One of the main organizations we support, Animals Asia, has worked endlessly to improve the welfare of so many animals, and has continued to demonstrate admirable efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to highlight some of their initiatives and accomplishments over the last few months to shed light on the amazing work they have been doing for the animals.

Support for Animals in Need During Quarantine

Animals Asia’s Cat and Dog welfare team raised donations and delivered over six tons of cat and dog food to support animals impacted by the COVID-19 quarantine in Wuhan. They have connected with over 20 shelters and local groups in Wuhan to continue providing food and resources to animals in need.

Recent Rescues

#ThreeBears

The rescue team took much needed action and successfully rescued three bears who were being kept on an illegal bile farm in the Nam Dinh province. They were found with clear symptoms of stress and trauma. These bears, now named James, Ban, and Alice, were safely transported to the Vietnam Bear Rescue centre, where they will finally receive the proper care they deserve, and carry out the rest of their lives.

#HealingHeartsRescue

The rescue team accomplished another major victory by successfully rescuing two more bears who were held captive in a bile farm linked to a restaurant in the city of Vĩnh Yên, Vietnam. They had been enduring terrible living conditions for the past two decades, and were in desperate need of medical care. On May 12th, the two bears, named Florence and Clara, were sent to the Vietnam Sanctuary and united with the rest of the rescued bears.

Important News

Dog Meat is Now Illegal in China!

Animals Asia’s Cat and Dog Welfare team achieved a huge victory after receiving news of the new regulation. Stated in China’s recent national catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, it bans the selling of live dogs and dog meat for food. This regulation was put into place after the team carried out an investigation to report the violations and dangers of the cat and dog meat industry. Read more in the China removes dogs from the approved livestock list article.

NO Evidence that Animals can Transmit COVID-19 to Humans

In their March article, it was revealed that there is NO supporting evidence indicating the possibility of transmission of COVID-19 from companion animals to humans, providing important information regarding the concern of contracting Coronavirus from pets. In this video, they emphasized that pet owners should not abandon their pets due to fear of contracting the virus, and instead maintain overall good hygiene around the home.

What’s Next?

It’s good news that wildlife consumption is banned in Wuhan, dog meat is illegal and cats and dogs de-listed from the food animal list. But what can you do with these changes?

• If you witness illegal wildlife for trade, report it to TRAFFIC.
• If you think you’ve found an illegal wildlife product for sale online, report it here.
• You can also contact the authorities for issues in China or the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
• For other countries in Asia, report it to the WarnAsia Network.