Attacks by “service dog” and “reading dogs” illustrate risky practices ATLANTA, Georgia; BAKERSFIELD, California––Pending lawsuits on behalf of the victims of dog attacks aboard a Delta Airlines flight and in an elementary school classroom could potentially slow down the deployment of dangerous dog breeds as “canine ambassadors” in public places––or not, depending on the […]
Jasper’s gift: the real-life care bear
“Poster bear” for ending bile farming Jasper, 30, the moon bear who became “poster bear” for the Animals Asia Foundation campaign against farming bears to extract bile from their livers, was euthanized on April 29, 2016 due to incurable cancer. “Moon bear Jasper spent 15 years in a Chinese bile farm crush cage,” the Animals […]
Queen honors British Hen Welfare Trust founder Jane Howorth
12th animal advocate awarded MBE since 1998 LONDON, U.K.–– British Hen Welfare Trust founder Jane Howorth, 55, of South Molton, Devon, on January 1, 2016 became at least the 12th prominent animal advocate to be admitted to the Order of the British Empire since 1998. Membership in the Order of the British Empire is presented […]
China’s largest bear bile producer is chickening out of the market
HONG KONG––The Animals Asia Foundation on July 31, 2014 cautiously welcomed a report that KaiBao Pharmaceutical, the world’s largest maker of bear bile pharmaceuticals, has embarked upon a five-year-plan to develop synthetic alternatives using byproducts from poultry slaughter. Reality is that there are already synthetic alternatives for every established use of bear bile […]
Bear bile farm to become a bear sanctuary
BEIJING––The Hong Kong-based Animals Asia Foundation on April 15, 2014 announced at a Beijing media conference that it will take custody of 130 moon bears at the financially troubled Nanning Bear Farm, and will convert the farm into a sanctuary for about 100 bears. The Nanning Bear Farm was built […]
Global response to ANIMALS 24-7 debut
ANIMALS 24-7 officially launched at 2:27 a.m. on April 12, 2014. Reader response began arriving from around the world just nine minutes later. From India: Great effort, Merritt! All my best wishes, as always. ––Debasis Chakrabarti, founder, Compassionate Crusaders Trust, Kolkata, India <animalcrusader@gmail.com> Editor’s note: Debasis Chakrabarti’s 2003 […]
Animals Asia Foundation saves Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre and halts Zimbabwe/China baby elephant deal––in same week
HONG KONG, HANOI, HARARE––The Animals Asia Foundation on January 16, 2013 won a six-month battle against the ordered eviction of the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre from the edge of Tam Dao National Park, Vietnam––and just three days later won the cancellation of a controversial sale of baby elephants from Zimbabwe to China. “This is a […]
Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre fights takeover attempt by zoo promoter
HONG KONG, HANOI––The Animals Asia Foundation is fighting an audacious scheme allegedly advanced by Tam Dao National Park director Do Dinh Tien to evict Animals Asia and 104 moon bears from the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre, on the edge of the park, and turn the facilities built at Animals Asia donor expense into a zoo. The Vietnam Bear […]
Ingesting bear bile can kill, warns top Vietnamese traditional doctor
HANOI––People’s Doctor Nguyen Xuan Huong, chair of the Traditional Medicine Association of Vietnam, on July 21, 2010 warned that consuming bear bile products can cause potentially fatal liver and kidney damage. Huong, who served two terms in the Vietnamese National Assembly, “joined Animals Asia’s campaign to end bear bile farming after seeing the shocking effects of bile consumption on […]
Bear rescue season follows tsunami
AGRA, CHENGDU––Wildlife SOS founder Kartick Satyanarayan spent most of the first two months of 2005 often literally up to his hips in post-tsunami swamp water and sometimes displaced salt water crocodiles, gorged on human remains. Still, Satyanarayan did not forget that his primary objective for the year was to rescue sloth bears and jail the […]