Author: Erica Heffner

HSI and local partner ARCAS help officials learn to safely and humanely care for confiscated wild animals

Humane Society International / Latin America

HSI

PETEN, Guatemala—Responsive to the threat that illegal trafficking poses to wildlife in Guatemala, Humane Society International and its local partner Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre recently provided training on proper handling of confiscated animals to wildlife technicians from the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), and delivered specialized equipment to support their work.

The equipment includes kennels of different sizes, humane cages for birds, mammals, and snakes, herpetological bags, gloves and digital scales, among other resources, to help authorities to safely and properly manage wild animals.

During the workshop, held at the ARCAS Rescue Center in Peten, participants received training on the current regulations in Guatemala regarding wild animals; human-wildlife interactions and coexistence; and the biology and management of reptiles, primates and Psittacidae (birds such as parrots and macaws).

Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America, said: “Wildlife trafficking represents a serious threat to animals who are removed from their habitat and illegally sold. That is why HSI supports the work carried out by CONAP in Guatemala, providing equipment and training to its officials so that they can safely and humanely care for confiscated wild animals.”

Fernando Martinez, director ARCAS Peten Rescue Center, said: “It is very important to strengthen biodiversity management in Guatemala, so we work with CONAP’s technical staff to train them on the proper handling and care that trafficked and confiscated wild animals should receive, as well as the equipment to do so. The result will be providing wildlife with the well-being they deserve outside their natural habitat.”

Miriam Quinonez, wildlife and hydrobiological resources manager of CONAP in Peten, said: “Wildlife is key to human survival and the care of wild species must be a priority; all species fulfill particular roles that help maintain the natural balance that gives us life. Wild animals were born to be free, every day we must learn to live and respect our wild urban and rural neighbors.”

According to CONAP, illegal wildlife trafficking in Guatemala ranks third among environmental crimes for the period 2014-2019, with the most cases taken up in the nation’s judiciary branch, only behind crimes committed against forest resources and attacks on natural and cultural heritage. The animals most affected by illegal trafficking are birds, spider monkeys, white-tailed deer, as well as the green iguana and the Jicotea turtle.

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Media contact: Alejandra Zuniga, CommsLatAm@hsi.org

First-ever round table event at the Parliament Palace on humane stray dog population management

Humane Society International / Europe

Street dog puppies
Ioana Cristiana

BUCHAREST, Romania—Humane Society International/Europe and the Ilfov County Council’s Animal Protection Department hosted a groundbreaking debate titled “Efficiently and Humanely: How to Properly Manage Animal-Human Issues” at the Palace of Parliament. This first-of-its-kind event in Romania brought together over 80 participants, including mayors, county council presidents from 24 municipalities and 10 counties, as well as parliamentarians committed to finding humane, sustainable animal welfare solutions.

The debate marks an important milestone in HSI/Europe’s broader initiative to support local authorities in implementing compassionate and effective dog population management strategies. While figures are rough (without any official count), across Romania, it is estimated that there are between 500,000 and 1,000,000 stray dogs on the streets. Many suffer from malnutrition, disease, while others, housed in shelters, are sadly euthanized if unclaimed.

In 2024, HSI/Europe launched a strategic partnership with the Ilfov County Council’s Animal Protection Department, recognizing the agency’s innovative, holistic approach to animal welfare and dog management. This collaboration began in September with a comprehensive program offering free veterinary services—including spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, de-worming, and first aid—for dogs and cats in Ilfov County. These services, delivered by HSI/Europe through collaboration with veterinary teams, such as WAVE and Nomad Vet, target areas with significant animal welfare challenges, such as disadvantaged communities, industrial zones, and former military sites.

Data-Driven, Humane Approaches

During the event, HSI was represented by Dr. Amit Chaudhari, director of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Impact Analysis, Humane Society International/India; Kerry Zaleski, director of Companion Animals and Engagement, HSI; and Andreea Roseti, country director for HSI/Europe in Romania.

