World Society for the Protection of Animals Spring 2014 | Issue 18

PLUS: WSPA’s wonderful supporters

Main feature

PROTECT WORKING DONKEYSHelping animals in disaster zones

Stopping wildlife crime

Appeals update

Welcome to your spring 2014 issue of WSPA News, the magazine that keeps you up to date with all that is achieved for animals thanks to your support of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Thanks to you, last year we had some wonderful success stories for animals – rescuing ten bears from cruel captivity in Romania and Pakistan, and vaccinating 80,000 dogs against rabies in China. These are just some of the many ways we were able to help animals thanks to your support and dedication.

Our purpose, our name

exciting news about an upcoming change – from June 2014, WSPA will be protecting animals under a new name, one cleverly suggested by a UK

purpose. Find out more on page 3.

When disaster strikesYour amazing response to our appeal to help the animal victims of Typhoon

Haiyan raised over £45,000 for WSPA’s Disaster Fund. The Fund enabled our Disaster Response Team to help over 17,400 animals in some of the worst hit areas of the Philippines. See how your donations helped on page 5.

Fighting against wildlife crimeWSPA is pleased to share the momentous news that after two years of campaigning, the future of London Metropolitan Police’s Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) has been secured. This great news means that the Unit can continue

trade in endangered species to exploiting local wildlife. Read about the impact of the WCU on page 12.

Incredible supportThe generosity and dedication of our supporters never fails to amaze me – you are always helping animals in every way possible. Turn to page 15 to read about how WSPA’s wonderful supporters are protecting animals by getting their

Thank you for protecting even more animals

CONTENTS03 WSPA is changing04 Campaign update05 Responding to Typhoon Haiyan06 Being thee for animal victims of disasters 08 URGENT APPEAL:

Help stop donkeys suffering10 Protecting dogs in Asia11 Saying ‘no’ to factory farms12 A safer future for wild animals14 Caring for Romania’s rescued bears15 WSPA’s wonderful supporters16 Run for WSPA

Contact WSPA WSPA would love to hear what you think of this issue of WSPA News. Please contact us with your views at: WSPA, 222 Grays Inn RoadLondon, WC1X 8HBTelephone: 020 7239 0500Fax: 020 7239 0654Email: wspa@wspa.org.ukWebsite: www.wspa.org.uk

Editor: Katriona MeheranProduced by: Brightsource Ltd

Cover photo: © Dennis Brussaard/WSPA Unless otherwise stated all images are the copyright of WSPA.

WSPA News(registered charity 1081849) of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

Please help ease

donkeys’ suffering

Donkeys and horses in the Middle

East are suffering neglect every day.

Overworked, undernourished and

exhausted, these poor animals are

in desperate need of our help. You

could help ease their suffering. Please

donate to our Palestine donkey

Responding to Typhoon Haiyan

When one of the strongest ever storms

hit the Philippines at the end of last year,

we asked you to help us reach the animal

victims of the disaster. A huge thank you

to everyone who donated – in total, WSPA

UK raised over £45,000 and cared for over

17,400 animals. Read more about how

your donations helped on page 6.

Stopping bear baiting

Thank you so much to the

thousands of you that supported

our Christmas appeal. You raised

over £285,000 and WSPA has been

able to rescue another two bears

from the cruel blood sport of bear

baiting in Pakistan. The two bears

are now enjoying their new, peaceful

lives at the WSPA-funded sanctuary.

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sewing machines out, taking part in challenges or collecting loose change.

Once again, thank you for helping us as we move the world to protect animals.

Director, WSPA UK

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Everything that we achieve for animals is because of you, our supporters, and so we

As of June 2014, WSPA will have a new name – one we feel better describes our purpose.

Our new name will be: World Animal ProtectionWe think our new name makes it clear what we are here to achieve and is easy to remember – and it was a UK supporter who suggested it! Such a clear and memorable name will help us be heard as we call to people to be part of moving the world to protect animals.

Every day, across the world, millions of animals endure cruelty and suffering. Offering protection to animals around the world is our history and our future – and now it is our name too. Changing to World Animal Protection in June brings our name in line with what we are trying to achieve with your help – protecting the world’s animals. When we heard it, we knew it summed up everything that we strive to do together.

Enclosed with this issue of WSPA News (our last under the name of WSPA) is a letter from Suzi Morris, UK Director, explaining the change to our name from June 2014, and we will be in touch with more information very soon.

