VIER VOETERS

A monumental win for animal welfare! 🇷🇴 Romania Bans Fur Farming! 🦊❌ The Romanian Parliament has voted to ban chinchilla and mink farming, the country’s only fur farming industry branches. This groundbreaking decision comes after nearly two years of debates and dedicated campaigning by animal protection groups, including FOUR PAWS. Starting in January 2027, it will be illegal to breed and kill animals for fur in Romania, marking the nation as the 22nd country in Europe and 16th EU Member State to take this step towards a more compassionate future. 🙌 The number of fur farms in Romania has already dropped significantly in past years, and this law will tackle not only animal cruelty, but also environmental and public health hazards linked to fur farming, including the risk of zoonotic diseases. 🦠 Thank you to everyone who supports this movement to protect animals, signed the #FurFreeEurope European Citizens’ Initiative and stands against the fur trade! Together, we are making the world a more compassionate place. 💕 #AnimalWelfare #Sustainability #SustainableFashion #EU #EuropeanUnion

Every year millions of animals are shipped from the EU to the Middle East and North Africa by sea. 🌍 Farmed and transported from countries across Europe, these animals arrive at major exportation ports, only to be loaded onto overcrowded vessels. 🚢 Once they leave EU waters, European animal welfare standards no longer apply, leaving them with minimal protection. The journey is harrowing for the animals, mainly sheep and cattle, who suffer from extreme heat, hunger, and thirst for days or even weeks.🐑🐄 This cruel trade must end. Help us make a difference. Share this post and sign our petition now to stop the suffering ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dgCktPVT

Nurturing a Healthy Environment 🐾 We’re proud to have created an opportunity for our global team to come together and learn about Healthy Habits. 🌏 Nurturing overall wellbeing is at the heart of our organization, that’s why we focused on sharing practical, effective techniques to help colleagues lead a more balanced life. 🌱 Understanding the challenges of everyday life, we prioritized resilience-building and stress management strategies to empower everyone in navigating life’s demands with confidence. 💫 A heartfelt thank you to all who participated and contributed to making this initiative a meaningful success. Together, we continue to foster a community where wellbeing thrives! #FOURPAWSLife #EmployeeWellbeing #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #Community

12 years – For over 12 years these bars were all bear Nhi Nho saw through. ⛓ Many bile farms keep the bears in 1x1 meter cages as it is easier to extract bile when the bears can be reached. Imagine living in a cage day after day; night doesn’t even bring a reprieve as some bears are too big to fully lie down to sleep. 💤   These cages are often in dark rooms with little to no sunlight and the “floors” are usually the harsh metal of the bars leaving the bears unable to move and express basic natural bear behaviors.   This former cage is open to visitors at BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh acting as an educational opportunity. Visitors can enter and experience the cramped conditions that 150+ bears still live in today. 💔 More information about bile farms can be found here: https://lnkd.in/dBwvAKhX 🐾 #BearSanctuaryNinhBinh #AnimalWelfare #Sanctuary #FOURPAWS #Bear #EducationalOpportunity

On Site at the World Health Summit in Berlin 📍🇩🇪 We had the privilege of hosting a dynamic and impactful side event highlighting experiences and best practices from around the world to effectively operationalize One Health for pandemic prevention . 🦠  Our session brought together a fantastic lineup of experts from across the globe, including representatives from the World Health Organization, WOAH, Ministry of Health of Tanzania, Vietnam One Health University Network (VOHUN), INDOHUN, and other leading voices in health, environment, and animal welfare. We delved into the critical role of One Health in preventing future pandemics, highlighting how the health of people, animals, and the environment are interconnected. 🎙️ The discussion was insightful,  highlighting that several countries have already taken significant steps toward implementing a One Health approach to pandemic prevention. These efforts can serve as valuable models for the global community and must be scaled up to address future health threats. Speakers also emphasized that achieving global health security and equity requires unified, coordinated action across nations. The event concluded with a strong call for integrating prevention via One Health into the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. A current pitfall of pandemic strategies was the sole focus on treating symptoms instead of addressing causes of these outbreaks. However, current practices allow pathogens to spill over, dramatically increasing the risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks, with avoidable risks such as those posed by industrial factory farming, wildlife trade and markets and fur farming. 🐾❌  Our message to decision-makers worldwide is clear: promoting the health and welfare of humans, animals, and the environment must be at the core of effective pandemic prevention, preparedness and response strategies, such as the Pandemic Agreement currently being negotiated by WHO Member States. 🌎 To truly implement a One Health approach, actionable and cross-sectoral steps are necessary when designing One Health national action plans. To put a One Health approach into practice, actionable steps across sectors and disciplines are necessary when designing national pandemic prevention action plans. 🌐 Join us and use your voice to advocate for a #OneHealth Pandemic Agreement: https://lnkd.in/dJZjaWbm #WHS2024 #AMR #AntimicrobialResistance #PandemicPrevention #Zoonosis

