet trade, with those two worlds colliding when pet dogs are stolen from back yards and the street to be brutally killed for human consumption. The slaughter operation where the 22 terrified dogs were rescued could easily have supplied the Shanghai restaurant that claimed to get its dog meat from Xuzhou. Most of the rescued dogs are small, lap-dog breeds typical of pets in China, and the activists found a pile of collars in the corner of the slaughterhouse, so there is every likelihood that these dogs were stolen pets. It’s a double standard that enrages many dog lovers throughout China, who are frustrated at how this illegal trade is allowed to continue.

“Most people in China don’t eat dogs, and in fact the World Dog Show in Shanghai is a prime example of a growing, younger, and more affluent Chinese population who love their canine companions and despise the dog thieves who steal their friends for the meat trade. It also demonstrates the huge economic benefit to China of this booming pet care industry, versus a dog meat trade that acts only as a stain on China’s international reputation. We urge China to act to end its brutal dog meat trade.”

Mr. Tian, one of the Shanghai activists, said: “Peixian in Jiangsu’s Xuzhou City is notorious in China, producing processed dog meat such as dog meat sausages, canned and dried dog meat, mainly for local restaurants. But it also ships frozen dog meat further afield. Had we not rescued them, the 22 dogs we found could very easily have been killed and served up at the restaurant in Shanghai near where dogs just like them are being shown at the World Dog Show. The dogs were clearly terrified, but they all responded to human kindness and sought our comfort, which is a typical sign they were once someone’s pet. We want the world to know that most Chinese citizens don’t eat dogs or support this horror. It is not our culture, it is a crime.”

The rescued dogs were accepted into an animal shelter in North China where HSI funding will help support their veterinary care and rehabilitation in preparation for being put up for adoption. The 22 dogs were given a full health check and treated for minor injuries, skin diseases and shock, before being settled into their new temporary home. In time, the shelter will hold a special adoption event for local passionate dog lovers, and HSI will fly a small number of the dogs to the United States to help them find loving homes.

This shocking investigation takes place just two months ahead of China’s notorious dog meat festival in Yulin. Held every year on and around June 21st, the event in south China sees thousands of dogs and cats driven many miles across the country on the back of slaughter trucks, to be killed and eaten in the city of Yulin. A relatively recent invention, the festival was started in 2010 by dog meat traders as a way to boost their flagging sales. It’s a commercial enterprise presented to the world as a cultural event, but China’s animal activists are keen to set the record straight.

Mr. Tian says: “The world is being hoodwinked by Yulin’s dog meat traders. Their cruel event has no cultural heritage whatsoever, and has served only to tarnish China’s global reputation. No self-respecting person in China supports that bloodbath, it’s shameful.”

Fast facts

Download video and photos of the dogs rescued from slaughter: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=ChinaRescue0419

 

Media contact:

Wendy Higgins, Director of International Media: whiggins@hsi.org +44 (0)7989 972 423

Humane Society International / Latin America

SAN JOSÉ—During February and March, Humane Society International/Latin America, together with the National Animal Health Service, the College of Veterinary Doctors and the School of Veterinary Medicine of the National University, participated in health fairs organized by the Asociación Costa Rica Indígena in the indigenous communities of Daytonia and Cachabri, in Talamanca.

This project provides free veterinary care to not only dogs and cats but also to farm animals such as pigs, cows, horses and chickens. Dogs and cats are spayed or neutered for free.

Amanda Chaves, manager of the Companion Animal Program for HSI/Latin America, sees the health fair as an excellent opportunity to collaborate closely with state institutions and other stakeholders in areas where there is very limited access to relevant services. “Since we started this project with the Asociación Costa Rica Indígena, we have participated in five health fairs and provided medical care for more than 1278 animals that had never received any veterinary attention. We hope to continue this work for the benefit of animal welfare in Costa Rica,” explains Chaves.

The first of these fairs in 2019 took place in February in Daytonia. Over the course of a single weekend, 227 animals received free medical care, including general veterinary checks, deworming and vaccinations against rabies. In addition, veterinarians performed spay/neuter procedures on 35 dogs and cats.

In March, the team visited the indigenous area of Cachabri, where inadequate access to health services, public services and transportation contribute to poor health for many animals and made the work arduous. Animals brought for treatment presented severe skin problems, high levels of malnutrition and infestation by fleas, ticks and parasitic flies. A total of 345 animals received veterinary care in just two days, including general health exams, deworming and rabies vaccinations, while 83 dogs and cats were spayed or neutered.

