Behind the scenes at the sanctuary ending bear bile
farming in Vietnam
From educating the public to empowering law enforcement, Animals Asia and their Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre are on course to end bile farming in Vietnam.
Today it is responsible for the poaching of bears from the wild, the trafficking of their body parts on the black market and their unimaginable suffering inside tiny, metal cages on bile farms.
Even so, the battle to end such horrific cruelty is being won. Here’s why:
EDUCATION
Educating the next generation about the horrors of bear bile farming is critical to ending the industry once and for all.
Every year, hundreds of school children and university students visit Animals Asia’s bear sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park to meet bears who have been rescued from a lifetime of misery and exploitation.
These young people are Vietnam’s future and by teaching respect and compassion for all animals, we can ensure these children will grow up demanding an end to animal cruelty.
TACKLING DEMAND
To end the bear bile industry, it is essential to address demand for bear bile.
In 2015 there was a significant breakthrough when Animals Asia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnamese Traditional Medicine Association to end prescriptions of bear bile by 2020.
Our partners for at least a decade, the Association has also co-authored a book of herbal alternatives to bear bile.
Animals Asia has also been working alongside traditional medicine doctors in Vietnam’s Ha Giang, Tay Ninh, and Vinh Phuc provinces, to cultivate thousands of herbal plants. More than 30 types of herbs that can be used in place of bear bile are now growing in these gardens – the seeds of a new beginning for Vietnam.
EMPTYING THE CAGES
Since 2007, Animals Asia has rescued 186 bears in Vietnam – mostly from bear bile farms. This has been achieved by working closely with the authorities and in some cases, farmers who have turned their backs on the trade.
Starved, abused and often suffering from a range of ailments, the bears are given a chance to put their pain behind them at our sanctuary where a dedicated team of vets and bear managers are on hand to provide the best possible care for the rest of the bears’ lives.
Not only do the bears receive medical treatment for broken teeth, high blood pressure, cracked paws and other health problems, they undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation programme that takes into account all their health, social and cognitive needs.
A cornerstone of their rehabilitation is being given access to a grassy enclosure, often the biggest space they have ever known, where they can forage for food among trees, pools and wooden climbing frames, and interact with new playmates – everything denied to them in captivity.
EMPOWERING LAW ENFORCEMENT
For a long time authorities turned a blind eye to trafficking and bile farming as they simply had nowhere to put confiscated bears.
With support from Animals Asia, the Vietnamese authorities are able to do their job and protect their county’s precious wildlife from poachers – safe in the knowledge rescued animals will have a home for life.
One of the many bears to benefit from the authorities’ enhanced capacity to act is Murphy.
In 2015, the bear cub was taken to VBRC after he was discovered by Forest Protection Department rangers in the mountainous northwestern province of Son La, which borders both Laos and China. He had been trafficked in a backpack.
Despite attempting to escape, Murphy’s trafficker was tracked down by rangers and while under arrest, he admitted killing Murphy’s mother in order to traffic the cub, paving the way for criminal charges to be brought against him.
Writing the roadmap to end bile farming cruelty
In a historic agreement signed with the Vietnamese government in 2017, Animals Asia committed to ending Vietnam’s bear bile industry forever by rescuing all bears remaining on bile farms within five years.
The MOU also set out a commitment to improve the welfare of captive bears in Vietnam and conserve the country’s wild bear populations. In effect, it offers the possibility of creating a national standard for keeping wildlife in captivity.
Without the extraordinary example set by Animals Asia, this would not have been possible.
Posted on January 23, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
More Amazing Rescues and Recoveries At AAU India.
Moses was almost killed by flies…
A swarm of flies surrounded his head in a buzzing cloud, and their larvae devoured the side of his head and his entire ear. The pain and confusion had almost defeated sweet, aged Moses. When we found him on the street and slowly approached him, he was unable to even react. He had no more will to resist, and barely the energy, it seemed to keep himself in a sitting position. But once we brought him back to Animal Aid’s hospital and gave him pain killers, antibiotics, IV fluids, removed the maggots and his first of many bandages was secured, Moses began almost immediately to show his true colors. After more than 2 months of care, get ready to meet someone adorable.
