Why are animal defenders needed? International Fund for Animal Welfare: Is being human easy or difficult? What are people who protect animals called?

By caring for homeless and other animals, we contribute to the future of the Earth. And it is also within your power to do something so that your great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren can live on a beautiful, diverse and harmonious planet.

The organization IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) has made the greatest contribution to animal protection. The largest international fund for the protection of animals saves both individual brothers of our little ones, homeless people in trouble, and entire populations, and also takes care of keeping their habitat comfortable and suitable for life.

The organization was founded in 1969. Now IFAW is developing its projects in more than 40 countries around the world, and every year attracts more and more supporters and activists.

It is the duty of each of us to protect animals.

Being the dominant species, man can and must bear responsibility for his neighbors on the planet. But instead, in pursuit of personal comfort, prestige and banal commercial gain, we daily brutally exterminate hundreds, thousands of creatures whose only fault is that their genome is different from ours.

At the moment, more than 40% of all living species on the planet are under threat of complete extermination. But the disappearance just one type from the biological chain only in one region may entail a number of irreversible changes!

What could happen if these 40% of species cease to exist in nature?

• Following them, other animals will begin to die - predators who will not have enough food.
• Without constant replenishment of humus, the soil will cease to be fertile, and agricultural crops necessary for humans will not grow on it.
• Plants that provide us not only food and clothing, but also vital oxygen will begin to die.
• Without living organisms that purify water, we will soon not be able to even drink without being poisoned by the products of our own factories.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Usually we don’t even think about such things and kill in huge quantities: for food, clothing, decorative items... and some animals die for nothing at all: simply because we turned their habitat into a landfill.

However, we have the power to change everything. The more people who realize the extent of their responsibility and support the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the closer we are to a future in which humans can finally live in harmony with other species.

Isn't it wonderful?

Even small victories are a big step forward

It's been more than 40 years since a few concerned people came together to put an end to the brutal commercial killing of seals in Canada. And this first small victory proved that you can always win - even if multi-million dollar companies are against you.

Since its inception, the animal welfare charity IFAW has achieved a lot. In particular, it was thanks to the efforts of activists:

• The World Trade Organization has given the EU the go-ahead to ban all seal products;
• a lease agreement was signed with the Maasai tribe (Kenya), which allowed more than 65 km 2 of habitat to be preserved for elephants;
• five Amur tigers, orphaned and raised by humans, were released into the wild;
• In Russia, winter bear hunting was banned, as a result of which hundreds of bear cubs were left orphans every year.

And that's not all!

On the official IFAW website you can learn about the foundation's most current campaigns and make a donation that could possibly change the future of our planet.

What has the fund for the protection of wild and homeless animals done in Russia?

The money you donate to such organizations does not go into someone’s pocket - any serious foundation provides its assistants with information about how much money was spent and on what projects.

Thus, the IFAW animal welfare charity in Russia finances several projects to protect homeless, farm and wild animals:

1. Opening of a mobile veterinary clinic and homeless animal centers in Moscow.
2. A program to rescue and return orphaned bear cubs from the Tver region to their natural habitat.
3. Research and protection of beluga whales in the White Sea, polar bears on the island. Wrangel.
4. Program for the protection of gray whales near Sakhalin.
5. Measures to preserve Far Eastern leopards and Amur tigers in the wild.

Many campaigns are aimed at introducing changes in legislation: bringing to justice for cruelty to animals, against winter hunting of brown bears, etc.

Support the fund for the protection of homeless abandoned animals - find your best friend at the shelter!

There are organizations dedicated to the protection of homeless animals in almost every city. And one of the easiest ways to help is if you decide to get a pet, do not buy an expensive purebred kitten or puppy, but take one who is already waiting for you in one of the shelters. You may not change the world with this... but you will change a whole life, give warmth and happiness. Is this not enough?