“There is no true animal welfare without compassion for people,” said  Roseti. “Stray animals often originate from someone’s backyard, reflecting a failure in responsibility and resources. Humane solutions require tailored interventions, informed by ongoing data and analysis. Together with the Ilfov County Council team and our colleagues from North America, we’ve been collecting data to design and implement the most effective pet management programs possible.”

Dr. Chaudhari also shared insights from a pilot census conducted in 14 localities in Ilfov County, underscoring the importance of data-driven, long-term planning to address stray dog populations effectively.

Empowering Local Authorities

The Ilfov County Council’s Animal Protection Department showcased its ongoing dog welfare projects and provided participants with practical tools for implementation. Attendees received resources, including templates and legal frameworks, enabling other municipalities to adopt similar models.

“The issue of stray animals is as much about people as it is about animals,” said Hilde Tudora, Director of Animal Protection at Ilfov County Council. “While laws allow us to fund sterilization for owned dogs, the larger issue lies with stray animals. Through partnerships with NGOs, we’ve developed solutions that go beyond what legislation permits. At the event, we distributed USB drives with detailed documentation to make it easier for other authorities to replicate our programs and adapt them to their regions.”

A Path Forward

The roundtable highlighted the critical role of collaboration and innovative thinking in improving living conditions for both people and animals. With the active engagement of local authorities and the support of organizations like HSI/Europe, Romania is taking significant steps toward a more compassionate approach to animal welfare.

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Media Contact: Raluca Simion: commsromania@hsi.org

Humane Society International/Latin America pilot project seeks to help a community become more animal-friendly

Humane Society International / Latin America

HSI

TORTUGUERO, Costa Rica—Humane Society International/Latin America recently provided free veterinary care to dozens of dogs and cats in Tortuguero, a small but much visited community in northeastern Costa Rica situated on the country’s Caribbean coast in proximity to an ecologically sensitive national park. The examinations and treatments were carried out as part of an initiative intended to strengthen Tortuguero’s status as an animal-friendly community.

Over two days, 63 pets including 44 dogs and 19 cats, received essential veterinary services including examinations, vaccinations, deworming and microchipping. This included 24 animals from the neighboring community of San Francisco, who were brought to the clinic by boat.

According to Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America, the event marked the last activity of the year in Tortuguero under a pilot project aimed at empowering the community to become more animal-friendly. “Excellent results were achieved in both animal health campaigns, as well as in the other approaches taken throughout the year, mainly due to the high level of commitment from the community and the work of our ‘Animal Ambassadors,’ local individuals committed to leading animal welfare initiatives and helping make them sustainable over time,” Borel said.

Ahead of the event, the community’s Animal Ambassadors learned how to recognize stress in pets and take steps to create a calm, positive environment. One Ambassador, Scarleth Centeno, highlighted the impact: “Both campaigns ran smoothly and were well-organized, with minimal stress for the animals. The techniques we learned helped us identify and address any signs of discomfort, ensuring the dogs and cats felt safe and supported.”

The veterinary care services were complemented by educational sessions for community members on interactions between domestic pets and local wildlife. Tortuguero is uniquely situated near a national park that is home to diverse species, including sea turtles and jaguars, making responsible pet ownership critical to protecting both pets and wildlife.

HSI/Latin America developed the initiative in close collaboration with the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC–MINAE), the Tortuguero National Park, the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), the School of Veterinary Medicine of the National University, the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO-MINAE), ASVO Costa Rica, Narime Foundation, Tortuguero Environmental Committee, and Sea Turtle Conservancy, among other parties.

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Media contact: Alejandra Zúñiga: alezuniga@outlook.com

Warning: Contains graphic descriptions of animals being killed and link to graphic visuals

Humane Society International / India

HSI

BIHAR, India—Animal charities Humane Society International/India, People for Animals, Sneha’s Care and the Federation of Animal Welfare of Nepal have condemned the mass animal sacrifice at the Gadhimai festival in Nepal as “an appalling bloodbath” and urged the Nepali government to take action to make this the last Gadhimai festival where animals are killed. HSI/India, PFA and the border police managed to confiscate and save from slaughter more than 750 animals being illegally transported across the border into Nepal from India.

