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This month we spent some time getting to know the Animals Asia Foundation and the work they do to help protect our animal friends.
How was Animals Asia Foundation started?
Animals Asia was founded by Jill Robinson, MBE in 1998 – five years after an encounter with a caged bear on a farm in southern China changed her life forever. Learning that bear bile could be replaced by herbs, she vowed to put an end to bear bile farming. Since then, Animals Asia has rescued over 400 bears in China and Vietnam.
What is the mission of Animals Asia Foundation?
Animals Asia is devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam. We promote compassion and respect for all animals and work to bring about long-term change.
What is Animals Asia Foundation’s geographical focus?
Animals Asia is focused on promoting animal welfare in Asia Pacific, especially China and Vietnam.
What are Animals Asia Foundation’s goals for Hong Kong specifically?
We run two programs that benefit the local community: Dr. Dog and Professor Paws. Dr. Dog is an animal assisted therapy program that visits homes for the elderly, children, hospitals, and people with disabilities. Professor Paws is a popular program that visits local schools to teach children compassion through animal welfare in English.
How can Hong Kongers get involved with Animals Asia Foundation?
There are many ways Hong Kongers can get involved – you can start by liking us on social media (our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/
What are some of your favourite charities, other than Animals Asia Foundation of course?
There are so many! The Nesbitt Centre is one of them – they help children with disabilities and run two social enterprises and employs people with disabilities. Happy Veggies is a vegetarian restaurant that is also social enterprise that employs people with disabilities, as well.
Green Queen Insight: Moon Bears are the common victims of the inhumane practice of bile farming. Bear bile has been used in TCM for over one thousand years and in the 1980s bile bear farms were set up to increase production. Not at pleasant topic these farms treat the bears cruelly as they are caged in crush cages and have a catheter permanently implanted in their gallbladder to extract the bile.
Green Queen Giving is a monthly series where we will showcase one of the the amazing NGOs and charities that we are proud to list in our Green Queen Guide to Hong Kong.
All photos courtesy of Animals Asia Foundation.
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