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Four Paws

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FOUR PAWS
Founded4 March 1988; 36 years ago (1988-03-04)
FounderHelmut Dungler (1963–2020)
Type501(c)(3)
FocusAnimal welfare
Location
Region
Worldwide
Fields
  • Josef Pfabigan
  • Luciana D'Abramo
  • Alexandra Mandoki
Websitefour-paws.org

Four Paws (stylized FOUR PAWS) is a global animal welfare organisation based in Vienna, Austria. It focuses on improving the living conditions of animals under direct human influence, by revealing suffering, rescuing animals in need, and protecting them.[1]

History

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Lionsrock big cat sanctuary, Bethlehem, South Africa (2011)

Four Paws was founded on 4 March 1988 by Helmut Dungler to protect animals from being farmed for their fur.[citation needed] In 1989, the first charges were brought against a number of fur farms in Austria. Furthermore, Austrian Airlines and Lauda Air stopped the transport of captured exotic birds.[citation needed]

In 1991, Four Paws demanded the mandatory labelling of eggs and a total ban on battery cages for egg-laying hens.[citation needed] In 1998, the organisation opened the first sanctuary for bears in Arbesbach, Austria.[2] In 1999, the foundation brought about the closure of Austria's largest battery cage egg producer.[3]

In 2000, Bear Sanctuary Belitsa opened in Bulgaria, and the first three former dancing bears moved in.[4] In 2002, animal welfare entered Germany's basic law, and Federal Minister Renate Künast thanked Four Paws by name.[citation needed] In 2005, the Federal Animal Welfare Act came into force in Austria and banned both fur farming and the use of wild animals in circuses.[5] In 2008, the Lionsrock big cat sanctuary opened in Bethlehem, South Africa.[citation needed] Helmut Dungler was awarded the Silver Order of Merit for Services Rendered to the Republic of Austria.[citation needed]

In 2010, Four Paws started a collaboration with the Princess Alia Foundation of Jordan, with the Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife project.[6] In 2012, an EU-wide ban on conventional battery cages for hens came into force.[7]

In 2014, the Bear Sanctuary Prishtina in Kosovo was opened. In 2015, Four Paws initiated a campaign against canned lion hunting, which attracted 281,000 supporters.[8] In 2018, the organisation rescued lions and bears from "Europe's worst zoo", in Tirana, Albania.[9] The same year, the first International Animal Welfare Summit was organised by Four Paws in Vienna, with famous guests that included Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.[10]

On 17 January 2018, Switzerland took a step against anonymous pet trafficking on the internet. From 1 March 2018, online traders have had to provide their full name and address as well as the country of origin and breeding of the dogs offered for sale.[11] On 5 January 2020, Four Paws founder and president, Helmut Dungler, died unexpectedly.[12] In January 2020, Four Paws rescued sick lions at a zoo in Khartoum, Sudan, after worldwide outrage following concerning reports of the animals' condition.[13]

On 4 September 2020, the organisation, together with veterinarians Amir Khalil and Frank Goeritz from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research examined and approved "the world's loneliest elephant", Kaavan, for travel from the Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan to an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia.[14] The relocation to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, at the end of November 2020, was supported by singer Cher's NGO Free the Wild and by businessman Eric Margolis.[15][16]

In January 2021, Four Paws published the Austrian edition of the Meat Atlas, in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the environmental protection organization Global 2000.[17]

In March 2022, four tigers were rescued from Argentina to find a new home in South Africa. It was the organization's first rescue in South America.[18]

Controversy

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On 16 April 2020, claims by Four Paws in The Independent stated there had been a surge in consumption of dog and cat meat in Vietnam as a result of fake news suggesting it would cure COVID-19.[19] Four Paws' head of stray animal care in Asia, Katherine Polak, was quoted as saying she strongly suspected doctors were now recommending cat and dog meat to treat COVID-19. However, on 24 April 2020, fact-checking nonprofit PolitiFact rated the claim as false.[20] Reporter Tina Nguyen called it mind-boggling and a nasty racist attack.[21] In May 2020, Four Paws responded with an official statement defending their claims.[22]

Objectives

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Disaster Relief Unit (2014)