Held every five years in Bariyarpur village in the Bara district of Nepal, the Gadhimai festival sees hundreds of thousands of animals killed. The killing began in the early hours of the morning on Dec. 8 when, according to entry receipts, 4,200 buffaloes were beheaded in the arena and thousands of goats, pigeons and more were killed outside. It ended today with the killing of thousands more goats, as part of an historic ritual to appease the goddess Gadhimai.

Humane Society International/India and People for Animals deployed teams to the Indo-Nepal border checkpoints more than a week prior to the sacrifice, to assist border police in intercepting and confiscating animals illegally transported for slaughter. Their combined efforts saved the lives of more than 750 animals―74 buffaloes, 347 goats, 328 pigeons and two chickens. The newborn and infant goats needing immediate or specialist treatment will receive life-long care at Happy Home Sanctuary run by HSI/India’s partners PFA Uttarakhand; permanent homes are being found for the buffaloes and chickens while the pigeons have been safely released back into the wild. Despite this, estimates from eyewitness accounts are that between 250,000 – 500,000 animals were slaughtered across the two days.

Arkaprava Bahar, Humane Society International/India’s senior manager of campaigns, who led animal rescue efforts at the border, said: “We rescued buffaloes from the back of trucks, goats smuggled in scarves on the back of motorbikes, chickens strung upside down by their feet on the side of vehicles and baskets and boxes of pigeons. The suffering these animals endure is so upsetting and so unnecessary. They have been put through exhausting journeys, many weak from lack of food, water and rest, only to be thrust into the mayhem of Gadhimai where all around them they see other animals being slaughtered. I’ve never seen anything as upsetting and disturbing as what I have witnessed at the Gadhimai sacrifice. The scale of the animal killing is unfathomable, there are animals being beheaded everywhere you look and pools of bright red blood on the ground wherever you tread. Animals such as buffaloes and goats are sensitive, sentient creatures very much aware of what’s happening around them. It must be a terrifying ordeal. This appalling bloodbath must end.

It’s some comfort to know that we and the border forces were able to save hundreds of precious animals from such cruelty. They will now live happy lives being cared for at partner shelters. Every buffalo, goat and pigeon we saved is precious, but we urge the government of Nepal to take decisive action to ensure that in future we have a bloodless Gadhimai.”

Prior to the border work, HSI/India and PFA held a press conference with spiritual teacher and author Acharya Prashant who encouraged devotees to celebrate the festival with compassion and to honour traditions without harming animals. Prashant said: “Devotion should inspire compassion, not cruelty. Slaughtering animals in the name of the divine diminishes the spirit of worship. Let us honour the Goddess by upholding the sanctity of all life during Gadhimai.”

HSI/India teams also conducted door-to-door awareness campaigns and distributed around 3,500 local language pamphlets in 12 villages near the Indo-Nepal border, urging devotees not to sacrifice their animals.

Sneha Shrestha, founder of Sneha’s Care and president of the Federation of Animal Welfare of Nepal, said: “The local government has been intimidating journalists, NGOs and anyone calling for a stop to the sacrifice, violating the rights to free communication. The local government along with the central government has also failed to support the campaign as promised. This year the festival management committee has increased the height of the wall around the compound area where the sacrifices take place and have deployed police forces around the compound. The government in Nepal has had five years to comply with the Supreme Court judgment banning sacrifice but it has failed to take any action and instead has promoted the sacrifice.”

HSI/India and PFA have been working since 2014 to stop animal sacrifice at Gadhimai. There were an estimated more than 500,000 animals killed in 2009 and around 250,000 animals in both 2014 and 2019.

Ahead of the 2024 sacrifice, the Gadhimai Temple urged devotees to bring animal sacrifice numbers back up to 500,000.