Moving the world to protect animalsYour support – whether you donate, raise funds or campaign – and your lifestyle choices make you part of the solution to protect animals. The more people who stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution is how real and lasting protection for animals will occur. You can help us move the world to protect animals by sharing our campaigns and appeals for animals with your friends and family. You don’t need to wait until June to take action – you can help focus the world’s attention on animals right now by calling upon the United Nations to recognise World Animal Day…

World Animal Day82 years ago, 04 October was declared World Animal Day. Since then, people around the world have used this day to celebrate

their love of animals and recognise the important impact they have on our lives – and the impact we have on theirs.

We want to focus the world’s attention on animals by gaining UN recognition of World Animal Day. A day for animals could help move the world to protect them. If recognised by the United Nations, World Animal Day could get animal protection issues on the agenda of all 193 member states – exposing much of the world’s governments to issues of animal welfare.

We need your helpYou are already helping us to deliver world animal protection in so many ways. Now, let’s get even more people on board. The more people and governments that we can focus on the needs of animals, the more we will be able to protect them from cruelty and suffering. Together, person by person, government by government, let’s move the world to protect animals.

Call for UN recognition of World Animal Day by visiting www.wspamove.org and tell the world why animals are important to you.

Our purpose,

our name

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Let’s move the world to protect animals:Animal Day on the United Nations’ global agenda

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Update

Campaigning to protect animalsenable everything we do, a really powerful way that WSPA supporters have a positive impact for animals is by supporting our campaign actions. By taking part in a WSPA campaign action, you add the power of your voice to increase the collective volume as we all speak out for the protection and welfare of animals.

Cayman Turtle Farm – the last remaining sea turtle farm in the world.

There are over 9,500 endangered green sea turtles at the Farm, crushed together in cramped concrete tanks, handled by tourists and bred to meet a perceived local and tourist demand for turtle meat.

Talks lead to agreementIn January 2014, WSPA staff travelled to the Cayman

joint public statement with WSPA which highlights some of our concerns, as well as outlining ways to address them.

Positive steps forwardThe statement announces that the Farm’s annual turtle release will be put on hold until more research has been done. This is good news because releasing farm-raised turtles in their current state could do far more harm than good, by spreading disease to wild sea turtles. It also says

to end the promotion and sale of meat to tourists.

This marks a great step forward in the campaign and could mean a brighter future for green sea turtles. Your support is making all the difference as we call on the Cayman Turtle Farm to become a proper rehabilitation and release facility, suited to protect the endangered turtles in its care.

New hope for Cayman Islands’ sea turtles

WSPA supporters might remember reading about the

animals called civets in Asia – all to produce a ‘luxury’ product known as Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee.

Cruel productionCivet coffee is produced when civets eat, partially digest, then excrete coffee cherries, and their droppings are collected and made into the world’s most expensive coffee. This is all well and good when it is the by-product of wild civets indulging in their natural love of coffee cherries. However, BBCwere being captured and caged in shocking conditions in order to increase the yield of this highly lucrative product.

Fighting back togetherFollowing the investigation, WSPA launched a campaign

to identify civet coffee that is 100 per cent cage-free. We also contacted retailers who were selling civet coffee, asking them to look at their supply chains to make sure that the high cost of what they stocked on their shelves didn’t include the cost of the civets’ welfare.

Off the shelvesWe are pleased to tell readers that Selfridges has now cleared its shelves of civet coffee, following in the footsteps of Harrods who immediately demonstrated their commitment to only source cage-free civet coffee, or Kopi Luwak.

WSPA has also met with The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ

how to ensure animal welfare standards are applied to food

being involved in the sale of coffee from caged civets.

The success of this campaign to date shows that the more people who speak out for animals, the more our calls for their protection are heard. Thank you.

Civet coffee taken off shelves

Make your voice heard

Visit www.wspa.org.uk/helping/actionto see WSPA’s campaigns to help animals.

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Campaigns

Lucky to be alive:Diaz feeding Lucky, the only surviving goat in her area of Malalison Island

The Philippines: responding to Typhoon HaiyanNatural disasters can strike at any time, at any strength. In November 2013, the human and animal population of the Philippines were hit by the devastating power of ‘super’ Typhoon Haiyan.

The typhoon, known to the locals as ‘Yolanda’, tore through cities with winds of up to 133 miles per hour. Entire communities were devastated, and thousands of human and animal lives were lost.

Life-saving helpThanks to donations to WSPA’s Disaster Fund, our Disaster Response Team was able to react and quickly set out for the Philippines to reach animals in need. Once there, they gave food, water and veterinary care to over 17,400 animals across some of the worst hit areas.

The team were devastated to see so many sick and injured animals – cows, goats and water buffalos – foraging

animals in even more desperate need were pets – cats and dogs that were not used to fending for themselves, normally relying on their owners to feed them.

Here are just two stories of the thousands of animals that WSPA was able to help, thanks to our supporters.