Media contact: Fabiola Ruiz, fabiola.ruiz@efectiva.cr, ph. +506 88241785

Humane Society International

Since 2015, we’ve permanently shut down multiple dog meat farms in South Korea and rescued more than 2,700 dogs flown to the USA, UK, Canada and the Netherlands for adoption.

The farm closures are a key part of our broader strategy to demonstrate to the South Korean government a working model for a state-sponsored, nationwide closure of farms. We have been working directly with farmers who have expressed a desire to end their involvement in the industry, identifying ways to shut down the farms and transition to humane livelihoods, such as sustainable crop-growing businesses.

Latest updates

For photos and video, see Facebook.

How to volunteer

At our emergency shelter in Montreal, volunteers help us rehabilitate rescued animals, clean their cages on a daily basis and socialize them so they can be ready for placement through our partners. Give hands-on care.

How to adopt

The rescued dogs are transported to our Shelter and Rescue Partners, which then facilitate adoptions. Please view the list of Shelter and Rescue Partners here. We will continue to update this list as more Shelter and Rescue Partners are confirmed. Those interested in adoption can contact these organizations directly to find out how to meet the dogs and apply to adopt.

Learn More and Help

HSI is fighting to end the dog meat trade across Asia. Learn more about our efforts and what you can do to help stop this cruelty. Our campaign Take action Give now

Humane Society International

The Lion's Share Fund team
The Lion’s Share team at the One Planet Summit in Nairobi/HSI

On March 14, 2019, The Lion’s Share Fund announced Humane Society International as its partner working on animal welfare projects around the world. The announcement was made at the One Planet Summit in Nairobi. Read the press release.

About The Lion’s Share Fund

The Lion’s Share is a unique initiative that aims to raise $100 million per year over the next three years for wildlife conservation and animal welfare by asking companies to contribute 0.5 per cent of their media spend every time animal imagery — whether real, animated or CGI — is used in their advertising campaigns. Ten percent of The Lion’s Share Fund will be invested in animal welfare projects.

Founders of The Lion’s Share include FINCH, Mars, Incorporated, Clemenger BBDO, Nielsen, and the United Nations Development Programme. Global outdoor advertising giant JCDecaux joined The Lion’s Share as another corporate partner at the One Planet Summit. For more information on the Lion’s Share Fund, visit www.thelionssharefund.com.

HSI’s involvement in The Lion’s Share

As the animal welfare partner in The Lion’s Share, Humane Society International will address dog and cat homelessness under the following framework:

  • Engaging communities to address the issue of street animals in neighborhoods with a high density of free-roaming dogs;
  • Expanding veterinary training to enhance skills for conducting high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter surgery where it is needed most, thereby reducing the global population of homeless animals;
  • Supporting actions to address the nexus between wildlife and domesticated animals, including disease transmission that threatens wildlife populations.

Examples of HSI programs that The Lion’s Share plans to support:

Bhutan — Spay/Neuter and Community Engagement: Since 2009, HSI has partnered with the Bhutanese government in a long-term dog management program to spay/neuter 70% of all free roaming animals. Having successfully achieved this goal, HSI will work with the Bhutan government to provide veterinary care and spay/neuter surgeries to privately owned pets, thereby completing the nation-wide dog management objective, improving the lives of pet dogs and promoting responsible pet ownership. Read about our recent work in Bhutan.

Bolivia — Spay/Neuter Clinics: Bolivia is one of the few countries in Latin America still struggling to manage the spread of rabies, with high street dog populations and few programs to humanely and effectively reduce populations. HSI worked with local veterinarians and government officials to establish a spay/neuter program nearly five years ago that has since expanded in scale and veterinary outreach. The HSI program will establish a training program specifically designed for government officials and veterinarians tasked with the reduction of rabies and the management of the dog and cat population in their cities.

Mauritius — Spay/Neuter and Community Engagement: An island-wide street dog culling was in place until HSI partnered with the government and started a humane pilot street dog management program in selected tourism areas, reaching 10,000 dogs over a year. With support from Lion’s Share, this program will be expanded in 2020 to all other regions of the island. Working closely with the local government, HSI will focus on community engagement to help improve the treatment of dogs and the human-animal bond, while at the same time providing critical spay/neuter services island-wide. Read about our recent work in Mauritius.

Vaccinations in Philippines: Philippines has one of the highest rates of rabies in the world, with a high-rate of free roaming dogs and high-density populations. In partnership with the national government, HSI started a mass rabies vaccination program in two of the highest rabies incidence cities in the country. To date, over 200,000 dogs have been vaccinated with a goal to reach at least 50,000 more. With Lion’s Share support, the program will be expanded beyond the two regions to reach all of the highest incidence areas of the country, helping hundreds of thousands of dogs and the communities where they live. Read about our recent work in the Philippines.