🐕 Helping the dogs and cats of Ukraine with 25,000+ dogs and cats sterilised and vaccinated as well as providing close to 8,000 dogs and cats additional medical treatments in just 2.5 years. 🇺🇦 We have been active for stray animals in Ukraine since 2012 already with our Mobile Clinic work providing us with a large network, as well as the necessary resources and knowledge to provide help with various initiatives. 🐈 Additionally, in October 2022 FOUR PAWS launched "Project Kishka", an initiative to support Ukraine's stray cat population ("Kishka" means female cat in Ukrainian). We sterilise, vaccinate and provide much needed medical attention to cats in various Ukrainian regions. 💉 While we are operating in a war zone, all our vets apply the highest quality standards during the procedures to ensure the wellbeing of each individual animal. To help even more strays and pets in Ukraine during these difficult circumstances, just recently we were able to start a brand-new initiative in the form of a partnership with the Ukrainian Veterinary Medicine Foundation (UVMF). With this collaboration we will address the pressing need for accessible veterinary care throughout Ukraine by establishing unique charitable clinics.🏥 Given the ongoing suffering in Ukraine that our teams and partners witness every day, sometimes our efforts make us feel like Sisyphus, the ancient Greek figure who kept pushing a large rock up a hill over and over again. 🪨 However, every single animal counts and we are happy to report that so many animals are doing much better because of our work in the country. #FOURPAWS #UVMF #AnimalWelfare #Ukraine #StrayAnimal

Canine Commuter Alert 💼🐕 We’re just as excited to see our colleagues' dogs as they are to walk through the office doors. Boosting creativity, reducing stress and creating an overall more positive working atmosphere, we love seeing our furry colleagues at the office. 🥰 These doggos are wagging their tails and ready for business! Do you look forward to welcoming dogs into your office? #FOURPAWSLife #OfficeDog #Benefit #OfficeDogLife

Back-to-back meetings: 9:00, 9:30, 10:00... and so on. 🕘 Breaks are important! Our colleagues need to recharge their minds and collect their thoughts before their next meeting. Otherwise, lethargy can set in, manifesting as zoning out, a lack of creativity, frequent yawning, etc. 🥱 To prevent this from happening, our meetings now leave a 5-minute window before the next starts. This buffer provides a break — like a reset button. 🔋 Grab a coffee, check an email, prepare for the next meeting, a meditation for the eyes perhaps. ☕ We have already seen a boost in creativity in our meetings. What does your office do to improve company culture? #FOURPAWSLife #CompanyCulture #WorkLifeBalance #TakeABreak #WellbeingAtWork #EmployeeWellbeing

🛑 Fur farming in Finland is declining, but the global danger for animals and humans isn't over! In the last five years, the fur industry in one of Europe’s major fur-producing countries has seen a significant decline: 🦊 Fox fur production is down by 68%! 🦦 Mink fur production is down by 50%! 🚜 Fur farms are shutting down rapidly, with the few remaining no longer financially viable. But it’s not just about economics or animal welfare—fur farms are breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases. 🔬 Recent studies on mink, raccoon dogs, and other species farmed for their fur in China found 39 high-risk viruses, including coronaviruses and avian flu. 🦠 These viruses pose a serious threat of cross-species transmission, raising the risk of the next pandemic. It’s not a question of IF, but WHEN the next deadly virus will emerge. ⚠️ We’ve already seen cullings on fur farms due to bird flu in Finland, and many remember the mass killing of minks after COVID-19 outbreaks on fur farms across Europe and North America. 💔 Fur farming poses a serious risk to public health, serving as a reservoir for viruses that can jump to humans. 83% of Finns support banning fur farming or significantly improving animal conditions, and 1.5 million Europeans have signed the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) calling for an EU-wide ban on fur farms. 💥🤝 Let’s protect both animals and people—it’s time for a #FurFreeEurope. Fur farming isn’t just cruel, it’s dangerous. #AnimalWelfare #PublicHealth #FurFree 📸 © FOUR PAWS

The Next Generation of Animal Welfare Enthusiasts Our LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary is passionate about educating others about animal welfare! 🐾 This vast sanctuary spans over 1200 hectares and is home to a diverse range of vegetation and wildlife.🍃 Each of our big cats has a unique story of how they came to live in our species-appropriate sanctuary. 🦁 With lions, tigers, a leopard and a cheetah finding their home at LIONSROCK, we have over 100 animals on-site originating from 16 different countries. 🌍 We aim for the next generation to witness and understand animal welfare firsthand. Therefore, our school program offers enriching experiences for children to learn about the challenges faced by animals in captivity and the importance of ethical tourism. 💡 Contact us to book your educational experience ➡️ education@lionsrock.org #AnimalWelfare #LIONSROCKBigCatSanctuary #Education #Students #SchoolActivity