Puppy loveIn the village of Mamarang Sapa, three young boys brought their sick puppies to one of WSPA’s mobile clinics. They waited with worried expressions while the team treated one-year-old Liney, a one-month-old grey puppy called Lance, and a pair of two-month-old puppies called Brownie and Blackie. WSPA’s vets, with the help of local volunteer vets, helped the dogs by boosting their health with vitamin injections and anti-worm drugs – as well as providing some food for the boys’ families.

When the vets explained to them that now their dogs would be OK, their eyes lit up and one of the boys hugged his two young pups to his chest while saying “Salamat” (thank you) over and over again.

A very lucky goatThe island of Malalison had been directly in the storm’s path and all communication to the tiny island off the coast of Panay had been lost. But WSPA was determined to reach the animals and eventually got to the island by motorboat.

Waiting patiently:anxiously wait for their puppies to be treated by the team

Once there, the team went from house to house treating animals. When they reached one house, they found that just one of the family’s goats was still alive – the only goat in that area of the island to survive the typhoon – only because her owners brought her inside with them to ride out the storm. Upon hearing this story, Cinthya Diaz, a member of the WSPA team, immediately nicknamed the goat ‘Lucky’.

Looking to the futureOnce again, we thank you so much for helping us to be there for animals like these and tens of thousands of others. WSPA’s Disaster Response Team is now focussing on helping veterinary clinics in the Philippines to rebuild, as well as guiding local communities in some of the steps they can take to limit the loss of animal life in any future disaster.

You can read more about WSPA’s work in the Philippines on our disaster blog: animalsindisasters.typepad.com.

WSPA NEWS | ISSUE 18 5

We’re there for animal victims of disasters

tsunamis – strike the globe more than 400 times every year. These catastrophic events cause immense loss of life and for those that survive, they may endure injury, disease, hunger, lack of clean water and loss of shelter. For animals too, the aftermath of a disaster can be a time of intense suffering. Just like people,

That’s why, thanks to your support, WSPA has an experienced Disaster Response Team (DART) on hand, ready to respond whenever and wherever they are needed by the animal victims of disasters.

Rapid responseWhen a disaster strikes, the DART immediately assess the situation and if animals are in need, they will travel out to the disaster zone – no matter where in the world it might be. Each passing day can mean more animal lives are lost so this all happens very quickly – which is why it’s important for WSPA to have a Disaster Fund in place so that we can react at a moment’s notice without having to wait until we have raised the funds needed before we can act.

Life-saving helpWhen they get there, the team provides vital help to animals in the form of food, clean water, shelter and life-saving medical care – whatever they assess the greatest need to be. And the work doesn’t stop there. WSPA’s DART often stays on the ground for months after a disaster has hit, working hard to get lives back to normal and to protect animals into the future.

Planning ahead

after, but sadly animals are often left out of national and community emergency planning. The DART team teaches people in disaster-prone areas how to protect their animals in case disaster strikes again – for example, by making sure they have enough food and clean water to last for a few days, and by building sturdy shelters to help protect animals from the elements. In many disaster-prone parts of the world, communities depend on animals for their livelihood and so precautions to limit the loss of animal life also have the important impact of helping people recover and rebuild their lives without the need for long-term humanitarian aid that may or may not come.

Meet some of WSPA’s disaster heroes who are there for animals wherever they are called. James Sawyer (pictured below) is WSPA’s Director of Disaster Management and has worked at WSPA for nearly seven years. “People have a voice whereas animals don’t – realising that there are so many that suffer was my call to arms.”

When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines, James had to leave at the drop of a hat – meaning that he missed both his son’s and daughter’s birthdays, “Missing my son’s birthday, and that of my one year old daughter, probably doesn’t make me father of the year!”

“It’s always the sheer amount of animals in need that amazes me. The worst disaster in terms of scale was the 2010 dzud (when an extremely cold winter follows a summer drought) in Mongolia. So many animal lives were lost – hundreds of thousands a week. Sheep and goats would huddle together for warmth and dead animals would have to be separated from live ones because they had frozen together.

One of the toughest things is that it

you’re about to go, there is always one more animal brought to us that needs help. This shows how long term the need is.”

Tireless dedicationWSPA has four disaster teams around the world, based in Costa Rica, Africa, Thailand and India. They cover their base area and also nearby regions when disaster strikes. “We all have a common purpose as everyone really cares about animals – in the Philippines some of the team worked for one month straight without a day off. These people are putting themselves on the line for animals and it is a real privilege to work with them,” says James.

