#changeforanimalsfoundation

In Indonesia, every 60 minutes, more than 100 dogs are slaughtered to supply the demand for dog meat. The dogs – many of them stolen pets - are collected from the streets and crammed into sacks and cages, their mouths bound shut so tightly they can hardly breathe. They are taken on long, gruelling journeys to markets and slaughterhouses. Those who survive must watch other dogs being brutally slaughtered while they wait their turn. This is the reality for tens of thousands of dogs each week in Indonesia.

It is estimated that just 7% Indonesia’s population consume dog meat, but in a country with the fourth largest population in the world at 261 million people, this amounts to a significant trade and a booming business in some parts of the country. With few overhead costs, it can be a profitable industry.

However, Indonesia is also the country with the 5thlargest number of human rabies deaths in Asia each year – a 100% fatal disease with devastating societal and economic impacts. It is no coincidence that the provinces and regencies with the greatest demand for dog meat are also those with the highest prevalence of rabies, given that the trade in dogs for consumption is responsible for the biggest trade in dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status. There is mounting evidence – spanning decades – linking this trade to the transmission of rabies, and efforts to eradicate the disease will fail without addressing this cruel and dangerous trade. It is an issue that governments cannot afford to turn a blind eye to.

Knowledge is Power…

In 2016, we created the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition – a group of international and Indonesian animal protection groups committed to ending the dog meat trade.

We started by conducting nationwide investigations. The findings were shocking and indescribable. The brutality was immense and the indifference to the suffering of animals by those involved in the trade was impossible to comprehend. But, it is only by understanding the drivers behind the trade and by collecting evidence of the cruelty that we can tackle this issue effectively and holistically.

After countless meetings with traders it soon became evident that, for many, getting involved in the dog meat trade was opportunistic. In a country with widespread poverty and unemployment, and inaccessible healthcare for many, it is easier to understand the traders and consumers. Many turn to the dog meat trade as a way of feeding their families; and consumers often resort to eating dog meat as a form of “traditional medicine” to treat health problems that are rife but where mainstream medicine is not accessible to all.

And with this understanding, I often think, “lend me your eyes and I’ll change what you see; lend me your heart and I’ll change how you feel; lend me your hands and I’ll change what you do”.

However, whilst many traders we met expressed a degree of shame and remorse, for others, there seemed to be a total disregard to animals’ sentience and these are the traders who are far harder to tackle. But no one is immune to change and if they could just see the dogs the way we do, we can change hearts and minds, and the trade could end tomorrow. I always remember that the dogs of tomorrow’s trade are still free and we need to fight for them….

North Sulawesi – A place where your heart is broken, but the fire of determination is ignited…

After launching our initial investigative findings in November 2017 with the support of Indonesian and international celebrities such as Peter Egan, Ricky Gervais, Joanna Lumley and Chelsea Islan, we received an outpouring of support from the dog-loving community from throughout Indonesia, expressing condemnation of the trade and love for dogs.

We hosted innumerable meetings with government officials from various provinces where we were told that they supported our campaign to safeguard both animal welfare and public health and safety by tackling the dog meat trade; but we were also told that all efforts to eradicate the trade nationwide would be thwarted by the rife trade in North Sulawesi – a province in Indonesia that prides itself in it’s “extreme cuisine”, with dogs, cats, monkeys, snakes, bats and rats just some the animals for sale in meat markets and in restaurants.

As a long-term animal rights campaigner who has focused on the dog meat trade throughout Asia for the last 9 years, I have learned that seeing the human-side to those who act in ways so incomprehensible to me enables more effective campaigning…. But, in North Sulawesi, I found people who appeared to take pleasure in causing terror to the animals they slaughtered, an estimated 10,000 dogs each week….

Seeing is believing and I knew we had to shed light on what was happening to the dogs caught up in the trade in order to create the determined and vocal movement in calling for an end nationwide.

I will never forget the first time I visited North Sulawesi’s notorious live animal markets, locally termed “traditional markets”. We spent hours watching and documenting dogs and cats being slaughtered. Every thump of the club, every scream of pain, and every tremble of fear chipped away at my soul.