In 2014, the Supreme Court of India took a significant step to curb this practice by directing the Indian government to prevent the illegal transport of animals across the border into Nepal for sacrifice at Gadhimai. The court also called upon animal protection organizations, including HSI/India, PFA and others, to formulate an action plan to ensure its orders, which HSI/India has implemented ever since, were effectively enforced. Subsequently, in September 2019, the Supreme Court of Nepal ordered an end to live animal sacrifices at Gadhimai and urged authorities to create a plan to phase out this practice nationwide, but this has been widely ignored.

Facts:

  • The Gadhimai festival involves a month-long celebration or “mela,” culminating in the ritual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals.
  • Water buffalo, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks and rats are decapitated with blunt metal swords in an alcohol-fueled killing frenzy.
  • The majority of these animals are illegally transported from India into Nepal owing to porous borders.
  • This rule is being openly flouted as the majority of animals are transported illegally across the border without an export license.
  • Mass sacrifice events pose serious public health risks, exacerbated by the unsanitary conditions at the festival site. With no toilets for millions of pilgrims, the air is filled with the stench of feces, blood and death.
  • The origins of Gadhimai date back around 265 years, when the founder of the Gadhimai Temple, Bhagwan Chowdhary, had a dream that the goddess Gadhimai wanted blood in return for freeing him from prison, protecting him from evil and promising prosperity and power. The goddess asked for a human sacrifice, but Chowdhary offered an animal instead and this has been repeated every five years since.

Visuals:

ENDS

Media contacts:

  • Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
  • Shaili Shah, HSI/India media relations specialist: sshah@hsi.org; 99 3059 1005

Humane Society International / Europe

Gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park
Nathan Hobbs, iStock

BRUSSELS—Today’s decision by the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention to downgrade the protection of the wolf represents a dangerous step backwards for biodiversity and sets a worrying precedent for wildlife conservation in Europe, according to several animal protection organisations.

Meeting in Strasbourg this week, the Committee agreed to reclassify the wolf from “strictly protected” to “protected” under the Bern Convention. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Eurogroup for Animals and Humane Society International/Europe warn that this politically motivated decision undermines decades of slow but steady progress in the recovery of the species.

“This decision disregards science and opens the door to political interference in conservation efforts,” said Ilaria Di Silvestre, IFAW’s Director of Policy and Advocacy for Europe. “The wolf is still endangered in many parts of Europe, and weakening its protection will only lead to further conflict and threaten its recovery.”

Dr Joanna Swabe, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Humane Society International/Europe (HSI) added: “The EU decision-making on lowering legal protections for wolves sets a dangerous precedent for other European species, such as bears and lynx. All decision-making relating to the protected status of wildlife species must be based on robust scientific evidence. Instead, decisions on wolves have clearly been driven by political expediency and succeed only in appeasing vocal interest groups, such as hunters, who prefer to take recourse to rifles, rather than seeking coexistence with large carnivores.”

Although the wolf has recovered in parts of Europe, six out of nine European wolf populations remain in a status of near threatened or vulnerable. Conservationists emphasise that protective measures are vital to ensure that the species reaches and remains in a favourable conservation status. If transposed into EU legislation, the downgrade of the wolf’s protection status would allow for greater hunting flexibility, but experience and scientific evidence have shown that culling is an ineffective solution to reducing attacks on domestic animals, as opposed to preventive measures successfully   implemented by many farmers across the EU.

Léa Badoz, Wildlife Programme Officer at Eurogroup for Animals commented: “The wolf is unfortunately the latest political pawn, a victim of misinformation. Downgrading protection will not solve the challenges of coexistence nor help farmers. It is based on misconceptions and threatens wolves, while failing to provide real support for farmers and local communities, many of whom are in favour of coexistence with the wolf. Proven coexistence measures must be the priority, and the EU should help through financial means.”

The three NGOs are committed to promoting coexistence with wildlife and closely monitoring any subsequent changes to the EU Habitats Directive, to ensure that the protection of European species is not further compromised.

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Editor’s Note: Survey on attitudes towards large carnivores in rural communities.