Meet the team

WSPA NEWS | ISSUE 186

Dr Ian Dacre“Even when I was young, I knew it was important to look after animals. Sadly, during my career I have witnessed much animal suffering. One of the most unforgettable, purely because of the scale of loss, was when over 130,000 cattle and buffalo drowned as a result of Cyclone Nargis hitting Myanmar in 2008. But the sadness of some cases is balanced with some wonderful experiences and the knowledge that as a vet I can make a difference.”

Dr Juan Carlos Murillo“Ever since I was a child I wanted to become a veterinarian to help animals in need, in areas or regions different to those a vet might normally work in.

all the effort worthwhile. One highlight was looking after

to treat them until they were fully recovered and train them for release back to the wild – all the months of hard work ended in one minute when we set them free. That felt good!

Although it can be very challenging, working with animals in disasters and helping people look after them better is a very big blessing.”

Dr Sergio Vasquez“When I was a child I was always bringing needy animals home. I collected injured street dogs, treated them, cleaned them and found them a home. Then I grew up and became a vet.

During my early years with WSPA, I responded to a large hurricane in Turk and Caicos Islands. There were ponies that were starving as all the pasture had been destroyed.

but ended up eating large quantities of sand along with it. The ponies suffered from painful colic – and one of them was dying right next to me, thrashing around in pain. We treated him with pain killers and mineral oil and the next day he was standing up and eating the clean hay that WSPA had provided!

This work provides knowledge and emotional rewards that I cannot gain elsewhere. The places I get to go, people I get to meet, the knowledge that, thanks to WSPA supporters, we are saving animals’ lives – all of this is what keeps me challenged and motivated.”

“When I started this work I did not know I was getting into the best job there is. Every story is great to tell, but helping animals in war zones such as Afghanistan and Nicaragua was a highlight, as well as our disaster response in Haiti – I’ll never forget the suffering in the eyes of the animals we went on to help. These moments are a priceless opportunity to say to the world that animals do matter. The work I leave behind – by teaching people to plan for disasters – will save animals for generations to come.”

Donate to WSPA’s Disaster Fund todayYou can help WSPA to be on hand to save animals’ lives as soon as disaster strikes by donating to our Disaster Fund.

Call 0845 0777 500 (9am-5pm, Monday – Friday)

Visit wspa.org.uk/typhoon

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Animals in disasters

Donkeys in Palestine are suffering. Overworked, dehydrated and injured, many are pushed to their limits every day with little or no relief. With no laws to protect donkeys in Palestine, their plight can

things for the better…

with the Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS) to help ease the suffering of working donkeys in the Middle East. PWLS runs a mobile veterinary clinic that provides free treatment for sick and wounded donkeys and teaches local people how to care for their animals to help prevent injury and illness.

Emergency careEvery week, the skilled staff of PWLS drive the mobile clinic out around Bethlehem and treat hundreds of working donkeys suffering anything from heat stress to lameness or pressure sores. They also train people from the local community to be facilitators – a ‘go to’ person to be the local advisor on donkey care when the clinic is not in the area.

Thanks to the generosity of WSPA supporters, thousands

improvements in the animals’ health and welfare has been seen that the clinic now wants to take this life-changing work to even more communities. With so many donkeys suffering, WSPA and PWLS are determined to reach as many as possible – but we need your help.

Shocking injuriesAt the mobile clinic, the team will often see cases of pressure sores and wounds that cut deep into a donkey’s soft, tender

so tight that the chain can become embedded in their skin. Often donkeys are worked from a very young age before their bones have matured enough to cope with the rigours of work. This often leads to serious leg and back problems that affect them in later life. Many donkeys can roam about streets unattended and are

occurrence for the team at PWLS.

Samir’s storySamir the mule had been acting strangely and behaving out of character while out working the land. This worried his owner David who brought him to see Dr Yousef, head vet at PWLS. When inspecting him, Dr Yousef removed Samir’s neck collar

both his shoulders. He explained to David that Samir’s collar was far too big and must have been rubbing constantly for many weeks causing Samir excruciating pain.

Time to healDr Yousef told David that he needed special care and treatment and must be rested otherwise he would never recover. David agreed to rest him and Kamal, the local community facilitator, visited daily to help him continue Samir’s treatment. Kamal also taught David to remake the mule’s neck collar to the right size.

Help stop donkeys suffering

Horrifying wound:

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collar made by David – and they both still visit the mobile clinic for regular check-ups.

Teaching careMost of these problems seen at the mobile clinic can be prevented – if the donkeys’ owners know what to do. PWLS run a teaching programme alongside the clinic to show people how to care for their animals, including the volume and frequency of water needed to keep a donkey hydrated in the searing heat (temperatures can reach 50 degrees in summertime). Owners

many people can now treat their donkeys themselves.