We watched animals lose their lives in a scene that most of us couldn’t imagine in our worst nightmares or see in the most gory of horror films. Yet it was happening right in front of our very eyes. As my heart broke and countless animals lost their lives, people were milling around smoking cigarettes and eating snacks, walking through puddles of blood and faeces, children playing… They would look at the animals, but they were not seeingthem…

Over and over again, people would come and select a dog or cat for slaughter, condemning him or her to the most gruesome of deaths, right there as others cowered in the cages not knowing when their turn would come and not being able to hide…Unable to disappear to somewhere far, far away…

I closed my eyes every time the club came crashing down and found myself whispering a prayer and soothing words that before long it would all be over for them and that soon they would find peace.

The traders toyed with the trembling dogs in the cages. They mocked them, kicked the cages and played with their bats menacingly, covered in splatterings of blood.

We took hours of footage that will never be seen. It will never be seen because it is too gruesome to show. The media responded with, “we can’t show that”; and yet this is what is happening every single day to tens of thousands of dogs and cats in markets and slaughterhouses throughout Indonesia.

After witnessing so much horror, you are left with one of two choices: give up, or fight. But, when failure is not an option, there is actually only one choice… To fight.

An Army of Animal Warriors

And we are not alone in this fight. There is an ever-growing animal rights movement in Indonesia and a fearless network of animal protection groups and activists who are not afraid to give their voices to the voiceless. Through the Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition, we have been able to support these groups and individuals, coordinating days of action where thousands of dog and animal lovers take to the streets calling for an end to the dog meat trade. Over 550,000 people from around the world have already signed the petition and local and international celebrities have helped us to raise vital awareness of – and opposition towards – the dog meat trade.

Change is happening in Indonesia. Never before has the practice of dog meat production and consumption been questioned the way it is now. People are turning their backs on a trade and a practice that can no longer hide behind a defence of ‘culture’ or ‘tradition’. It is quite simply a question of animal cruelty, and a serious concern for public health and safety.

Saving Those We Can…

Conducting investigations is the hardest part of our job. It never gets easier. We are often asked, “how do you go to these places and witness such immense suffering and cruelty?” But for me the question is the wrong way round and ought to be, “How do you leave these places and walk away from such immense suffering and cruelty?”

The shame, the horror, the grief and the sadness are choking and don’t ever leave you. Sometimes, the only way to save your soul and to help heal your broken heart, is to save those lives you can.

Over the course of our investigations, we always did just that. Dogs like Hero, Ina, Lola, Bobby and Indah… They all have heartbreaking stories of abandonment, betrayal, abuse and terror. But fortunately for these individuals, they are now all living lives of love and compassion, light years away from the trade in which they got caught up in. For them, justice has been restored, and whilst we must fight on, for them, the trade has ended. Despite all the cruelty that they have endured, their spirits remain unbroken. They forgive and they love life again.

Dogs like Bobby….

Bobby was rescued from a market during our investigations in North Sulawesi. It had been a long day and the market was getting ready to close for the day. I made the ‘mistake’ of making eye contact with a dog sitting in a cage surrounded by blood in the slaughtering area of the market. As we talked to the traders, I made a decision that I couldn’t leave him behind. I had to restore justice for at least one. I didn’t try to negotiate on price, it was what it was… for his life to be spared. As he was taken from the cage, the trader told me that he had been dropped off with the traders that morning by his owner who no longer wanted him. The ultimate betrayal. We named him Bobby, and now he is living a life of joy at our partner group’s shelter “Animal Friends Manado”. Now, his days are spent playing with the other rescued dogs, showered with love.

“If not YOU then who? And if not now then when?”

Everyone has a role to play in ending the dog meat trade. I have always had a deep sense of responsibility in leaving the world a better place than how I found it, so that future generations don’t have to take on the same battles we do. And in Indonesia, your voice counts! Through national and international pressure, we are seeing change. Already, since launching our campaign, TripAdvisor has removed their promotion of live animal markets in Indonesia; the local government of Tomohon has banned the keeping of live dogs and cats and their slaughter from the infamous “Tomohon Extreme Market”; food companies have removed dog meat from their menus; and thousands of people have taken part in our days of action against the dog and cat meta trades.

Please make your voice heard against the dog and cat meat trade!

1-     Sign the petition calling on the President of Indonesia to ban the dog and cat meat trades: www.dogmeatfreeindonesia.org/take-action

1-    Write a letter (TEMPLATE BELOW) to the Indonesian embassy in your home country urging them to do their part in combatting the trade: www.embassy-worldwide.com/country/indonesia/

2-    Find out more about the campaign and what you can do to help: www.dogmeatfreeindonesia.org/take-action-options

The government is prepared to take action and it is our duty to ensure this happens.

