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Four Paws
Four Paws (stylized FOUR PAWS) is a global animal welfare organisation headquartered in Vienna, Austria. It focuses on improving the living conditions of animals under direct human influence, by revealing suffering, rescuing animals in need, and protecting them.
Four Paws was founded on 4 March 1988 by Helmut Dungler and friends to protect animals from being farmed for their fur.
In 1991, Four Paws demanded the mandatory labelling of eggs and a total ban on battery cages for egg-laying hens. In 1998, the organisation opened the first sanctuary for bears in Arbesbach, Austria. In 1999, the foundation brought about the closure of Austria's largest battery cage egg producer.
In 2000, Bear Sanctuary Belitsa opened in Bulgaria, and the first three former dancing bears moved in. In 2002, animal welfare entered Germany's basic law, and Federal Minister Renate Künast thanked Four Paws by name. In 2005, the Federal Animal Welfare Act came into force in Austria and banned both fur farming and the use of wild animals in circuses. In 2008, the Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary opened in Bethlehem, South Africa. Helmut Dungler was awarded the Silver Order of Merit for Services Rendered to the Republic of Austria.
In 2010, Four Paws started a collaboration with the Princess Alia Foundation of Jordan, with the Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife project. In 2012, an EU-wide ban on conventional battery cages for hens came into force.
In 2014, the Bear Sanctuary Prishtina in Kosovo was opened. In 2015, Four Paws initiated a campaign against canned lion hunting, which attracted 281,000 supporters. In 2018, the organisation rescued lions and bears from "Europe's worst zoo", in Tirana, Albania. The same year, the first International Animal Welfare Summit was organised by Four Paws in Vienna, with famous guests that included Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
On 17 January 2018, Switzerland took a step against anonymous pet trafficking on the internet. From 1 March 2018, online traders have had to provide their full name and address as well as the country of origin and breeding of the dogs offered for sale.
On 5 January 2020, Four Paws founder and president, Helmut Dungler, died unexpectedly. In January 2020, Four Paws rescued sick lions at a zoo in Khartoum, Sudan, after worldwide outrage following concerning reports of the animals' condition. On 16 April 2020, claims by Four Paws in The Independent stated there had been a surge in consumption of dog and cat meat in Vietnam as a result of fake news suggesting it would cure COVID-19. Four Paws' former head of stray animal care in Asia, Katherine Polak, was quoted as saying she strongly suspected doctors were now recommending cat and dog meat to treat COVID-19. However, on 24 April 2020, fact-checking nonprofit PolitiFact rated the claim as false. Reporter Tina Nguyen called it mind-boggling and a nasty racist attack. Four Paws responded with an official statement defending their claims. and referring to market research studies conducted between January 2019 and March 2019 in Cambodia. and May 2019 to August 2019 in Vietnam. On 4 September 2020, the organisation, together with veterinarians Amir Khalil and Frank Goeritz from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research examined and approved "the world's loneliest elephant", Kaavan, for travel from the Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan to an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia. The rescue mission to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, at the end of November 2020, was supported by singer Cher's NGO Free the Wild and by businessman Eric Margolis.
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Four Paws
Four Paws (stylized FOUR PAWS) is a global animal welfare organisation headquartered in Vienna, Austria. It focuses on improving the living conditions of animals under direct human influence, by revealing suffering, rescuing animals in need, and protecting them.
Four Paws was founded on 4 March 1988 by Helmut Dungler and friends to protect animals from being farmed for their fur.
In 1991, Four Paws demanded the mandatory labelling of eggs and a total ban on battery cages for egg-laying hens. In 1998, the organisation opened the first sanctuary for bears in Arbesbach, Austria. In 1999, the foundation brought about the closure of Austria's largest battery cage egg producer.
In 2000, Bear Sanctuary Belitsa opened in Bulgaria, and the first three former dancing bears moved in. In 2002, animal welfare entered Germany's basic law, and Federal Minister Renate Künast thanked Four Paws by name. In 2005, the Federal Animal Welfare Act came into force in Austria and banned both fur farming and the use of wild animals in circuses. In 2008, the Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary opened in Bethlehem, South Africa. Helmut Dungler was awarded the Silver Order of Merit for Services Rendered to the Republic of Austria.
In 2010, Four Paws started a collaboration with the Princess Alia Foundation of Jordan, with the Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife project. In 2012, an EU-wide ban on conventional battery cages for hens came into force.
In 2014, the Bear Sanctuary Prishtina in Kosovo was opened. In 2015, Four Paws initiated a campaign against canned lion hunting, which attracted 281,000 supporters. In 2018, the organisation rescued lions and bears from "Europe's worst zoo", in Tirana, Albania. The same year, the first International Animal Welfare Summit was organised by Four Paws in Vienna, with famous guests that included Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
On 17 January 2018, Switzerland took a step against anonymous pet trafficking on the internet. From 1 March 2018, online traders have had to provide their full name and address as well as the country of origin and breeding of the dogs offered for sale.
On 5 January 2020, Four Paws founder and president, Helmut Dungler, died unexpectedly. In January 2020, Four Paws rescued sick lions at a zoo in Khartoum, Sudan, after worldwide outrage following concerning reports of the animals' condition. On 16 April 2020, claims by Four Paws in The Independent stated there had been a surge in consumption of dog and cat meat in Vietnam as a result of fake news suggesting it would cure COVID-19. Four Paws' former head of stray animal care in Asia, Katherine Polak, was quoted as saying she strongly suspected doctors were now recommending cat and dog meat to treat COVID-19. However, on 24 April 2020, fact-checking nonprofit PolitiFact rated the claim as false. Reporter Tina Nguyen called it mind-boggling and a nasty racist attack. Four Paws responded with an official statement defending their claims. and referring to market research studies conducted between January 2019 and March 2019 in Cambodia. and May 2019 to August 2019 in Vietnam. On 4 September 2020, the organisation, together with veterinarians Amir Khalil and Frank Goeritz from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research examined and approved "the world's loneliest elephant", Kaavan, for travel from the Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan to an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia. The rescue mission to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, at the end of November 2020, was supported by singer Cher's NGO Free the Wild and by businessman Eric Margolis.