Clinic costsBut because there are so many donkeys still in urgent need, it is now time to expand the project into more communities – it

has been so successful that the team at PWLS want to reach even more donkeys. This is great news for donkeys but means much more work for the PWLS staff – doubling and potentially trebling the amount of animals to care for. They need all the help they can get.

A brighter future for donkeysWSPA is committed to providing funds to help Dr Yousef and his team to expand their life-saving treatment to even more areas. Without your help, WSPA wouldn’t be able to support PWLS in all the amazing work that they do for suffering donkeys, showing owners how to care for them and changing attitudes that will continue long into the future. It costs £75 to provide the medicine and supplies the mobile clinic needs for one day. Could you help donkeys in need? Please make a donation to our appeal today.

Gentle touch:

Here is my gift of: £25 other

Expires: /

Signature: Date:

OR I enclose a cheque/CAF cheque/postal order, made payable to WSPA WSPA send acknowledgement letters for donations over £5. If you do not want an acknowledgement for your donation please tick here

Please print your details clearly below

Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Increase the value of your gift by 25% at no extra cost to you Yes, I am a UK taxpayer and would like WSPA to treat all donations

I have made in the last four years and all future donations (unless I notify you otherwise) as Gift Aid donations.

Your donations can be Gift Aid donations if you pay enough income tax and/or capital

(and any other charitable organisation you may support with Gift Aid donations) will reclaim in each tax year (currently 25p for every £1 given as a Gift Aid donation).

Your donation will help WSPA to protect animals from cruelty and suffering, including those featured in this appeal.

We’d love to keep you updated on how you are protecting animals. If you are happy for us to

Telephone:

Mobile:

Email:

How your gift could help a suffering donkey£10deadly diseases

£25 could cover the cost of an essential anti-parasite

£45antibiotics to treat infection

£75 could equip the mobile clinic for a whole day of life-saving treatment and care.

Post your completed form to: WSPA, FREEPOST SCE6686, Melksham, SN12 6GZ

Call 0845 0777 500 (9am-5pm, Monday – Friday)

Visit wspa.org.uk/donkeys

Collars not Cruelty: saving dogs in AsiaWSPA is working alongside Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) as they vaccinate dogs and teach people how to look after their pets in Metro Manila, Philippines.

Meet R2Ian and his two young sons bought their four month old dachshund R2 (named after their favourite Star Wars character) to a free vaccination clinic set up by WSPA and GARC.

“R2 is very naughty and chews a lot, but my sons Matthew and Brandon love him, so it is important that I get him vaccinated to make sure I keep my young family safe,” says Ian.

“I have an eight-year-old Rottweiler and cross breed, Bam Bam, at home too. I will be bringing them along later. To have my dogs vaccinated against rabies makes a world of difference to me and all my family.”

WSPA is continuing to support the Government in Bangladesh to expand its National Rabies Action Plan, having helped with the vaccination of over 70,000 dogs across eight districts since 2011.

Meet TigerTiger is three years old and lives with his owner Raja. Raja works in a small local hospital and has seen people suffer from rabies – but this has not dampened his love for dogs. “It’s a terrible way to die and sometimes dogs were killed afterwards but that never solved the problem.”

Raja tells us that Tiger sleeps in his house with him and his family and eats whatever they do. He especially loves to chew on meat bones and bread.

“This is great and important work. People do like dogs but they can also be scared of them because of rabies,” says Raja. “I have always had animals in my life and had pet dogs from childhood. I’m very pleased that Tiger will be safe from rabies.”

Raja holds Tiger as he is vaccinated and collared then they both wander off to carry on with their day.

WSPA has launched pilot projects in China with the China Animal Disease Control Centre (CADC), having already vaccinated 80,000 dogs against rabies since September 2013.

Meet HuahuaSeven year old Pekingese Huahua goes to work with her

said; “She brings much happiness and warmth to my wife and me. I can’t imagine my life without her.”

Animal Disease Control Centrewas expertly treated, as calm in their hands as she is with

Please help more dogs todayWith your help, we can protect even more dogs from rabies. Why not get a group of local dog walkers together to raise funds for WSPA? Every £2 you raise could help

Call 0800 316 9772 Email fundraising@wspa.org.uk

Thanks to the generosity of WSPA supporters, our Collars not Cruelty campaign is growing in strength, as we move into new countries across Asia to protect more dogs from brutal culls in the name of rabies.

against the misguided belief that culling millions of dogs is the answer to stopping the spread of rabies by proving that vaccinating dogs on a mass scale is the only humane and effective solution. Dogs are given a quick injection to guard against rabies and then wear a red collar to show that they pose no threat to other dogs or people.

To date, in Asia we have helped dogs across Bali, Bangladesh, China and the Philippines. Here are stories of just a few of the dogs now protected thanks to you...