Animal defender "Kharkov style" - who is he? Recently, a certain stereotype of animal rights activists has developed in society: aggressive-minded people, constantly threatening someone from TV screens and newspaper pages, demanding that the authorities build a shelter for animals (despite the fact that the shelter is already under construction!), demanding sterilization and return to the place of catching packs of stray dogs (despite complaints from Kharkov residents about bites) and cursing the media for writing and talking about the supposedly far-fetched danger posed by stray animals.

Because of this, some people who were previously actively involved in helping homeless animals and considered themselves animal rights activists are now ashamed to publicly identify themselves as such, and continue to help animals in trouble alone, without publicity.

But there are many very worthy and noble people among animal defenders. It is a pity that their name is being discredited by mentally unstable individuals who are simply dangerous to society and who also consider themselves animal defenders.

Let's call these latter - zoo extremists. Extremists - because they AT ANY COST defend their beliefs. Their favorite methods are pickets and rallies, and shouting and false accusations of opponents have become their calling card! They have already achieved that ordinary townspeople began to shy away from the expression “animal defender”, considering them inadequate and mentally dangerous people.

Animal extremists highly extol the love of animals and cultivate hostility towards their fellow humans. Their worldview: “The life and well-being of an animal is higher and more valuable than the life and well-being of a person.”

These are people who want homeless animals to always live on the streets of our city and do not care that there are people who do not agree with this and that animals also suffer from such a life. They advise such “dissenters” to seek treatment from a psychiatrist for a phobia associated with the fear of dogs. Not knowing that they themselves are in dire need of the help of a doctor of such a specialty.

Not only did there already exist an unpleasant stereotype of an animal defender - a “sweet” old woman who, hating and cursing her neighbors, feeds a flock of stray dogs or an army of cats near the entrance. So, zoo extremists have also been added!

And how, in such a situation, can we achieve respect for animal protection, how can we make this movement fashionable among young people (as is happening in the West), how can we awaken in people love and compassion for all living things, when the face of an animal extremist, distorted with rage, is looking at us from TV screens? shouting curses at city authorities who are trying to protect citizens from stray dogs?

In such a situation, you cannot envy the truly warm-hearted and noble animal defenders who help our little brothers not with shouts, but with real actions: they pick them up from the streets, sterilize them, treat them and find them owners.

In our article we want to talk about the problem of animal protection in the Russian Federation. This question has always been and remains relevant. Very often people harm animals without realizing it. Meanwhile, only we ourselves can help them.

The problem of homeless animals

The problem of stray dogs and cats swept Russia back in the nineties, when the market for uncontrolled breeding of domestic animals led to their excessive numbers and depreciation. As a result, the first packs of no-man's dogs appeared on the streets.

At that time, people who had lost their jobs on collapsed collective farms began to move from villages closer to cities. Naturally, they did not take their family with them, began to gather in flocks and also migrated closer to populated areas. They multiplied and their numbers grew. It must be said that the catching service ceased to exist in those days; no one was involved in regulating the number of stray dogs.

At the beginning of the 2000s, they gradually began to deal with this problem, trying to introduce humane methods of dealing with stray animals. In Moscow, for example, an animal sterilization program was launched in 2002. Budget money was allocated for this, but it was of little use. It’s difficult to check whether or not, but the funds are gone, but the problem remains.

In 2008 there was already a real influx of semi-wild animals. Therefore, it was decided to set up shelters for stray animals and keep them there for life. However, this did not give any result. The funds were spent again, but the problem was in no way solved.

Animal shelter

At this stage in Russia there are two types of shelters. These are municipal and private. As you understand, municipal funding comes from the state budget. But they are the most relevant in the Russian Federation, since they are the ones that have at least some legal regulation.

The date of the beginning of the functioning of such shelters can be considered the period of appearance of the official document “On the design of shelters for the city of Moscow” (dated December 29, 2006).

How do stray dogs or cats end up in such shelters? The mechanism is very simple. There are special organizations that are engaged in catching animals. Then they are sent to live in an animal shelter.

It must be said that all these places for keeping animals today are still far from ideal. There is a lack of funding, but they are trying to solve the problem of homeless animals in humane and civilized ways. Volunteers who care about this problem provide enormous assistance in this work.

