Four Paws (stylizedFOUR PAWS) is a globalanimal welfare organisation based inVienna, Austria. It focuses on improving the living conditions of animals under direct human influence, by revealing suffering, rescuing animals in need, and protecting them.[1]
Lionsrock big cat sanctuary, Bethlehem, South Africa (2011)
Four Paws was founded on 4 March 1988 by Helmut Dungler to protect animals from beingfarmed for their fur.[citation needed] In 1989, the first charges were brought against a number of fur farms in Austria. Furthermore,Austrian Airlines andLauda Air stopped the transport of captured exotic birds.[citation needed]
In 1991, Four Paws demanded the mandatory labelling of eggs and a total ban on battery cages for egg-laying hens.[citation needed] In 1998, the organisation opened the first sanctuary for bears inArbesbach, Austria.[2] In 1999, the foundation brought about the closure of Austria's largestbattery cage egg producer.[3]
In 2010, Four Paws started a collaboration with thePrincess Alia Foundation of Jordan, with the Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife project.[6] In 2012, anEU-wide ban on conventional battery cages for hens came into force.[7]
In 2014, theBear Sanctuary Prishtina in Kosovo was opened. In 2015, Four Paws initiated a campaign againstcanned lion hunting, which attracted 281,000 supporters.[8] In 2018, the organisation rescued lions and bears from "Europe's worst zoo", inTirana, Albania.[9] The same year, the first International Animal Welfare Summit was organised by Four Paws in Vienna, with famous guests that included Chinese artistAi Weiwei.[10]
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.[11] On 5 January 2020, Four Paws founder and president, Helmut Dungler, died unexpectedly.[12] In January 2020, Four Paws rescued sick lions at a zoo inKhartoum, Sudan, after worldwide outrage following concerning reports of the animals' condition.[13]
On 4 September 2020, the organisation, together with veterinariansAmir 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 theIslamabad Zoo in Pakistan to an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia.[14] The relocation to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, at the end of November 2020, was supported by singerCher's NGO Free the Wild and by businessmanEric Margolis.[15][16]
In March 2022, four tigers were rescued from Argentina to find a new home in South Africa. It was the organization's first rescue in South America.[18]
On 16 April 2020, claims by Four Paws inThe Independent stated there had been a surge in consumption of dog and cat meat inVietnam as a result offake news suggesting it would cureCOVID-19.[19] Four Paws' 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 nonprofitPolitiFact rated the claim as false.[20] Reporter Tina Nguyen called it mind-boggling and a nasty racist attack.[21] In May 2020, Four Paws responded with an official statement defending their claims.[22]
The organisation is positioned as "a strong, global, and independent voice for animals under direct human control" by offering sustainable solutions for animals in need, changingconsumer behaviour, driving legal change, and building partnerships. The purpose of Four Paws is to inform the general public about animal welfare. The organisation also supports a ban on farming animals for fur, strict limitations on keeping wild animals in private captivity, and a ban on wild animals in circuses.[1]
Bears: Four Paws rescues bears forced to live in poor conditions in circuses, zoos, or in private hands. The organisation has projects inVietnam,[23] Austria,[24]Bulgaria,[25]Poland,[26] Ukraine,[27] andKosovo.[28]
The Arbesbach sanctuary in Austria was built to provide a new home for brown bears formerly held in captivity.
Big cats: Four Paws has established sanctuaries and projects forbig cats in South Africa,[29][30] Jordan,[31][32][30] and the Netherlands,[33] The organisation also cooperates and works with several partner organisations within the welfare sector.[citation needed]
Stray animals: Four Paws creates solutions to prevent outbreaks of disease and uncontrolled levels of reproduction among strays in places such as Myanmar,[34] Romania,[35]Ukraine,[36] and Cambodia[37] In addition, the organization is working to sustainably end the dog and cat meat trade.[38]
Horses: The organisation protects Europe's last populations of horses living in the wildDanube Delta in Romania[39] and in the Jordanian city ofPetra.[39]
Orangutans: Four Paws looks after orphaned orangutans and prepares them to live independently in the wild.[40] Furthermore, the organisation funds aforest school in Indonesia'sEast Kalimantan.[41]
Fur farming: Four Paws supports a ban on farming animals for fur, a legal obligation to label all fur products and, in the long term, a Europe-wide ban on importing and selling all fur products.[42][43] In August 2018, Four Paws joined the Fur Free Alliance to launch a new campaign urging fashion brandPrada to adopt a fur-free policy likeGucci,Versace,Armani,Donna Karan, andHugo Boss.[44] In February 2021, the organisation published a statement on the assessment conducted by theFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, theWorld Organisation for Animal Health, and theWorld Health Organization onSARS-CoV-2 in animals used for fur farming, demonstrating high risks for public health.[45]
Assistance for animals in distress: The organisation rescues animals afternatural disasters and helps local people whose livelihood depends upon the animals.[46]
European Union: The organisation has urged theEuropean Parliament to call for stricter regulation on the trade in live wild animals, a clear commitment to step up efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, as well as EU and member states' financial support to wildlife rescue centres and sanctuaries.[47] Moreover, the organization has criticized theEU Council's decision on the signing of theMercosur agreement between the EU and the United States concerning "high quality beef".[48]
^FOUR PAWS recommendations for MEPs working on the Own Initiative Report on the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 Four Paws, retrieved on 31. August 2020 (PDF; 129 kB)
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