Thank you for helping save his life. And for the hurting sweethearts to come, please donate.
Dog dizzy with pain from swollen head recovers
We could see from a distance that this disoriented and stumbling street dog was deeply troubled. As our rescue team approached we could see that her face and head were swollen so acutely that the ridge of her nose was disappearing within the puffed surface of her eye sockets and cheeks. Her eyes were filled with confusion and pain. Though a small wound on her throat was visible when we rescued her, we had no idea what was really wrong.
Once on the treatment table at Animal Aid, everything became clear. Pauline was suffering from a massive infection caused by maggots buried inside the flesh of her neck. Removing the worms was accomplished within hours but the wound would take five weeks to heal. Pauline is a shy older girl who was never became completely comfortable being touched. But she seemed to know she was in loving hands because within the weeks that followed, Pauline’s wound not only healed, but her happiness blossomed and she shares her heart through her radiant smile.
Pauline would have died without urgent help. Thank you so much for making sure she got it in time.
The young men who take care of street dog Tony anxiously pointed the way into a dark store room where Tony was hiding. When our team arrived, one of the boys asked the rescuers “Will he live?” It was one of the worst injuries we’d ever seen, but we told him we would try our best to save him. Tony stood very still, probably terrified by his inability to breath properly. We could hear the air coming out of the hole in his side.
This is a video about the real meaning of “emergency” because without immediate emergency surgery, Tony would have likely died within just a couple of hours. After Tony was started on oxygen and sedated, our vet closed the hole puncturing his chest wall, and then inserted a tube to remove the air filling the space around his lungs that had caused them to collapse, so that his lungs could expand and he could breath normally again.
The wound was very dirty and needed to be thoroughly cleaned before we could suture it all back together.
The result? Watch for yourself as Tony, fully healed, lightens up your screen.
Donation link so that the team can continue with their amazing rescues:
SIMCOE, Ont. – Ontario’s animal welfare agency says a man has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in the deaths of more than 1,500 pigs.
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says Ben Stein, of Tavistock, Ont., pleaded guilty Thursday in Simcoe, Ont., court to permitting an animal to be in distress, failing to provide adequate sanitary conditions, failing to provide adequate ventilation and failing to provide adequate medical attention.
Stein is to appear in court on April 26 for sentencing.
Ontario SPCA officers went to a pig farm in Langton, about 80 kilometres southeast of London, last February after receiving a concern about the welfare of pigs on the property.
Upon entering a flooded, manure-filled barn in total darkness, the officers discovered dead and dying pigs.
The OSPCA says 1,265 pigs were dead and an additional 250 pigs had to be euthanized on site due to the severe condition in which they were found.
India: Jallikattu: Five gored to death at Indian bull-taming event
Vegan Statistics: Incredible Signs the Global Demand for Plant-Based Foods Is Rising
Another company, international delivery service Just Eat namedveganism as a top consumer trend in 2018 — due to a 94% increase in “healthy food ordered.”
And similarly, according to data released by GrubHub, the top takeaway marketplace in the U.S., orders for plant-based food have reached a new high. In particular, users chose vegan food 19% more in the first half of 2017 than in the first half of 2016.
Posted on January 20, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Please Help – Any Donation Welcome;
No Matter What Size – SAV.
Thank you Deborah Maxwell for your amazing donation !
well on the way to the target now; but not there yet.
Also thanks to Debbie Hill for giving.
Extra donations still required to reach deadline amount.
Please give anything you can. Thanks – SAV.
The Story
33 Dogs & 10 Cats on site and numerous street cats
= 340 Euros Month Rent for land behind fence = 40 Euros Month
Small Shelter NIS, Serbia otherwise known as SSNS; A private shelter located in Niš, Southern Serbia, Founded in 2006 run by Slađana Stojković ( https://www.facebook.com/sladjana.stojkovic.9) with the help of Goran and Olja, whom we rent a small piece of land (450 square metre) behind the fenced area, costing 40 Euros a month.
There are currently 33 dogs and 6 cats on-site, costing 330 Euros a month to feed. We try and raise funds for food and vet care monthly through our BUY IT NOW Page, however we struggle to raise the funds we truly need to provide for the dogs and cats, therefore we are so grateful for any direct donations.
