November was another successful month for our animal welfare crusade. Here’s how your donations were used to help animals in peril around the world.
Kabul, Afghanistan
Mike is a gentle young dog who was found trapped in a trash pit in Kabul with children throwing stones at him. Unable to escape, he simply had to ensure this horrific abuse. Fortunately for Mike, he was spotted by our partner on the ground, the Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR), who rescued him. Mike was terrified, emaciated and riddled with mange. We don’t know whether he was abandoned by his owners who fled Afghanistan, but we do know that he will never again have to suffer abuse or neglect at the hands of humans. Your donations will ensure that Mike gets the treatment, nourishment and care he needs to recover, and possibly even have a chance of being adopted into a loving home one day. Thank you for caring so deeply about sweet little Mike.
Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Trebinje, street dogs are treated with almost medieval cruelty. Those caught by the local dogcatcher are taken to the town’s rubbish dump and kept there until they die. Over the years, our team has seen some pretty terrible things, but this ‘shelter’ is one of the worst. In fact, up to 90% of puppies brought here die almost immediately. The moment we arrived at this hellhole, we knew we had to do everything we possibly could to help - and you agreed. Your donations poured in, and we’ll be using them to build a new shelter for these animals where they will not be forced to live covered in flies, with no protection from the scorching summer heat or subzero winter temperatures. Thank you for giving these animals the little bit of comfort, compassion and hope they desperately need in this wasteland.
Global - the donkey skin trade
Sometimes, something comes along that is so atrocious, so utterly appalling, that all financial concerns are set aside because we have to act. The Chinese-driven donkey skin trade is one such case. Throughout Africa, donkeys are being slaughtered at such an alarming rate that they face extinction within the next five years. Donkeys are killed for ejiao, a gelatin extracted from their skin and used to make pointless cosmetics for the Asian and Middle Eastern markets. Since 2018, we have shut down slaughterhouses in Tanzania and Kenya, persuaded the South African government to revisit its laws on donkey slaughter, and successfully lobbied for the banning of trade in Harare, Zimbabwe. We have also worked to replenish depleted donkey populations and improve the conditions for working donkeys in several parts of Africa. We are about to expand our work into Mali, one of the worst countries for animal abuse. Every time you donate to Network for Animals, you help us to continue the fight against this senseless and appalling trade. We will not stop until the slaughter is over for good. Click here to read more. As this is being written, we just heard the wonderful news that our efforts in Tanzania have led to the government banning all donkey slaughter in the country!
Harare, Zimbabwe
Recently, we made a special visit to Bessie when we delivered food to the dogs and cats of the Friend Animal Foundation (FAF) in Zimbabwe - the shelter (and 500 animals!) you helped us to save. Bessie’s leg was badly broken when her owners drove over her with their car and dumped her at FAF with her mangled limb dragging behind her. The vets made the difficult decision to amputate her leg - surgery that we funded - and today, Bessie is happier and so much more comfortable. But sadly, she - like most of the other dogs and cats at FAF - is unlikely to ever be adopted into a loving home. The economic situation in Zimbabwe, compounded by the devastating effects of COVID, means that most rescued animals live out their lives at shelters. FAF does its best to provide a safe and comfortable space for the animals, but the reality is that it’s still a shelter in a poverty-stricken country. We asked for your help in continuing to provide funds to support Bessie and her friends to help make their lives a little brighter and provide a little hope in an otherwise bleak situation. You came through for them, and Bessie and her friends are so very grateful for your donations.
Sangkhlaburi, Thailand
Street dog Cassius was so badly tormented and abused for simply “looking aggressive” that he was eventually forced to hide out in a school abandoned during COVID. However, when the children prepared to return, the decision was made to euthanize him. In the nick of time, our partner, the Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary, stepped in to give him a second chance. Cassius was simply hungry, in pain and starved of affection - there was nothing ‘aggressive’ about him! They even found a bullet lodged in his body. Thanks to your kind donations, we were able to ensure that Cassius received the treatment, care and compassion he deserved. He is just one example of the countless unloved street dogs living in rural Thailand. Without your support, they have no hope and no chance of being spared this dreadful existence. Your donations help us to continue supporting the wonderful work of the Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary, which includes animal rescue, sterilizations, and much-needed feeding and treatment programs.
Cape Town, South Africa
Thousands of starving juvenile seals have been washing up on the shores of the Western Cape in South Africa, some already dead, others sick or injured. Autopsies revealed that those who had died had completely empty bellies: they had starved to death. The Hout Bay Seal Rescue Centre (HBSRC) is the only seal rehabilitation center in the region, and they reached out to us in desperation: they were inundated with sick, starving animals and were working around the clock to save them, but they had completely run out of food. Baby seals were literally dying before their eyes, and we knew we had to help. We put out a plea to you, our loyal supporters, and you donated generously to help these precious sea creatures - animals who are particularly close to our hearts at NFA! Thanks to your support, we were able to provide 21 tons (19,050 kilograms) for the seals, as well as help to fund further investigations into the health of the marine ecosystem to rule out any issues that may be affecting the seal population.
Credit: The Sea Search Group
Giving Tuesday
November is the month of giving, culminating with ‘Giving Tuesday’ which follows Thanksgiving. It was the ideal time to give thanks to you, our wonderful supporters, for all that your donations have helped us to achieve. We rely solely on your donations to do the work we do, and thousands of animals around the world have been saved because of your compassion and generosity. Your donations enable us to rescue animals from terrible lives of abuse, neglect and starvation, and to give them the proper care they deserve. Because of you, animals like Sophie the donkey, Jack the Labrador and Melina the cat have been given a second chance after truly horrific starts to life. Because of you, they will never suffer or experience abuse again. We, and the animals, are incredibly grateful to you.
NFA Snippets
A happy ending for Uno the dog
From an abandoned, nearly-dead puppy in rural Thailand to a happily rehomed dog now living in Canada, Uno’s ‘happy tail’ is the kind of success story that makes the hard work worth it. You won’t believe his progression, all thanks to the hard work of the Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary and your donations through our Little Acts of Kindness program. Click here to read the full story.
75 Cats sterilized and vaccinated in Meganisi, Greece
The Greek island of Meganisi has a large population of street cats and thus the need for sterilization is great. Thanks to our supporters, we were recently able to undertake a mass sterilization drive in the region, giving these animals happier, healthier lives and sparing countless unwanted animals from a bitterly cruel life on the streets. Read the full story.
As always, it is thanks to your donations that we're able to provide help and a glimpse of hope for animals in need around the world. Thank you for being a friend to NFA and thank you for being a friend to the animals. We wouldn't be where we are without you - and neither would they.