Media contacts:

  • HSI/Europe: Yavor Gechev, EU communications director: +359 889 468098; ygechev@hsi.org
  • IFAW: Jürgen Noack, Communications Consultant: +32 470 48 49 05; jnoack.contractor@ifaw.org
  • Eurogroup for Animals: Theresa Bonnici, Press Officer: +32 456 42 11 99; t.bonnici@eurogroupforanimals.org

The teams are stationed at key checkpoints of Indo–Nepal border towns, assisting the border police

Humane Society International / India

Shaili Shah/HSI A goat rescued by HSI/India at the Indo-Nepal border checkpoint ahead of Nepal’s Gadhimai animal sacrifice festival 2024.

BIHAR, India—Ahead of the Gadhimai festival in Nepal, which is the largest mass animal sacrifice event in the world, animal protection organizations Humane Society International/India and People For Animals are urging devotees not to bring animals for sacrifice. HSI/India and PFA have deployed teams to assist the border police in their work prohibiting the illegal transport of animals across the Indo-Nepal border. HSI/India and PFA will work to ensure that confiscated animals are taken to safety in accordance with Indian law.

Held every five years in Bariyarpur village in the Bara district of Nepal, the Gadhimai festival sees hundreds of thousands of animals, including buffaloes, goats, pigeons and more, beheaded as part of an historic ritual to appease the goddess Gadhimai.

Arkaprava Bhar, HSI/India’s senior manager of campaign capacity building, who is leading on-ground efforts at the border, said: “Along with our colleagues from PFA, we are at the checkpoints around the borders and assisting law enforcement officials to ensure every animal we find brought for sacrifice is protected. Our mission is not just about stopping the illegal transport of animals but about standing up for compassion in our traditions. Under the leadership of border forces, we are conducting thorough vehicle checks to ensure that no animals are smuggled across. In the past few days, we’ve stopped trucks and vehicles carrying buffaloes and goats, all bound for the festival where they would have been beheaded had we not been there. They are the lucky ones, spared this terrifying ordeal. We will save as many lives as possible and spread the message to end blood sacrifice.”

A few days prior to the border work, the teams also conducted door-to-door awareness campaigns and distributed around 3,500 local language pamphlets in 12 villages near the Indo-Nepal border, urging devotees not to sacrifice their animals.

HSI/India and PFA have been working since 2014 to stop animal sacrifice at Gadhimai. Following persistent efforts, the gruesome animal sacrifices have declined from an estimated more than 500,000 animals killed in 2009 to around 250,000 animals in both 2014 and 2019 including an estimated 3,500 buffaloes.

In 2014, the Supreme Court of India took a significant step to curb this practice by directing the Indian government to prevent the illegal transport of animals across the border into Nepal for sacrifice at Gadhimai. The court also called upon animal protection organizations, including HSI/India, PFA and others, to formulate an action plan to ensure its orders, which HSI/India has implemented ever since, were effectively enforced. Subsequently, in September 2019, the Supreme Court of Nepal ordered an end to live animal sacrifices at Gadhimai and urged authorities to create a plan to phase out this practice nationwide, but this has been widely ignored.

Facts:

  • The Gadhimai festival involves a month-long celebration or “mela,” culminating in the ritual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals.
  • Water buffalo, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks and rats are decapitated with blunt metal swords in an alcohol-fueled killing frenzy.
  • The majority of these animals are illegally transported from India into Nepal owing to porous borders.
  • This rule is being openly flouted as the majority of animals are transported illegally across the border without an export license.
  • Mass sacrifice events pose serious public health risks, exacerbated by the unsanitary conditions at the festival site. With no toilets for millions of pilgrims, the air is filled with the stench of feces, blood and death.
  • The origins of Gadhimai date back around 265 years, when the founder of the Gadhimai Temple, Bhagwan Chowdhary, had a dream that the goddess Gadhimai wanted blood in return for freeing him from prison, protecting him from evil and promising prosperity and power. The goddess asked for a human sacrifice, but Chowdhary successfully offered an animal instead and this has been repeated every five years since.

