VIDEO: Celebrating 75 years of moving the world to protect animals
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Together, we’re celebrating 75 years of moving the world to protect animals.
Wonderful supporters like you have helped us achieve massive breakthroughs for animals over the last 75 years.
Nearly eight million factory-farmed pigs have been given lives worth living in China, Thailand, Brazil and the USA. The South Korean Government has been persuaded to ban bear bile farming. And one of the world’s largest travel companies, Tripadvisor, was moved to end dolphin and elephant entertainment sales and promotion.
Here’s a look at just a few of the incredible milestones people like YOU helped make possible:
What does World Animal Protection do?
For more than seven decades, we’ve been protecting animals in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world. From the boardrooms of large corporations to the frontline of the wildlife trade, our supporters help us create better lives for all animals.
Key wins
- 558,000 supporters moved TripAdvisor and more than 200 other travel companies to end their promotion of cruel elephant attractions.
- 513,000 supporters moved KFC to improve chicken welfare in the United Kingdom and six European countries.
- Ending bear dancing in India, Turkey, Greece and most recently Nepal by working with local partners.
- 188,000 supporters moved Turkish Airlines to stop transporting African grey parrots out of the Congo.
Today, we have 12 country offices and one international office, operating in more than 47 countries to help animals around the world.
When was World Animal Protection founded?
World Animal Protection was founded in 1950. But our journey began under a different name, with the same unwavering mission to protect animals from suffering. Here’s a look at some of the powerful moments that shaped who we are today:
1950
The World Federation for the Protection of Animals (WFPA) was founded to focus on lobbying governments in Europe and Africa to improve animal welfare.
1964
10,000 animals were rescued from floodwaters in Suriname, laying the foundations of our disaster response work around the world.
1975
WFPA and the International Society for the Protection of Animals (ISPA) agreed to merge to become one major international animal protection organisation.
1981
The merger of ISPA and WFPA was completed, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) was born.
1986
When a nuclear reactor exploded at the Chernobyl power station in Ukraine, you helped feed and relocated 900 animals including cows, horses and sheep to safety in Poland.
2005
Following the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami on Boxing Day, 117,548 animals were helped thanks to you. And urgent vet care and mobile vet clinics were deployed in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
2012
Together with the Indian government and our partner the Wildlife Trust of India you celebrated the end of bear dancing in India where we had worked with to eradicate this cruel entertainment.
2014
Our name changes to World Animal Protection, to clearly and simply demonstrate our purpose, mission and what we stand for.
2018
With help from us and some leading travel companies, ChangChill – formerly an elephant riding camp in Thailand – became an elephant-friendly venue, transforming the lives of their six elephants.
2020
You helped save 12 observation-only, high welfare elephant venues and sanctuaries in Asia and provided vet care when tourism related income stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
After decades of working hard in partnership with Green Korea United to end bear bile farming, the South Korean government finally announced an end to this cruel industry.
2023
Aotearoa New Zealand became the first country in the world to ban live export by sea. This significant milestone came after years of public pressure to protect hundreds of thousands of cows and other animals from horrific suffering at sea and abroad.