South Korea Adoption and Training Center: HSI is working to introduce an adoption and training center to offer a model for the care, sheltering and adoption of dogs in South Korea. HSI is focused on a solution to offer unwanted dogs in South Korea a second chance at a better life, and to build capacity in-country for a sustainable, healthy and well-cared for companion animal population modeled after successful rescue and shelter programs in other countries.

Humane Society International / Global

NAIROBI—The Lion’s Share Fund, a unique initiative raising much-needed funds to support wildlife conservation and animal welfare across the globe, has today announced its partnership with Humane Society International to deliver projects aimed at tackling animal welfare globally.

The Lion’s Share is an ambitious initiative, led by by a coalition of businesses, with founder FINCH and founding partner Mars, Incorporated, Clemenger BBDO and Nielsen, and the United Nations Development Programme, which aims to raise over $100 million per year within the next three years by asking advertisers to contribute 0.5 per cent of their media spend every time an animal is featured in an advertisement.

Ten percent of The Lion’s Share Fund will be invested in animal welfare projects across the globe to harness compassion for animals and translate it into increased care for nature, with HSI delivering on the global animal welfare programme. The programme includes community engagement to address the issue of street animals in neighbourhoods with a high density of free-roaming dogs, and veterinary training to upskill vets to perform high-quality and high-volume spay and neuter surgery in areas where it’s needed the most, with the aim of reducing the population of homeless animals around the world. The programme also supports actions to address the nexus between wildlife and domesticated animals, including disease transmission that threatens wildlife populations.

Kitty Block, president of Humane Society International, said, “Humane Society International is proud to be a part of this effort by The Lion’s Share to help animals in need around the planet. We’re thrilled that through the Animal Welfare Initiative, they will be supporting critical companion animal spay and neuter campaigns, vaccination drives, and adoption awareness programs, helping dogs and cats in communities in countries like Mauritius, Bolivia, the Philippines and Bhutan, all in the pursuit of reducing pet homelessness.”

One of HSI’s flagship programs that is planned to be supported by The Lion’s Share expands a training program in Bolivia to help government officials and veterinarians reduce rabies and humanely manage dog and cat populations in their cities through spay/neuter. Bolivia is one of the few countries in Latin America struggling to manage not only high street dog populations but the spread of rabies as well. The program works with Bolivia’s community leaders, local veterinarians and government officials to find the most effective and humane way to solve these challenges.

Visit our Lion’s Share page

Animals appear in approximately 20 per cent of all advertisements in the world, yet despite this, animals do not always receive the support they deserve. The Lion’s Share gives brands the opportunity to take urgent and significant action to play their part in protecting wildlife conservation and animal welfare by raising money in a sustainable way.

“Animals and pets make our lives better in so many ways, yet with over 200 million homeless pets around the world, it’s clear a lot more needs to be done to support them. At Mars, we’re on a mission to end pet homelessness, which is why we’re proud to support The Lion’s Share and HSI in their work to make this a global reality. But we know we can’t do it alone. We’re urging advertisers around the world to get involved, so we can work together to create a better world for pets and a healthier planet where animals can thrive,” commented Poul Weihrauch, president of Global Petcare at Mars, Incorporated.

The Lion’s Share was established in June 2018 with Mars, Incorporated as a founding partner, and partnerships with advertising network BBDO and leading measurement company Nielsen.

The Economist Group, which publishes The Economist, has joined the Fund under an alternative model, where media companies can contribute 0.5 percent of the income they receive from advertisers using animal imagery in the ads featured in their publications or outlets.

The Lion’s Share will work to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN’s universal call to action to end poverty and protect the planet. Supporting animals and helping to conserve their habitats is key to achieving Goal 14, Life Underwater, and Goal 15, Life on Land.

For more information on The Lion’s Share Fund, visit www.thelionssharefund.com.