Although the majority of the dogs have lived at the Shelter long term over the last year (2016-2017) we have had an influx of abandoned puppies; seven in total which has stretched our funds to the limit. Slađana accommodates as much of the dogs behind the fenced area as she can taking into account the dogs’ individual personalities and has spilt the fenced area into individual areas to accommodate the dogs’ that do not get on so well with others.
The dogs have a dog house to call their own some like to share and some still like their old “dilapidated” homes and refuse to move into new accommodation, certain dogs usually the smaller ones have shelter inside Gorans property. It is regrettable that we do not have the “network” or funds to have our dogs adopted out with Serbia.
Animal welfare not being top of the agenda in the “balkan states”, coupled with the area being very poor makes adoption or fostering near impossible.
Therefore the dogs have a permanent home at the Shelter.
Not an ideal situation however they receive an abundance of love and enjoy daily walks by the river located next to the Shelter and with donations are fed, provided vet care and are as happy as they can be not knowing any other situation.
Our long term dogs receive their re-vaccinations every November by our trusted vet, and our “new arrivals” receive as and when by their “in-take” date, all are micro-chipped, recorded on “passports” required by law and are spayed/neutered.
The Shelter is very primitive, no electricity and water is provided via a pump onsite. We have no proper storage facilities for food therefore food is delivered every couple of days via wheelbarrow to the Shelter as there is no direct road. However as this is a very poor region stockpiling food could attract theft which we discourage.
Slađana is passionate about animal welfare and even if she cannot provide a permanent home at the Shelter, finding an animal in distress will ensure that vet care is provided helping the animal recover with the help of other rescues in the area. Slađana is also involved in feeding numerous street cats providing either breakfast or lunch when donations allow and checking on their welfare. She also gives shelter to an adorable ginger disabled cat who resides in the basement of her property with the consent of her neighbours.
Posted on January 11, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
THIS BEAUTIFUL DOG IS MILICA.
She is living on the streets and has nothing and nobody.
One very kind rescuer, Andjelka Matijevic helps her by feeding her and she has had her spayed already to ensure she doesnt end up pregnant to some other street dog bringing more unwanted pups into the world.
But, this gentle quiet dog needs a home. She has no sponsors, nothing.
Maybe because she isnt aesthetically as beautiful as many other cute and fluffy dogs, but this is one very special diamond girl. She loves children, and plays beautifully with them. She adores other dogs, and has no issue at all with any other dog. We have no idea how she would react to cats, but bearing in mind she lives on the streets, Im sure she has learned to live alongside the many cats and other dogs on the streets whilst she seeks out some small pittance of survival.
She is helped with food most days by the very kind Andjelka Matijevic, but she has no chance and never will have unless somebody can offer her a loving forever home. She will spend the rest of her life, whether thats long or short on the street unless she gets a chance of a new life.
A more gentle, affectionate dog you couldnt wish to meet. This is a lovely lovely girl who needs a home. Please think about giving her a chance. Just one little chance is all she needs to turn her very sad abandoned life around
If you can offer her a home, or even sponsorship to be safe in pension and off the streets, its just 50euros per month or £46 UK to keep her safe in a pension every month …
… so she doesnt risk being hit by a car or even poisoned by the public, or caught by the dog catchers.
If you can offer one of the above solutions, please contact the very kind Andjelka Matijevic to let her know you are interested in helping sweet Milica.
Do one good thing this year, help a dog in need if you can.
Posted on January 7, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Today orthodox people celebrate Christmas. I celebrate my birthday. For all of them it is one more day, nothing to celebrate. They are no one’s dogs, wandering streets of Bor (Serbia) hungry or thirsty, hot or cold, scared of some people who believe they don’t deserve to live, today alive, tomorrow might be dead;. dreaming about their forever home and warm human touch.. me and Jovan Joja Cvetkovic are doing our best to get as many as possible of them safe, to make them happy as much as possible.. Food, medical help, vaccines, dog kennels, etc is always more than needed, No donation is small!
PayPal:svetlanad781@gmail.com
Or
PayPal:jojacvetko@gmail.com
Thank you 😌
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 