While cruising through Facebook or another social networking site, you may have noticed advertisements of sad-looking animals behind bars and a strip of orange signaling the WSPA. The World Society for the Protection of Animals is an organization intended for the purposes of animal welfare. The members of this group work to save animals that have been hit by natural disasters or have encountered other trouble around the globe. For instance, the WSPA was on the case to protect animals after New Orleans’ disaster a few years ago. They’re a successful animal protection society that you should know about. And we definitely want to recognize their good work!
1. What is WSPA?
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is an international animal welfare organization with 17 offices around the world. Our mission is to put an end to animal cruelty and suffering. We work in many places where protection for animals and the consideration of animal welfare is virtually non-existent. We do hands-on work in the field to help animals across the globe, educate people on the value and needs of animals, do science-based campaign work, and work to change laws so that they increase protection for animals. We also help animals affected by man-made and natural disasters. One of the things that makes WSPA unique is that we work in close collaboration with other animal protection groups to achieve our mission, and WSPA has over 1,000 members.
2. Tell me about some of your recent projects.
A uniquely-Canadian WSPA project is working with dogs in First Nations communities. Because so many of our First Nations communities are remote, they often don’t have access to veterinarians. As a result, across Canada there is a problem with stray dogs in many First Nations communities. WSPA is working to help. We are collaborating with communities and other animal protection groups to develop a national strategy to fix the problem. We also provide free vaccination, sterilization and health clinics in several communities. You can read more about a visit I made to a project this year here.
One of the largest campaigns that WSPA works on is to achieve a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) and for it to be recognized by the United Nations. A UDAW is an international agreement that animals matter and that we have a responsibility to protect them. WSPA is working with individual governments all around the world, asking them to support a UDAW. We need the support of individual countries in order for it to be taken to the United Nations and for them to recognize it. If we can achieve this goal, a UDAW can be a powerful influence. It has the potential to encourage countries to strengthen their laws and protections for animals. We’re campaigning on this issue in Canada – the Canadian government hasn’t agreed to support the UDAW yet – but, we’re getting close. You can get involved by telling the world ANIMALS MATTER TO ME on our website.
WSPA has just finished a very large aid program in Asia-Pacific, helping animals after the natural disasters that recently hit that region. Thousands of animals were given food and medicines. You can read more about our disaster work here.
3. What makes the WSPA different from other animal organizations? For example, your organization seems to focus on bears and dogs. Do you look into how global climate change might be affecting animals’ habitats as well?
We’re different because we’re working on an international scale to protect animals and we work with our member organizations to do so. While we feel that it’s important, we are not focused on conservation of a species. What we work on is protecting the well-being of animals (their welfare) and stopping animal cruelty. We do this at the grassroots level (directly with the animals) and at top levels (with governments to change laws affecting animals). Our work isn’t limited to bears and dogs. We work with cats and dogs, stray animals, bears, farm animals, wildlife like whales and orangutans and working equines – to name a few. You can read more about our work at here.
4. Our blog is not only committed to educating students about issues around the world, but also to encouraging students to find a passion and to make a difference. What can youth do to help animals in other countries, and how can they support the WSPA?
People can help animals in other countries by doing things right here at home. You can participate in letter writing to foreign governments, email campaigns and signing petitions. They have a tremendous impact. When travelling to other countries, be a compassionate traveller and don’t support industries or activities the exploit animals (swim with the dolphins, take a photo with a monkey, etc.).
The choices we make when we buy products can affect animals too. Simple things like eating less (or no) meat, by choosing organic and humanely produced foods, and products that aren’t tested on animals all make a difference. Volunteering at local animal shelters, starting animal clubs and just talking to others about issues that affect animals all make a difference. We all can play a role, and no matter how small it can have an effect.
5. Any other comments, experiences or words of wisdom you would like to share with our viewers?
I’d encourage people to watch the video on www.makeanimalsmatter.ca, and to consider how much animals are part of our lives and part of this planet. It’s something that sometimes gets lost among the social issues that we talk about – but animals have an effect on just about every facet of our lives.
Interview by Marisa Baratta
Blog Writer 2009-2010, Change Tomorrow’s World