Template for letter to Embassies

Dear Ambassador,

I am deeply concerned about the millions of dogs caught up in Indonesia’s brutal dog meat trade, and the risk this poses to Indonesia’s pledge to eliminate rabies by 2020. Every year, millions of dogs – including many stolen pets - are transported within Indonesia to supply markets, slaughterhouses and restaurants. Nationwide investigations have revealed the immense suffering caused to these dogs – crude and brutal methods of capture, transport and slaughter – and there are also growing concerns for the risks the dog meat trade poses to human health, including the transmission of deadly rabies. The brutal and unhygienic slaughter and butchery of dogs, and consumption of meat from rabies-positive animals, puts humans at risk. Human deaths from rabies have been directly linked to involvement in the slaughtering, butchery, handling and even consumption of meat from infected dogs. I urge you, on behalf of all dogs and the vast majority (93%) of the Indonesian population who never consumes dog meat, to please take action to safeguard Indonesia’s dogs from cruelty and the nation’s health by ending the cruel and illegal dog meat trade.

As a founding member of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, we spent many long months investigating the inner-workings of the dog meat trade throughout Indonesia…. As people who do what we do because we care so passionately about animals, doing investigations never gets any easier… It is soul-destroying and heart-breaking work, but is essential in documenting the reality of the trade so that we are best-positioned to fight it.. and ultimately realise our goal – and dream – of ending the dog meat trade, that, in Indonesia alone, results in the unimaginable suffering of an estimated 1 million dogs every year…

Why Hero?

After endless months of witnessing the cruelty and suffering, we had the opportunity to save one dog… A dog we named “Hero”. As a “breed” dog, our undercover investigator took the opportunity to convince the trader that he wanted to take Hero, without blowing his cover. The trader accepted the offer, not realising that to us, Hero was priceless… but not because of his weight on the scales or because of his genetics… Simply because his life matters. To us, Hero has came to symbolise hope for all those we are fighting for, and for those we were unable to save…

Hero is still undergoing intensive therapy at the wonderful Jakarta Animal Aid Network’s veterinary clinic. He cannot walk properly yet because of various injuries.. likely ones that happened many years ago and which is why the owner had neglected him, leaving him to suffer and deteriorate in a cage. But he now has a “walking frame” to help him gain strength and learn to walk again, and he is adored by everyone who meets him.. He loves attention and nuzzles you incessantly for strokes and gentle words.. and he loves his treats!

Hero already has an adopter lined up; who is paying for his ongoing treatment and visits him regularly.. and as soon as Hero has gained a bit more strength, he will be going home… 

Why don’t you save them all?

People often ask us after seeing the footage of the dog meat trade, “why didn’t you save them? How could you just stand there and watch?” They are questions that hurt profoundly… we all do what we do because we care deeply and passionately; and for us, walking away and not being able to save them, goes against all that we are and all that we believe in.. But it is only by documenting the reality of the trade – a trade that is affecting thousands of dogs every day – that we can get the evidence needed to change hearts and minds.. and legislation… and this is what will end the suffering in the end for all dogs that will never be caught by traders and never suffer in slaughterhouses… 

Rescued animals inspire hope and change, conquering hearts and minds... and they help to heal hearts that can sometimes feel broken beyond repair. As a very dear friend of mine says, 'they save us as much as we save them'.

Change is coming in Indonesia and throughout Asia… Never before has the dog meat trade or the consumption of dog meat been questioned the way it is now. People are turning their backs on a trade and a practice that can no longer hide behind a defense of ‘culture’ or ‘tradition’. It is quite simply a question of animal cruelty. 

Earlier this month, the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition launched our first major public awareness campaign at a press conference in Jakarta. We presented the findings of our investigations to the national and international media; and our wonderful Indonesian celebrity ambassadors, Sophia Latjuba and Gamaliel Tapiheru, spoke passionately about their love of dogs and wish for an end to the inherently cruel trade. Their message was clear: “claims of culture and tradition by proponents of the dog meat trade can never be an excuse for cruelty”.

We won’t stop this fight until the last dog slaughterhouse is closed, until never again is a dog’s value weighed on scales, and until the dog meat trade is banished to the history books. But everyone has a role to play in making this a reality. 

So whilst we fight on, for Hero, we have been part of the most amazing moment where all his suffering ended, and that is a victory against this horrific trade.