The organisation is positioned as "a strong, global, and independent voice for animals under direct human control" by offering sustainable solutions for animals in need, changing consumer behaviour, driving legal change, and building partnerships. The purpose of Four Paws is to inform the general public about animal welfare. The organisation also supports a ban on farming animals for fur, strict limitations on keeping wild animals in private captivity, and a ban on wild animals in circuses.[1]

Projects

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Four Paws projects include the following:[1]

The Arbesbach sanctuary in Austria was built to provide a new home for brown bears formerly held in captivity.
  • Big cats: Four Paws has established sanctuaries and projects for big cats in South Africa,[29][30] Jordan,[31][32][30] and the Netherlands,[33] The organisation also cooperates with partners like the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.[34]
  • Stray animals: Four Paws creates solutions to prevent outbreaks of disease and uncontrolled levels of reproduction among strays in places such as Myanmar,[35] Romania,[36] Ukraine,[37] and Cambodia[38] In addition, the organization is working to sustainably end the dog and cat meat trade.[39]
  • Horses: The organisation protects Europe's last populations of horses living in the wild Danube Delta in Romania[40] and in the Jordanian city of Petra.[40]
  • Orangutans: Four Paws looks after orphaned orangutans and prepares them to live independently in the wild.[41] Furthermore, the organisation funds a forest school in Indonesia's East Kalimantan.[42]
  • Fur farming: Four Paws supports a ban on farming animals for fur, a legal obligation to label all fur products and, in the long term, a Europe-wide ban on importing and selling all fur products.[43][44] In August 2018, Four Paws joined the Fur Free Alliance to launch a new campaign urging fashion brand Prada to adopt a fur-free policy like Gucci, Versace, Armani, Donna Karan, and Hugo Boss.[45] In February 2021, the organisation published a statement on the assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the World Health Organization on SARS-CoV-2 in animals used for fur farming, demonstrating high risks for public health.[46]
  • Assistance for animals in distress: The organisation rescues animals after natural disasters and helps local people whose livelihood depends upon the animals.[47]
  • European Union: The organisation has urged the European Parliament to call for stricter regulation on the trade in live wild animals, a clear commitment to step up efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, as well as EU and member states' financial support to wildlife rescue centres and sanctuaries.[48] Moreover, the organization has criticized the EU Council's decision on the signing of the Mercosur agreement between the EU and the United States concerning "high quality beef".[49]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c PDF; 5,8 MB Annual Report: Organisation
  2. ^ "Bear sanctuary Arbesbach". baerenwald.at. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. ^ "30 Years of FOUR PAWS". FOUR PAWS International. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Dancing Bears Park Belitsa". www.four-paws.bg. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  5. ^ Vier Pfoten: Spotlight on Al Ma'wa Wildlife Rescue Centre in Jordan Archived 23 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Eurogroupforanimals.org, 27 August 2018
  6. ^ "Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife". four-paws.org. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  7. ^ Mondelez now uses cage free eggs in Toblerone
  8. ^ 'Canned hunting': the lions bred for slaughter, Theguardian.com, 3 June 2013
  9. ^ Three lions, a bear and seven other animals rescued from "hellish" zoo, Newsweek.com, 29 October 2018
  10. ^ Four Paws: 300 mark 30 years of Four Paws at 1st International Animal Welfare Summit 2018, Eurogroupforanimals.org, 2 May 2018 Archived 7 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Switzerland bans the anonymous online trade of dogs Archived 14 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Carodog.eu, 17 January 2018
  12. ^ Four Paws family mourns its Founder and President Heli Dungler, retrieved 6 January 2020 in Four-paws.org.
  13. ^ Rescue mission aids starving lions in neglected Sudan zoo, retrieved 29 January 2020 in Washingtonpost.com.