HSI/India representatives are available for interview on request.

View photos/video of our 2024 Gadhimai border work. (To download these visuals, email whiggins@hsi.org.)

ENDS

Media contacts:

  • Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
  • Shaili Shah, HSI/India media relations specialist: 99 3059 1005; sshah@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Mexico

HSI veterinary team performing surgery in La Paz, Bolivia
Indómita Bolivia

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico—Humane Society International/Mexico, in partnership with the Centro de Ciencias Agropecuarias at the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes (UAA), recently completed a pioneering spay/neuter training program for 14 government veterinarians in Aguascalientes. This hands-on program, the first of its kind in Mexico, was designed to equip veterinary professionals with the advanced surgical skills needed for high-volume sterilization campaigns across the state.

As part of a pilot program under the train-the-trainer model, three UAA veterinarians received training at HSI’s top-tier veterinary training center in La Paz, Bolivia. After an intensive three-week course, they gained the skills necessary to become trainers themselves. The trainees, who are part of government agencies already conducting large-scale spay/neuter campaigns, included 10 veterinarians from the ISSEA (Aguascalientes Health Department), two from the city’s Canine Control Center, and two from PROESPA (the Aguascalientes Environmental Agency). This initiative aims to enhance surgical skills and provide additional tools for local veterinary teams to perform humane and efficient spay/neuter surgeries.

Bárbara Morales, companion animals and engagement manager at HSI Mexico and program leader in Aguascalientes, highlighted the significance of this initiative: “This training marks a major step forward in our efforts to control companion animal populations in Aguascalientes. By building local capacity in high-quality, high-volume sterilization procedures, we are making a lasting impact on animal welfare and public health.”

The course blended theory and practice, incorporating international best practices to ensure trainees gained the skills needed for safe and effective sterilization campaigns. In late November, the UAA-trained veterinarians participated in feedback sessions led by the Bolivian trainers who initially trained them.

The Bolivian team’s feedback provided valuable insights to help improve the program for future trainings. This collaboration exemplifies the ongoing partnership between Latin American countries facing similar companion animal welfare challenges.

Dr. Claudia Edwards, program director at HSI Mexico, emphasized the long-term benefits: “Spay/neuter surgeries are crucial for reducing the overpopulation of dogs and cats and preventing the suffering of stray animals. This training improves animal health and welfare, strengthens the human-animal bond, reduces the burden on shelters, and helps lower the number of animals surrendered to the Canine Control Center.”

HSI’s Latin America Veterinary Training Program, launched in 2014, has trained over 300 veterinarians across the region, focusing on humane, high-volume, low-cost sterilization techniques. The program’s mission is to enhance the human-animal bond by providing veterinarians and veterinary technicians with the skills needed to perform safe and effective spay/neuter surgeries, thereby reducing the population of unwanted animals and contributing to healthier communities.

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Media contact: Magaly Garibay: (+52 55) 5211 8731; mgaribay@idee.agencia

Humane Society International / Europe

Science
JVisentin/istock

BRUSSELS—A new online Master Class course to train scientists in testing cosmetics and chemicals without using animals is being hailed as a game-changer for cruelty-free testing worldwide. Featuring real-world case studies to walk scientists through animal-free testing step by step, the curriculum launched by the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration (AFSA) has attracted over 1,200 participants from nearly 70 countries since its debut in 2023, highlighting a global interest in innovative, ethical testing methods. Its final module is now open for registration, completing the ten-module course.

Created with input from industry, method developers, regulatory and animal protection experts, the course guides users through every stage of “next-generation risk assessment” culminating in advanced techniques like data integration to ensure robust consumer safety conclusions. These cutting-edge methodologies not only eliminate the need for painful animal-based testing but also provide more valid and reliable results concerning the safety of chemicals and products.

A result of wide-ranging contributions from global experts in animal-free safety science, the AFSA Master Class aims to provide the educational building blocks for lasting change, encouraging kinder scientific practices that will also better ensure human safety. Regulators, product developers, contract research organizations, and academic professionals from across the globe are all active in development of the course, illustrating the truly collaborative nature of animal-free safety science worldwide.