I was recently asked if I thought animal welfare was improving. It’s a good question. Are people generally more aware of animal welfare than they were 20 or 30 years ago? Undoubtedly! In many countries, there is now a more fundamental understanding of animal suffering, and knowledge of the consequences of our use of animals, than at probably any time in history. Every year, new laws are drafted to protect animals. And more people are making ethical, animal friendly choices than ever before.

 But when we consider the level of animal suffering globally, it’s hard to weigh this increased understanding of welfare against the almost inconceivable scale of the problem that still exists.

 For example, forty years ago, the number of animals raised and killed for meat globally each year was less than 15 billion (already an unimaginable number). Today, that figure has increased to almost 70 billion. Back in the 1970’s, only a small proportion of animals were intensively farmed. Today, two thirds of farmed animals are kept in factory conditions. And right now, at this moment, there are over one billion animals suffering around the world in intensive farming systems.

 While our understanding of, and attempts to provide, better welfare for animals has improved, the proportion of animals suffering as a result of human actions is higher than it has ever been.

 We have to consider the wider impacts of our lifestyle and daily choices on the use of animals, because animal welfare, the environment, and sustainable food choices are not separate issues. They are completely interdependent, and it is impossible to care about one without acknowledging the others.

 It is easy to see how animal agriculture greatly impacts the wider world. The livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation globally. It is responsible for devastating amounts of deforestation and the subsequent loss of biodiversity. Livestock consume a third of the global grain harvest, despite an average of 21,000 people dying every day of hunger or hunger-related causes. And in some countries, around 80% of all antibiotics are used by the farming industry. 

 The scale of the problems appears so huge, the numbers so unthinkably high, and the suffering so ubiquitous, how can we as individuals possibly make a difference?

 Whether it’s the welfare of animals, the environment or creating a more sustainable world, it doesn’t really matter what we care about the most. What matters is what we do.

 This Earth Day, April 22nd, we can take part in the #EatForThePlanet campaign and take steps to change the way we live. By adopting a plant based diet we can help end the suffering of billions of animals, heal and restore the environment, and build a more sustainable world.



Change For Animals Foundation is supporting One Green Planet’s #EatForThePlanet campaign to inspire the public to take control of the damage being caused by animal agriculture. Making the right choice about what we eat is not an all-or-nothing endeavor. Every single choice we make can be a change for good, and each time we consider the welfare of animals, we are making a difference.

Harry Eckman

I’ve been working in animal welfare for a good few years now. In that time I’ve seen some truly horrendous suffering - things that still haunt me in the small hours of those sleepless nights. I’ve worked on numerous projects and campaigns that try to end the cruelty and suffering of animals in shelters, farms, markets and on the streets. I’ve been vegetarian for fewer years than I’ve worked in welfare but still a reasonable amount of time. I aspire to be vegan but fail in that regard on a regular basis. I try to do my best. I do a lot but there is still a lot more I could do and there always will be. 

There are many people like me, who care about the same things that I care about and try to do what they can to improve the lives of animals in whatever way they can. People who are at different points along the path. But then there are other people who have a tendency to sit in judgement when it comes to issues of animal welfare. I’m not talking about the ones who are perhaps ignorant of the issues and blindly go around being part of the problem and often question why people like me bother to care. Those people are the ones whose attitudes we work to change. No, I’m talking about the ones who should know better. The ones who sit on their pedestal of animal friendly perfection and judge those who try to do better with equal contempt as they judge those who do nothing at all. 

I’ll hear them say things like “They campaign against cruelty but they still eat meat”, or “Why campaign on saving dogs when 70 billion farm animals are being killed every year for food”, or “They’re vegetarian but if they knew how much suffering that cheese caused they’d be vegan”. Accusing all those that try to do something as being a hypocrite because we don’t do everything. 

Yes, of course we could all do more but it’s time to stop this castigation of everyone not meeting gold standards. Because a sanctimonious view of the world is in many ways as damaging to animal welfare as the behaviour of those we are working to change. Everyone is a hypocrite to some degree. It is the nature of being human and living in a world where we have to make compromises and risk our integrity on some level. All of us are hypocrites, none of us are perfect and without blame. Even those in their tower that’s not made of ivory or fur or meat or dairy. But I bet some 5-year-old malnourished Bangladeshi orphan helped to furnish it. 

