In the wake of the tragic earthquakes in China, aid groups have assembled to assist those in need - including the pets. The Animal Asia Foundation has set up a veterinary clinic in Dujiangyiang and have started a hotline for pet owners to call for assistance. Quake survivors are leaving their pets in the safe care of the Animal Asia Foundation while they struggle to reassemble their lives.

The Animal Asia Foundation (AAF) has been working to rescue the four legged family members affected by the quake since they learned that authorities were planning to round up and euthanize dogs for fear they would spread disease. The rescued animals are being relocated to a Chengdu animal shelter and the AAF is ensuring that the pets who need urgent medical care are receiving it.

The AAF is based in Hong Kong and is registered with the government as an animal welfare charity. The organization was founded in 1998 with the aim to improve the quality of life for wild, domestic and endangered species across Asia. Their projects include the China Bear Rescue, that has worked to rescue and rehome endangered Asiatic black bears or Moon Bears, as they are also known, from farms who extract bile from the bears which is sold as a traditional Chinese Medicine, Friends or Food? which aims to end dog and cat eating through cultural understanding and education, the Doctor Dog program has 300 animal therapy dogs working across Asia with the ill, the Professor Paws assists children in learning English by working with animals, and the Project Asia progra addresses issues such as animal markets, the use of animals in Chinese traditional medicine and provides emergency relief when necessary.

The AAF’s work in earthquake relief has been supplemented by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The IFAW and government officials made an agreement to end the killing of dogs and address public health concerns by providing vaccinations and veterinary aid. In addition to vaccinations and medical care, these organizations are also providing animal food, collars and leashes.

Dogs have also been vital in rescuing trapped victims of the earthquake, alerting rescuers to victims whereabouts. Dogs have been found barking at the locations their family are trapped, are catching and killing disease ridden rats, stopping the spread of disease and of course, providing emotional support to traumatized survivors.

For more information or to support the animal victims of the earthquake, please click here.

For more information on bear farming, please click here.

   Email This Post

Related Categories:

News Barks!

 

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.