Dr. Catherine Willett, senior director of science and regulatory affairs at Humane Society International and principal coordinator of the AFSA Master Class, said, “Consumers and companies alike want to move away from painful and outdated animal tests, but learning more about the cutting-edge tools  available in the animal-free toolbox, and how to use them to make safety decisions, can be challenging. The AFSA Master Class demystifies animal-free safety assessment, making it easier for companies to replace rats, rabbits and guinea pigs with advanced non-animal models and computer simulations.”

Course participant Mark Broussard, managing partner of Desert in Bloom Cosmetics Lab, said, “The AFSA Master Class really helped me understand the entire process of determining the safety of a novel cosmetic ingredient using non-animal methods, since I am working with a novel plant extract that has not before been safety tested or used in cosmetic/therapeutic products for human use. I think the new approach methodologies will yield more valid, more reliable results on the safety of cosmetic ingredients without subjecting animals to the painful animal-based testing procedures.”

“The safety of the cosmetics and personal care products that consumers use and trust every day is of the utmost importance,” said Dr. Julia H Fentem, EVP safety, environmental & regulatory science at Unilever. “Our unique AFSA Master Class program is focused on the safety assessment of cosmetic products and ingredients without generating new animal data and covers all aspects of using non-animal tools and data for internal company decisions-making as well as regulatory safety assessments.”

The AFSA Master Class will help equip key stakeholders with the right tools and knowledge to better explore animal-free methods of safety testing and contribute to the wider shift towards the cruelty-free future of cosmetic and chemical safety science.

The full AFSA Master Class is freely available online at AFSAcollaboration.org/masterclass.

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Media contact: Aviva Vetter, avetter@hsi.org

Editor’s note: The AFSA Master Class is a product of in-kind contributions from the following member organizations: Avon Products Inc., Crème, Delphic HSE, DSM-Firmenich, Givaudan, Humane Society International, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc., Lhasa Ltd., L’Oréal, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Procter & Gamble, Symrise, Unilever.

Investigative footage of wounded foxes and public health regulations being flouted released by HSI/UK

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

HSI

LONDON—Shocking new footage of animals suffering on fur farms in Finland—a country that supplies fur sold in the UK—reveals foxes with raw open wounds, weeping infected eyes and deformed splayed feet. The investigation, carried out in late October by leading animal protection organisation Humane Society International/UK in partnership with Finnish animal protection organisation Oikeutta Eläimille, also found zoonotic disease prevention measures being flouted on the fur farms visited, constituting an alarming public health risk. Investigators, who took biosecurity precautions, also filmed obese “monster foxes” with unnaturally excessive skin folds from selective breeding to increase their fur yield, and foxes displaying repetitive behaviours indicative of mental distress. The UK has allowed imports of more than £16 million of fur from Finland since 2000.

View photos and video. To download these visuals, email Sally Ivens: sivens@hsi.org.  

Finland is one of the last remaining European countries in which farming animals for fur remains legal, with the Finnish trade boasting that almost 100% of its fox fur farms are certified by the SAGA scheme (including the WelFur protocol), a set of guidelines promulgated by the Finnish auction house SAGA, which promises “the highest level of animal welfare”. However, the horrifying conditions documented—including on SAGA-assured farms—show the heartbreaking reality of the industry: foxes confined in small, barren cages for their entire lives, never able to feel the grass beneath their feet nor carry out natural behaviours such as running, digging and hunting. Fox fur originating from Finland is used by brands such as Woolrich, Ermanno Scervino, Yves Salomon and Fendi and can be found in UK shops such as Harrods. 

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, said: “Finnish fur farms describe having animal welfare as ‘a top priority’ but this investigation tells a very different story. Forced to spend their entire lives in cages only a little bigger than their own bodies, many of the animals we saw were chronically stressed, others had diseased eyes and mouths and some had raw, clearly untreated injuries. In addition, we saw regulations designed to stop the spread of avian flu on fur farms flouted. I’ve visited around 20 fur farms in the past six years and from what I’ve witnessed on every occasion it’s clear that the fur trade routinely disregards both animal welfare and public health.  