Non-state shelters

Private shelters are created with citizens' own money. The activities of such organizations are not regulated by any legislative acts. Very often, animal defenders are faced with the fact that keeping animals in such places cannot be called humane; the conditions do not meet any standards at all, so it is impossible to say that cats and dogs live better there.

However, there are also shelters staffed by people who truly love animals. They provide proper care to pets. Unfortunately, there are very few such organizations; they are always crowded with four-legged animals. Therefore, the intake of new residents is extremely limited. Such shelters are simply not able to accept everyone from the street. There should be many more such organizations, in addition, their activities should be within the legal framework, regulated by legislative acts, and for this it is necessary to adopt a number of laws regarding animals and their protection.

Myths about animal shelters

There are one hundred and fifty animal shelters in Russia, forty of them are located in Moscow. There are hundreds of thousands of animals in them alone. It would be possible for people who decide to buy a pet to use the services of a shelter and adopt an animal. However, many people have stereotypes about four-legged animals living in such places. They say they are all sick and dirty. However, this is not the case as they are screened and vaccinated upon arrival at the shelter. They just require a lot more attention than other animals.

It cannot be said that even in the nicest place, four-legged friends have a great life. There is not enough space in shelters, and besides, the pets there clearly lack human affection and care.

Various foundations deal with the problems of mistreatment of shelter animals. One of these is the Givers of Hope Foundation. Its board of trustees includes quite well-known personalities: Elena Yakovleva, Konstantin Khabensky, Andrei Makarevich and other stars.

Protection of animals in nurseries

It must be said that the entrance to the shelters is closed. It is not so easy to get there, only with passes. And there are reasons for this. This is how they try to protect themselves from people with knacker tendencies who are capable of killing animals. That is why direct addresses of shelters are never indicated on the Internet, but only approximate locations. Anyone who wants to go to the shelter and adopt an animal must first contact the volunteers.

Legislative protection of animals

At the same time, people began to use not only domestic but also wild animals for commercial purposes. There are many examples of how, for example, in some roadside cafe or restaurant, wild animals (bears, monkeys, exotic lizards) are kept in terrible conditions to attract visitors. Not only can animals simply escape from there and harm people, they simply should not live in such conditions. And such facts of commercial use of animals must be fought. The problem of saving animals has been brewing for a long time.

This means that a full-fledged law is needed that would regulate this process, preventing it from happening. Many countries have long ago adopted similar regulations (Austria, England).

However, the animal problem has deeper roots. On the one hand, there is an uncontrolled reproduction of homeless individuals, which is extremely dangerous for society. On the other hand, people themselves sometimes also cause them significant harm. Therefore, saving animals is a deep issue that requires comprehensive thought and decision.

Animal Rescue Service

It must be said that in everyday life, not only no one’s animals get into trouble, but even the most beloved pets. Stray dogs can only rely on themselves, while domestic dogs have a chance to get help from their owners.

Recently, in large cities, special services have begun to appear that provide assistance to domestic and wild animals. Saving animals is their top priority.

As a rule, such rescue services operate around the clock. People can simply call them and get the information they need about what they need to do to help their four-legged friends.

Unfortunately, there are no similar ones in Russia. Therefore, saving animals from death occurs only on a commercial basis. No person will come for free to provide assistance or treatment. It must be said that mandatory adoption of absolutely all animals is not carried out even in state shelters.

Moreover, in most parts of the Russian Federation there are no appropriate environmental protection and ranger services that could go to the field when difficult situations arise. Saving wild animals could become a completely solvable issue if such organizations exist.

Rescuers and climbers

Since there is no need to expect help from anyone, one can only rely on the paid services of private organizations for which rescuing animals has become a job.

In Moscow and large cities there are rescuers and climbers who provide animal rescue services. They can help you remove a cat from a height or pull a locked pet out of an inaccessible place.