What I have learned by working in animal welfare is that to improve the welfare of animals we need to work with people. We need to inspire and motivate them and it is incumbent upon us to attempt to see the world as they see it. If we expect them to see the world from the animals' point of view then the very least we can do is try and see it from theirs. We might not like what we see but unless we try, we’re never going to be able to find common ground and a way to change their beliefs and views. 

I’ve also learned what doesn’t work. Judgment and criticism, particularly of those who are actually already trying to do something. If it were that easy to improve the welfare of animals and end suffering we’d have done it by now. But it isn’t, and every time those that are already trying to help are criticised, it risks damaging the entire concept of an animal welfare movement. 

Unless the animal welfare movement can unite, work together and support our common goal we will never be able to do the things we set out to do. And in the end it is not us who will pay the price for this, it is the animals that will suffer in our name while fingers are being pointed at those who some believe could have done more.

Harry Eckman

Last week, Change For Animals Foundation was in Seoul with the wonderful Jill Robinson and Irene Feng from Animals Asia. Having worked on the anti dog meat campaign in South Korea for the last several years, it was exciting for me to host a meeting with the local animal protection groups- those leading the ever-growing movement- to discuss ways on how we can work collaboratively to reach our goal- our dream- of ending the dog meat industry in South Korea. Change For Animals Foundation works on a number of projects committed to ending the inherently cruel dog meat trades in Asia.. But South Korea is where it all began for me… On my first visit to Korea, I visited the infamous Moran Market- South Korea’s largest dog meat market where an estimated 40- 60% of dogs traded for the meat industry pass through… It is a painfully sad place… the helplessness of the situation is overwhelming.. and when you lock eyes with one of the dogs  through the bars, knowing where they have come from and what they have yet to endure,  walking away is the hardest thing I have ever done… It is where my pledge to end the dog meat industry in South Korea was made…

The dogs I have seen in Korea still haunt me… the seemingly indifference to their suffering is incomprehensible…  But there is hope… And that hope is in the form of the ever-growing animal protection movement in South Korea, where animal rights has become the fastest growing civic movement.  Our meetings, co-sponsored by Animals Asia, the Humane Society International and Animal Guardians, hosted those at the forefront of this movement- those who have committed their lives to raising public awareness of the plight of animals in Korea.. and the dog meat debate is one of the most emotive and contentious issues. As I was once told by one of those very special people- one of an ever growing number of South Koreans who commits every day to raising awareness of, and gaining support to end, the unimaginably cruel dog meat industry-  “until we can gain support for a dog meat ban, what hope do we have for other animals”.

And people do care.. Hugely… and passionately... and in increasing numbers.  The groups we met with- many founded, and led, by volunteers- spoke of their inspiring work to reach our goal of a permanent dog meat ban. Their commitment to the cause is clear and their passion is tangible.

It is a difficult campaign- one that requires the socio-legal status of dogs to be redefined- but it is achievable, and I have never felt more inspired than I did leaving Seoul last week.

The meetings also benefited from a very special guest- the wonderful Django! Django- rescued from a dog farm a couple of months ago- is classified as a ‘meat dog’ in South Korea- a dog whose only value is measured on scales… in the form of ‘guns’- the measurement used to weigh dogs destined for human consumption… When rescued, he was dangerously underweight and suffering from a variety of skin conditions, and his body had scars revealing the pitiful conditions of his life in a cage on a dog meat farm- a place where there is no compassion or hope…

But Django showed us that his spirit had not been broken or his soul destroyed, as he bounced up to everyone at the meeting to greet them in his own special way- a big lick! His willingness to forgive and trust humans again is astounding… and his wonderful spirit shines through as he acts in the mischievous way all puppies should!

Our meetings reignited our hope for a cohesive campaign- together, we will fight as one united voice, a voice that will become so loud that it can no longer be ignored- sending a clear message that people are turning their backs on the dog meat industry- an industry that has no place in today’s society where there is mounting concern for, and compassion towards, animals and their welfare.

As Jill explains, "The energy in the conference room was electrifying - with a positive intent in collaborating together to end an industry that has seen millions and millions of dogs dying in agony over the years and the meat of horribly diseased animals entering the food chain South Korea. Pet dogs, working dogs and meat dogs cannot be separated in to two categories as the traders claim - a dog is a dog is a dog - and they help to secure the safety of the country's people as they work side by side with the Police and Customs departments today. 