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Animals in communities

Saying ‘No!’ to factory farms

Last year we shared the disappointing news that the Welsh Government had given the go-ahead to a proposal to build a 1,000-cow factory-style dairy farm in a small village in Wales – a decision that could threaten the welfare of British dairy cows forever.

We argued that the farm should not be built because of: Negative impact on the cows’ welfare – they will be trapped indoors rather than

It could damage health – the farm is next to a primary school. There is evidence from America that shows higher levels of asthma in children living near industrial farming units. It is harmful to the environment – the factory-dairy will be built next to Powis Castle, Offa’s Dyke and a grade II listed church, so could ruin the cultural landscape. It could badly affect local people – they won’t be living next to a farm anymore but an industrial unit.

But the Planning Minister chose to approve the plans because of:

make it harder for industrial-style farms like this to be built, and have handed in a petition with over 9,000 signatures to demonstrate support for our case.

We have also been granted a judicial review that will allow us to challenge how this decision was made. The judicial review questions how the Welsh Planning Minister Carl Sargeant came to this decision, given planning experts had advised against the building application twice. The judge will review all of the evidence and we hope he will strongly recommend that the Minister reconsiders his choice to approve the application.

Next stepsThank you to everyone that signed the petition and has supported our campaign so far. Now that we have handed the petition in, we are hoping to be called to

concerns seriously. We are also putting together our case for the judicial review and will keep supporters updated as we progress.

Despite there being laws to protect laying hens against intensive farming throughout the European Union, the same can’t yet be said for dairy cows. Ever since WSPA helped defeat the gigantic Nocton Dairy development we’ve been campaigning to keep cows on grass, doing all we can to stop US-style factory dairy farms

Neil Darwent is one farmer working hard

farming – where cows have the freedom to follow their natural instincts and graze on grass during the warmer months.

Free range dairy is:Good for cows:

natural behaviour and enjoy a diet they were designed to eat.

Good for us: What the cows eat has

of milk and dairy products. A grass-based diet for cows can mean healthier milk for humans.

Good for farmers: We know pasture-

sustainable. We want to show more farmers that good animal welfare and

As many as 10% of the UK’s dairy cows are already cooped up indoors for most days of the year. By committing to buying free range milk and dairy, we are putting

“Then we can begin to make the distinction between real food and

farmers, cows and consumers,” says Neil.

Support free range dairy

Anyone can show their commitment to free range dairy by signing up to Neil’s Pasture Promise, a pledge to support the thousands of British dairy farmers who are dedicated to keeping their cows on grass. Visit www.freerangedairy.org

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Animals in farming

After three years of campaigning and thanks to the unfailing support and dedication of WSPA supporters, we are pleased to tell readers that wild animals face a safer future now that London’s Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU)Wildlife crime is a problem all over the world, and it happens on our very own doorsteps with London being a major national and international hub for illegal trade in wild animals, dead and alive.

Every year, millions of animals are snatched from the wild and sold into exploitation – either for entertainment or for

against wildlife crime in our capital, the WCU whose future, thanks to the help of supporters like you, is now secured.

Dedicated to protecting wildlifeWhen spending cuts threatened the future of the WCU in 2012, WSPA stepped in to part-fund the Unit and immediately launched a campaign to convince authorities in London that tackling wildlife crime should be taken seriously and assured proper funding. The strength of thousands of supporters’ voices – as well as the support of politicians and businesswoman Deborah Meaden – assured our message was heard, loud and clear – thank you.

WSPA’s campaign made politicians and the public aware of the horrifying crimes against wildlife carried out in our

in endangered species. With your help, WSPA was able to highlight how important the work of the WCU really is, not only for protecting animals but also for revealing links

weapons and even people.

A safer future for wild animalsNo longer endangeredThe strength of the campaign has delivered the desired outcome – a commitment to fund the WCU for the long term,

animals and to bring wildlife criminals to justice.

What we can achieve togetherWe are so pleased with this outcome but this is far from the end of WSPA’s work on wildlife crime. As long as wildlife crime

WCU will

Metropolitan Police Service to increase awareness of wildlife crime in London, and are determined to improve wildlife crime enforcement across the rest of the UK.

Thank you to all our supporters who were with us throughout this campaign, and who have helped raise awareness of the

of what we can achieve when we speak as one loud and convincing voice for animals.

Crimes against natureThe WCUthe years, including:

A three metre polar bear skin, thought to have been smuggled into the UK from Canada

Two new born tiger cubs poached from the wild and stuffed as mantelpiece ‘decorations’, sold on the black market for £20,000

Two fur coats – one made from an endangered snow leopard and one from an endangered tiger

24 whole elephant tusks – in one year alone.