ENDS

Contacts:

Adam Cathro, UNDP, adam.cathro@undp.org

Nancy Hwa, Humane Society International, nhwa@hsi.org

Helen Mills, Mars, Incorporated, Helen.Mills@effem.com

Notes to Editors:

About Humane Society International’s Companion Animal Projects

The framework of HSI’s global work to address dog and cat homelessness is based upon community engagement and veterinary training. Programs being supported by Lion’s Share include:

  • Bolivia — Spay/Neuter Clinics: Bolivia is one of the few countries in Latin America still struggling to manage the spread of rabies, with high street dog populations and few programs to humanely and effectively reduce populations. HSI worked with local veterinarians and government officials to establish a spay/neuter program nearly five years ago that has since expanded in scale and veterinary outreach. The HSI program will establish a training program specifically designed for government officials and veterinarians tasked with the reduction of rabies and the management of the dog and cat population in their cities.
  • Mauritius — Spay/Neuter and Community Engagement: An island-wide street dog culling was in place until HSI partnered with the government and started a humane pilot street dog management program in selected tourism areas, reaching 10,000 dogs over a year. With support from Lion’s Share, this program will be expanded in 2020 to all other regions of the island. Working closely with the local government, HSI will focus on community engagement to help improve the treatment of dogs and the human-animal bond, while at the same time providing critical spay/neuter services island-wide.
  • Bhutan — Spay/Neuter and Community Engagement: Since 2009, HSI has partnered with the Bhutanese government in a long-term dog management program to spay/neuter 70% of all free roaming animals. Having successfully achieved this goal, HSI will work with the Bhutan government to provide veterinary care and spay/neuter surgeries to privately owned pets, thereby completing the nation-wide dog management objective, improving the lives of pet dogs and promoting responsible pet ownership.
  • Vaccinations in Philippines: Philippines has one of the highest rates of rabies in the world, with a high-rate of free roaming dogs and high-density populations. In partnership with the national government, HSI started a mass rabies vaccination program in two of the highest rabies incidence cities in the country. To date, over 200,000 dogs have been vaccinated with a goal to reach at least 50,000 more. With Lion’s Share support, the program will be expanded beyond the two regions to reach all of the highest incidence areas of the country, helping hundreds of thousands of dogs and the communities where they live.
  • South Korea Adoption and Training Center: HSI is working to introduce an adoption and training center to offer a model for the care, sheltering and adoption of dogs in South Korea. HSI is focused on a solution to offer unwanted dogs in South Korea a second chance at a better life, and to build capacity in-country for a sustainable, healthy and well-cared for companion animal population modeled after successful rescue and shelter programs in other countries.

 

 

About the United Nations Development Programme

UNDP partners with people across societies to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. For more information on UNDP, visit undp.org.

About Humane Society International

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at hsi.org.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With more than $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 115,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About FINCH

FINCH is a production company made of filmmakers, artists, and engineers, working at the crossroads of storytelling, entertainment and technology. They believe in impacting culture through work that makes them proud. Finch has offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. FINCH make documentaries, live experiences, TV commercials, feature films and digital content. They hold more than a dozen patents and actively develop and license products and innovations that push the boundaries of conventional storytelling. Founded in 2011, their work has been recognised with advertising’s top honours including Gold Cannes Lions, a D&AD Black Pencil and several Yellow Pencils.

For more information about FINCH, please visit finchcompany.com. Join us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Clemenger BBDO Melbourne

Clemenger BBDO Melbourne is one of Australia’s largest and most creatively awarded agencies, having been named World’s most creative agency at Cannes Lions and D&AD; the region’s most effective agency at the APAC Effies over the past 12 months. A member of the global BBDO network, the agency’s mantra is “The Work. The Work. The Work.” You can find more information on the agency at www.clemengerbbdo.com.au.

Humane Society International

HSI provides these resources—which address a wide range of animal welfare and care issues—for individuals and organizations in the animal welfare field everywhere. Here, you will find articles, fact sheets, reports and other materials. Most documents are available in PDF for download. Links to other online resources are also provided.

Community Engagement
Euthanasia
Humane Animal Control and Management
Humane Education
Legislation, Law Enforcement and Cruelty Issues
Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Operation and Management
Resource Libraries of Other Organizations
Sheltering, Adoption and Fostering
Tourism

To learn about HSI’s approach to dog and cat welfare, please visit here.

Humane Society International

Reports

 

Public Outreach Materials

  • Don’t Buy Wild Guide, a portable reference guide to help tourist avoid products and activities that harm animals. (Humane Society International)

Humane Society International

Alternatives to Sheltering

Sheltering

  • Calculating Your Humane Capacity, webinar and supporting materials for organizations to determine their humane capacity. Part of a 4-part series on Length of Stay. (ASPCApro).

Adoption and Fostering

  • Adopters Welcome Manual a free, downloadable PDF manual to help you expand your pool of potential adopters, increase both staff and adopter satisfaction with the overall adoption experience and ensure adopters succeed with their new pets at home. Written for U.S. shelters and rescue groups, but with strategies and tools applicable to anyone looking to place pets in loving homes. (The Humane Society of the United States).

Humane Society International

Operation and Management for Animal Protection Organizations

 

Fundraising

 

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