However, even they cannot always cope in a difficult situation, since they do not have certain equipment. In such cases, you can try to contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Of course, this service does not deal with animals, they do not have such specialists, but they can help with the necessary tools or equipment. For example, lifting a heavy slab. The Ministry of Emergency Situations is reluctant to respond to such requests, because they have enough work to do, but in exceptional cases you can try to contact them.

Ifaw Foundation (International Fund For Animal Welfare)

Animal rescue is a pressing issue in modern society. Around the world, they face many different dangers: loss of their usual habitat, conflict situations between humans and animals, natural and man-made disasters, cruelty and illegal trade in four-legged animals.

All these issues are dealt with by specialists from the international fund Ifaw. They always try to help animals that are in trouble and direct their efforts to solving the problems that led to the unfavorable situation.

The Animal Rescue Fund comes to the aid of bears, penguins, elephants, rhinoceroses and many other wild animals that would be doomed to certain death without outside help. The foundation’s specialists not only rescue animals, but also try to carry out the necessary rehabilitation before releasing them into the wild.

Activities of the fund in Russia

The goal of the foundation is to rescue animals and return them to the wild. The organization is international. It also operates in Russia, in particular, in the Tver region there is a fund center for the rehabilitation of orphaned bear cubs, where they feed and raise cubs left without mothers. They try to return matured individuals to their natural habitat as comfortably as possible. True, this is not always possible. Complex injuries and a long period of captivity interfere with the rapid adaptation process. In such cases, the animals are sent to a shelter, where they are kept for the rest of their lives.

In addition to helping animals, the fund’s workers are actively trying to eliminate those causes that negatively affect the lives of animals, as far as possible, of course. The goal of the organization is to preserve wild nature in all its beauty and diversity at all costs.

From the history of the fund

Ifaw began operating in Russia back in 1994. The first activity was related to scientific research of marine mammals and the search for alternatives to seal hunting in the White Sea. The programs then expanded significantly, and now the fund's workers have focused their efforts on protecting whales, polar and brown bears, wild animals that have become the subject of commercial trade and exploitation, as well as tigers that are on the verge of extinction in the Russian Far East.

Real examples of animal rescue

You don’t have to look far to give examples of animal rescue. There are a lot of them, because in the course of their activities, Ifaw workers help not only wildlife, but also pets.

In January 2016, five cubs were admitted to the Bear Cub Rehabilitation Center, which we talked about earlier. Their story is similar to many others. They were left without their mothers because they were frightened out of their dens by the sounds of logging operations. Rescuers heard the abandoned cubs whining and saved them from certain death. Now the kids are feeling well and are gradually preparing them for life in the wild. One of them was named Mike, and the other was named Cleopatra. They are treated and bottle fed.

These are not the only cubs in this nursery. Every year, a sufficient number of children arrive here in a weakened and half-dead state, even from remote regions. All of them are nursed whenever possible.

Not long ago, the fund's employees picked up a young tigress. She has been in the nursery for more than two months. And a lot of people, even local residents, took part in her rescue. But currently the animal feels great and is undergoing rehabilitation.

Ifaw and pets

The Foundation actively takes part in the protection of pets, since they often suffer from their own owners. After all, the life of our little brothers directly depends only on us. Sometimes, even unintentionally, we can harm them. Therefore, rescuing pets is one of the organization’s tasks.

In this area, the organization’s specialists carry out rather educational work to provide people with the necessary information about how to care for animals, how to feed them, what diseases pets carry, how to avoid aggression and attacks from their charges, and much more.

Ifaw promotes the responsible and humane treatment of animals and at the same time the safe mutual existence of people and animals.

Instead of an afterword

Animal protection and rescue is a pressing problem of modern society, which must be resolved at the legislative level with the full support of not only volunteers and individual organizations, but also the general public. The most important task is to achieve the most comfortable existence for people with domestic and wild animals, excluding damage on both sides.

The main achievements of animal rights defenders are the collapse of the economy and the destruction of the country's natural resources.

Alexander Kulagin, Svetlana Ilyinskaya