  14. ^ The 'world's loneliest elephant' is finally cleared to find a new home retrieved on 10. September 2020 in Washingtonpost.com
  15. ^ Pakistan animal lovers prepare to say goodbye to Asian elephant Kaavan from 13. October 2020 in Gulfnews.com
  16. ^ Cher — yes, Cher — helps a captive elephant find a new home in Cambodia from 26. November 2020 in Latimes.com
  17. ^ Fleischatlas: Daten und Fakten über Tiere als Nahrungsmittel Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Global 2000, Vier Pfoten, 2021 (PDF; 5,27 MB)
  18. ^ 4 Circus Tigers Sent to Animal Sanctuary After Spending 15 Years in a Cage, Newsweek.com 18 March 2022
  19. ^ "Coronavirus causes dog and cat meat sales 'to surge' in Vietnam and Cambodia". The Independent. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  20. ^ "PolitiFact – Evidence lacking that cats eaten as COVID-19 cure". PolitiFact. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  21. ^ @tina_nguyen (10 May 2020). "I had an inkling there would be nasty racist attacks against Asians during the pandemic but this is the most mind-boggling one" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "A FOUR PAWS Statement on DCMT". Animal Charity – Animal Welfare Organisation – FOUR PAWS UK. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  23. ^ FOUR PAWS ends bile bear keeping in Ninh Binh province, Tinmoitruong.vn, 27 April 2018
  24. ^ Bärenwald Arbesbach, Digitaljournal.com, Waldviertel.at, retrieved 1 August 2019
  25. ^ Saddest Bear in Europe Meets Love of His Life at Bulgaria Bear Park, Insideedition.com, retrieved 1 August 2019
  26. ^ "Help for bears in Poland". fourpawsusa.org. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  27. ^ Four Paws: Pet food maker Royal Canin sponsoring bear-baiting, Digitaljournal.com, retrieved 23 July 2013
  28. ^ Kosovo moves against restaurants holding wild bears, Reuters.com, retrieved 1 August 2019
  29. ^ From king of the jungle to traded skeleton, Four-paws.org, 8 August 2018
  30. ^ a b Animals Rescued From the 'Worst Zoo in the World' in Gaza, Theatlantic.com, 25 August 2016
  31. ^ "Tigers from illegal breeding farm settle in at new home in Jordan". four-paws.org. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  32. ^ Mosul Zoo's only surviving animals are rescued from war-torn Iraqi city, Independent.co.uk, 11 April 2017
  33. ^ Felida Big Cat Centre retrieved 13. April 2019 in Felidabigcats.org
  34. ^ Captive lions rescued from horrific conditions on North West farm, 13. April 2019 in Iol.co.za
  35. ^ Captive lions rescued from horrific conditions on North West farm Archived 19 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 1. August 2019 in Mmtimes.com
  36. ^ Four Paws Saves Mutilated Romanian Dog, Huffingtonpost.co.uk, 7 December 2013
  37. ^ Help for forgotten dogs of Chernobyl, Vettimes.co.uk, 22 August 2017
  38. ^ Harrowing images show 61 dogs packed into cages on way to slaughter for meat from 24. February 2021 in Mirror.co.uk
  39. ^ Dog Meat Slaughterhouse that Boasted About Drowning 200 Dogs a Day Is Shut Down retrieved on 9. March 2021 in People.com
  40. ^ a b Watch what happens next when a kind vet rescues a shackled horse..., Express.co.uk, 3 March 2016
  41. ^ Watch these orphaned orangutans learn the ropes at forest school, Treehugger.com, 20 August 2018
  42. ^ Orangutan forest school in Indonesia takes on its first eight students, News.mongabay.com, 21 June 2018
  43. ^ Down smackdown: The North Face v Patagonia on ethical feather standards, Theguardian.com, 22 August 2014
  44. ^ Save Kimi: 'When I grow up, I'm going to be a fur collar' – Burberry under fire from animal rights group, Independent.co.uk, 19 October 2014
  45. ^ Prada backlash spreads to Australia, Ragtrader.com.au, 25 September 2018
  46. ^ Four Paws Statement on new FAO OIE and WHO assessment on SARS-COV-2 risks related to fur farming retrieved on 11. March 2021 in Four-paws.org.au
  47. ^ Rescuers arrive in Lombok to help animals after devastating earthquakes, Dogsmonthly.co.uk, 24 August 2018
  48. ^ FOUR PAWS recommendations for MEPs working on the Own Initiative Report on the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 Four Paws, retrieved on 31. August 2020 (PDF; 129 kB)
  49. ^ Trade policy review including WTO reform initiative from 14. July 2020 in Ec.europa.eu
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