Huge congratulations to all the groups there who began a collaborative journey to be a resounding voice together against the consumption of dogs and cats in Korea. And while the gorgeous Django was on a relentless mission to lick us all to death, there is no doubt that he too represents a whole species that live and lose their lives to help ours, and make our family homes happier and safer too."  

Django may just be one of the estimated 2.5 million dogs raised and slaughtered for meat in South Korea each year- but he is hope… And he represents why we will never stop until the last cage has been emptied.

Lola Webber

Over the past several weeks I’ve had a number of conversations with friends and colleagues about how often we are judged on our choice to work in the field of animal welfare. And how, as a consequence, we often feel the need to defend that choice. 

Now let’s get something straight here, I’m not talking about defending extreme or illegal actions nor am I talking about the chastisement of others for their views. I am simply talking about my choice to work in animal welfare and my reasons for doing so.  When I tell people what I do I’m met with a variety of responses. I won’t bother to go into them all here as I’m sure you can imagine the array of views and opinions others might have about my work and beliefs.  What I’m talking about in particular is when I’m required to defend myself against those who question my priorities and my sense of compassion.  When I say that I work in animal welfare I often hear the response, ‘How come you only care about animals? Don’t you know there are children being abused… entire nations starving… old people having their dignity violated… homelessness, poverty, cancer, heart disease and on and on.  In their eyes does me choosing to work on one thing preclude me from acknowledging and caring about the others? And when did there suddenly become a right or wrong thing to care about? It’s not like we wake up each day with an allotted amount of compassion. “I only have enough caring inside of me for these things today; everything else is just going to have to wait until a space opens up.” And it’s not like my caring about animals causes more suffering in other areas. A child doesn’t die of malnutrition because I’m rescuing a dog.  But this is exactly my point. Why do we still feel the need to defend ourselves? Why is my default position to try and justify that I actually care enough about something that I am prepared to dedicate my life to it? How did that ever become something that required defending? I don’t understand why animal welfare is so often seen as the poor relation to other realms of compassion? If I were as dedicated to child poverty I can’t imagine people coming up to me and questioning my choices then.  I find that those who would question my choices the most are not those who have made a choice elsewhere but those who have made no choice at all. What do you care about? Does belittling my beliefs make yours stronger? Are your moral values better than mine? Instead of judging me for my choices, why don’t you tell me what you’re actually doing to address the things that you’re so clearly worried about.  Compassion isn’t something you should have to pick and choose. Everything is important. We don’t spend Saturday mornings wandering around the morality section at IKEA deciding how we should furnish our lives so we can sleep better at night. We make sacrifices and compromises every day because in the real world we have to. We can’t save everything and everyone but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. There’s a difference between what is right and what is easy.  If our aim is to end suffering, in whatever form it comes, human or animal, then we should never feel the need to defend ourselves. It is people who question and criticize the need to help and show compassion that should have to defend themselves.  The question isn’t why do I care but why do you not!

Harry Eckman

From 25th to 28th May I returned to Portugal to work with CFAF’s partner organisation, Animais de Rua (AdR) to provide 22 of their volunteers with TNR training and to work with the organisation to help them build further on their already substantial success.

CFAF has been working closely with AdR since we began and I had been working with them for several years before that, during my days at WSPA.

Animais de Rua (which means ‘animals of the street’) was born in 2005 when a group of friends in Porto saw a colony of feral cats living in precarious and pitiable conditions and decided that they needed to do something to help them. It quickly became clear that there was little help available, as back in 2005 helping feral cats was not an issue being worked on much in Portugal. Rather than get discouraged, they searched the internet to look for ideas, and found information about TNR projects and how they were being used elsewhere to successfully help feral cat colonies.

The friends planned out what was required to undertake such a task themselves. They contacted local vets and raised money through friends and family to catch, neuter, treat and release the entire colony of 45 cats. After seeing how the lives and welfare of these cats had been so improved by what they had done they decided that they could not simply stop there, and so looked for other colonies that they could also help. Today, 8 years later, Animais de Rua has sterilized and treated over 11,300 animals across Portugal!

From these humble beginnings AdR has become one of Portugal’s most recognised and respected animal welfare organisatons. TNR is still at the core of what they do but they have become so much more than that. They lobby for change and work with local authorities, veterinarians, communities and NGOs to address cat and dog cruelty and welfare problems throughout Portugal. They run successful fostering and adoption programmes as well as school education programmes and public awareness campaigns.