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Timeline of WSPA’s campaign to save the Wildlife Crime Unit

January 2012: WSPA announces partnership with the WCU offering part-funding to secure the immediate future of the Unit

February 2012: WSPA launches its campaign to secure the long-term future of the WCU

May 2012: Thousands of WSPA supporters, including businesswoman Deborah Meaden call on Boris Johnson to put wildlife crime on the political agenda and secure funding for the WCU

February 2013: WSPA wins ‘Partnership of the Year’ Award from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)’s wildlife crime initiative, PAWs, for ground-breaking work with the WCU

June 2013: Our Early Day Motion (EDM) – a petition just for MPs – calling for recognition of wildlife crime as a serious crime is signed by 130 MPs, making it one of the

parliamentary session

October 2013: London Assembly members speak unanimously in favour of a motion to secure the future of the WCU

December 2013: WSPA launches a report The Victims of Wildlife Crime to highlight the scale and nature of wildlife crime in London

December 2013: WSPA displays a wildlife crime exhibition at London’s City Hall

January 2014: WSPA co-hosts ground-breaking seminar on wildlife crime along with the Mayor of London’s Policing and Crime team (MOPAC)

January 2014: The Metropolitan Police Service announces proposals which secure the long-term future of the WCU.

Towards the end of our campaign, WSPA and the Met Police produced a report that tells the stories of the real victims of wildlife crime in our capital, and highlights just how vital the work of the WCU is.

It gives examples of a wide range of wildlife crimes uncovered in London –

against swans, to trade in endangered species – and reveals the links between wildlife crime and other illegal activities

behaviour and food safety. Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan

Police’s Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Crimes and Operations writes, “It is easy to think of wildlife crime as being something that happens in the countryside and many people do not associate this type of crime with London. However, the London area is home to a wide range of wild species, many of which are protected in law.”

We brought the stories to life with an exhibition at London’s City Hall that showcased some of the horrifying and illegal cases of animal cruelty featured in the report – like the case of two West African dwarf crocodiles trapped in

Many types of animal fall victim to wildlife crime:

BirdsInformation from the WCU shows that birds are the species most commonly affected by wildlife crime in London.

as are birds of prey. There are cases of people making homemade glue traps for their gardens, severely injuring and killing birds in the most inhumane way.

DeerPeople forget that deer are wild animals and try to pet, ride and feed them, all of which can cause serious harm. Deer poaching is an offence that is more often than not carried out by organised gangs – they hunt at night, and butcher the deer on the spot.

FoxesOne of the most persistent wildlife crimes is that of foxes being shot with airguns. Many of these instances are antisocial behaviour; in other cases people make deliberate attempts to remove a species they regard as a pest. As well as being shot, foxes are sometimes poisoned. This also carries the risk of a domestic pet, or even a child, eating the poisoned food.

RhinoIllegal trade in rhino horn is placing the African rhino under serious threat. Some horns are sold for ornamental purposes, but the greatest demand comes from the traditional Asian medicine market. Freshly cut rhino horn is more valuable than gold on the black market; it currently sells for around £40,000 a kilo.

You can read the full report at wspa.org.uk/victims

The Victims of Wildlife Crime

If you’ve witnessed any crime against wildlife in London, please contact the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit on 020 7230 8898 or email wildlife@met.police.uk.

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Campaign

Space to explore:WSPA-funded sanctuary

Wonderful news – thanks to your incredible support, another two bears have been rescued from cruel captivity in Romania.

a much too small zoo in Baia Mare, Romania. The zoo was temporarily closed down after the local mayor saw the cramped living conditions of the animals on display and said that it was

Trapped behind bars

his right eye a long time ago. Frustrated, he would claw at the bars of his cramped cage, unable to express any natural behaviour.

But thanks to WSPA supporters, our partner in Romania, Millions of Friends Association (MFA), were able to rescue both

sanctuary to begin new lives of freedom.

New beginnings

Halewood, his ex-cellmate, with an interested grunt, and they sat down together in a ditch, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the woodland sanctuary.

You could meet bears like Halewood and GraemeSuch a story of freedom would not be possible without you, our generous and compassionate supporters who go that extra mile to help protect animals.

WSPA is able to offer you the opportunity to visit Halewood,

sanctuary in Zarnesti, Romania by taking part in our 2014 Romanian Bear Adventure.

This incredible seven-day adventure will see you and your fellow trekkers explore the Carpathian Mountains of Romania and the stunning landscape of lakes, valleys and mountains. You’ll end your trek with an unforgettable visit to the sanctuary where you can spend the day watching the rescued bears as they roam the forest and cool off in the pools. It really is a trip of a lifetime. To take part, you will need to secure your place with a deposit and then commit to raise the target sum (see below).

What other trekkers say:“As we turned a corner, we instantly saw a couple of bears in their woodland home in front of us. They were tussling over

the water, started playing with a stick and then stuck his four

Louise

“This experience has been fantastic, far exceeding our expectations, just amazing. If you haven’t done it yet, you’ve got to do it.” David

Caring for Romania’s rescued bears

WSPA’s Romanian Bear Adventure 2014Dates: Sunday 21 – Saturday 27 September 2014Cost: £399 to register, plus a fundraising target of £2,229 If you’re interested please contact Jane for more information or to book your place:

Call 0800 316 9772 Email fundraising@wspa.org.uk Visit wspa.org.uk/seebears

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WSPA NEWS | ISSUE 1814

In our winter issue of WSPA News we asked you to get sewing for donkeys and horses in the Middle East and make noseband protectors that could prevent pain and injury.

Working donkeys and horses often suffer terrible injury from

painful metal chains. Noseband protectors are soft, thick strips of fabric that wrap around the harnesses and prevent them from biting into the animals’ tender skin.

From sitting at your sewing machine at home, to organising sewing groups in your local area, to schoolchildren deciding to help, your dedication to preventing animals suffering injury and pain has been amazing. At the time of going to print, over 8,800 noseband protectors are ready to be shipped out to WSPA’s partner in the Middle East, the Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS) to distribute to donkeys and horses.

One local group even has a facebook page dedicated to noseband protectors. Tommi Townsend, who is the co-founder of the charity West Yorkshire Animals In Need, tells WSPA News why she set the group up, “We are here to help WSPA help these poor hard working donkeys and horses. So far we have made more than 1,000 noseband protectors.” The group does more than just simply make the protectors – they also “offer help, advice, tips, materials, motivation and encouragement!” says Tommi.

A secondary school in Barnsley has also been sewing to protect donkeys in need. Pupils at Netherwood School have been getting busy in their art and textiles classes, making 125 brightly coloured, furry noseband protectors that are ready to go to PWLS.

WSPA wants to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you that has been working hard – your home-made gifts make all the difference for donkeys and horses in Palestine. If you’d like to try your hand at making noseband protectors, you can see the instructions at wspa.org.uk/make.

Sewing protection for donkeys and horses

taking his commitment to helping animals to a whole new level – by taking part in a physical challenge every month throughout 2014. He started with the 5.5 mile Race over the Glens in January, followed by Ireland’s 10km extreme obstacle course Hell and Back in February – and has similar

www.garyboydextreme14.com.

If extreme challenges aren’t quite your thing, you can always help animals with a slightly more sedate form of fundraising by collecting spare change for WSPA. You can join in at one of WSPA’s organised collections or we can help you organise your own at a location near you – train stations or local supermarkets are perfect spots. WSPA will support you by providing

so easy to do and a few hours of your time will be very well spent. You can also keep a coin collection box at home as an easy way to keep your purse light and help animals too.

For more information on collecting for WSPA, contact Madge on 0800 316 9772 or email fundraising@wspa.org.uk

WSPA’s wonderful supportersAll that we achieve for animals is made possible by our supporters. Whether you donate to WSPA, take part in our campaign actions or raise funds for us, without you, we would not be able to protect animals from cruelty and suffering. Here are just some of wonderful ways you have been helping animals…

Raising funds for WSPA There are many ways that you can raise funds for WSPA

Visit www.wspa.org.uk/helping/raisemoney Call 0800 316 9772 to speak to Jane, our Community Fundraising Manager

Extreme fundraising for animals

Collecting for WSPA

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WSPA NEWS | ISSUE 18 15

Get involved

Whether you’re a couch potato or a Jessica Ennis-Hill in the making, we have all the inspiration you need to get running for WSPA. Every step you take will help protect animals around the world from cruelty and suffering – so choose your event, get your trainers on and take up the challenge.

Run to the Beat 2014WSPA has places for Run to the Beat – no ordinary half-marathon, you’ll run past famous London landmarks accompanied by motivating music picked to help you achieve your pace. Taking place in September, it is £40 to register and we ask our runners commit to raising a further £160.

Virgin Money London Marathon 2014 If you have your own place for this year’s iconic London Marathon and want to raise funds for WSPA to help motivate you, please let us know and join the WSPA running team. There is no minimum sponsorship target and we will meet you after the marathon for refreshments and massages!

Contact Call Jane on 0844 324 8556 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri)

Email fundraising@wspa.org.uk

Protect animals – run for WSPA

sporting challenge that inspires you, please pledge to raise funds for WSPA. We will help you to fundraise and when your determination is

line and the animals you will be helping to protect.