AdR’s CEO, Maria Pinto Teixeira, is one of those original friends that founded the organisation. She has been the heart and soul of the organisation and their guiding star. Her dedication, unfailing belief in the cause of animal welfare and ability to inspire an exceptional group of volunteers has been central to their success.

It was with Maria and a core group of AdR’s fantastic volunteers that I spent four days in the beautiful and tranquil surroundings Quinta Das Aguias, in northern Portugal, to work with them on training and support.

AdR is now a national organisation and has groups not only in Porto but in Lisbon and the Algarve. They even work in the Azores! The volunteers came from all these places to attend the workshop and their enthusiasm and commitment was palpable and infectious.

I have often thought that the term ‘volunteer’ does a disservice to people who frequently work far harder and more passionately than those who are paid for a task. Never has this been more the case than with the volunteers of AdR.

We spent the four days looking at every aspect of the work they do - from the practical side of TNR to the structure and development of the organisation itself. We explored areas including fundraising, the growth of their educational programmes, policy development and expanding their adoption programmes.

One of AdR’s great successes is their adoption programme, which has evolved organically over several years. AdR use a network of fosterers and volunteers along with websites and social media to find new homes for animals without them ever needing to spend a single day in a shelter. There are comprehensive and stringent checks and processes in place to ensure the animals find the best possible home and as a result, last year they were able to find permanent, secure and loving homes for over 300 animals!

The four-day workshop was intensive and incredibly rewarding. So much ground was covered and many plans were made to build upon. AdR has achieved so much in a relatively short space of time and based on the passion and dedication of those attending the workshop, it will continue to make substantial and real improvements to the lives of animals in Portugal and beyond. And CFAF will be working alongside them every step of the way.

When I was back in Porto, I was taken to visit that original colony of cats from back in 2005. After 8 years, there are only 10 of the 45 cats remaining but as a managed colony they are healthy, happy and cared for. They are a living testament to the work of AdR and what they are able to achieve.

Thank you to all the AdR volunteers (those I have met and those I have yet to meet) for your hard work and dedication. Thank you to Ivone and Joep for their incredible hospitality and truly wonderful vegan food! Thank you to our friends at International Cat Care for helping fund this workshop and thank you to Maria Pinto Teixeira, for your unwavering professionalism, commitment and belief.

I speak for both myself and CFAF when I say how privileged we are to be working alongside AdR and to be able to call them partners. They represent everything that is great in animal welfare and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.

For more information about Animais de Rua, you can visit their website or facebook page.

Harry Eckman

I hear people argue all the time over whether something is morally or ethically correct like there are degrees of morality - acceptable degrees of cruelty. Like there’s some utilitarian view that allows immorality to exist for the greater good. But those that suffer don’t really care about the greater good and even if they did, it doesn’t reduce their suffering in any way. For me morality is pretty clear, something is either right or it isn’t. Morality is about the individual and how they have a right to be treated fairly; for their own sake, not for someone else’s. 

We have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that those who can suffer don’t do so at our hands and we should do everything in our power to prevent and reduce their suffering. But sadly, it’s all too easy to make decisions when you’re not the one suffering but the one who gains from another’s suffering. 

Why does it matter? Why do I care?

I ask myself this all the time and wonder how much easier my life would be if I just closed my eyes to what goes on. But once our eyes are open there’s no going back. We can try to kid ourselves and justify our actions with flawed logic but it doesn’t change the truth, it just allows us to avert your eyes and pretend everything is okay for a little while.

I understand the world is a complex place and that these principles and ideals are precisely that, ideals. Something to aspire towards and in doing so, take steps to address the injustice I see all around me. I am flawed, as is everyone and I will never be as good as I hope to be but that doesn’t give me an excuse not to try. It’s not me who will pay the price for my failure; it is those that suffer in my name. 

It is this belief in something better, in a world where we can genuinely alleviate suffering and make a difference that drives the Change For Animals Foundation. 

CFAF will be defined by the work we do and how we do it. Because ultimately, it's not other organisations who we will be judged by, nor the animals whose lives we strive to improve. We will be judged by people. People we meet and people who we never meet but who hear about us and see the work we do. We will invite them to be part of our journey but it's not about them simply supporting us, it's about them believing in us because if they do... well, then we really will be able to make a change for animals.

Harry Eckman

Co-founder