These appalling conditions are worlds apart from the ‘luxury’ image the fur trade tries to portray, and stores like Harrods should rethink having their brands anywhere near this indefensible suffering. We urge MPs and the UK Government to back Ruth Jones’ Bill to bring an end to Britain’s involvement in the cruel and dangerous fur trade.”

Singer-songwriter and animal advocate Will Young said “Fur is disgustingly cruel and it breaks my heart to see foxes and other animals suffering for this outdated ‘fashion’ product. I’m proud to be joining Humane Society International/UK in urging the Government to support Ruth Jones MP’s Bill to ban imports. We need a Fur Free Britain!” 

Outbreaks of both COVID-19 and highly pathogenic avian influenza on more than 500 fur farms in Europe and North America have alarmed scientists and public health officials. Since the avian flu outbreaks on fur farms in Finland in 2023, where the original source of the infection was believed to have been wild gulls, the Finnish authorities have introduced biosecurity measures and mandatory carcass testing periods. They have also introduced regulations requiring the use of netting to prevent wild birds from accessing the housed animals’ cages and their food and drinking water; the netting is required to be checked regularly and any birds observed inside must be removed immediately. HSI/UK investigators found farms risking public health by flouting these rules. In many instances the netting failed to cover the full length of the cages and, on one farm, the decaying body of a wild gull was found just underneath a row of caged foxes.  

Kristo Muurimaa of Oikeutta Eläimille said: “Finnish fur farms are a disease disaster waiting to happen. The cages are open to the elements and there’s no way to reliably prevent avian influenza or other possibly dangerous viruses from spreading. We urge the Finnish Government to follow the path of 21 other European countries and ban fur farming, supporting farmers where necessary to secure a rapid closure of this industry.”
 
Although fur farming has been banned in the UK on animal welfare grounds for over 20 years, this cruel and frivolous fashion product is still imported and sold here. HSI/UK estimates that the amount of fur imported into the UK over the five years 2019-2023 equates to approximately 7 million animals brutally killed. 

HSI/UK leads the Fur Free Britain campaign for a ban on the import and sale of fur, which has gathered over 1.2 million petition signatures and support from a host of celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Stella and Sir Paul McCartney, Leona Lewis OBE, Alesha Dixon and Strictly Come Dancing’s Pete Wicks.

In October 2024, Labour MP Ruth Jones introduced a Private Member’s Bill to prohibit the import and sale of fur; HSI/UK welcomed the tabling of this draft law as a significant step forward. The Bill proposes to extend existing bans on trade in fur from cats, dogs and seals to include foxes, raccoon dogs, mink, chinchilla, coyotes and other animals killed for fur fashion, and prevent the import and sale of new animal fur from all species. If passed into law, the ban would end the UK’s complicity in the cruelty and public health risk of the global fur trade.

Fur facts:

  • Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade. The vast majority of animals killed for their fur are kept in barren battery cages on fur farms.    
  • In addition to the physical and psychological torment of being confined in small, barren cages for their entire lives, the methods typically used to kill animals on fur farms are equally distressing. Foxes are typically killed by anal electrocution and mink are gassed. 
  • The UK was the first country in the world to ban fur farming and since then an additional 21 European nations have banned the cruel practice—most recently Romania and Lithuania. 
  • HMRC records show that almost £40 million of fur (£39,703,694) was imported to the UK in 2023 from countries including Finland, China, Spain, Greece and Poland. 
  • During the 2023 outbreaks of avian influenza on Finnish fur farms, where mammal-to-mammal transmission was believed likely to have occurred, the Finnish authorities ordered all the animals on infected farms (around 500,000 mink, fox, raccoon dog and sable) to be killed on public health grounds. 
  • In a July 2023 article published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in July 2023, Professor Wendy Barclay and Dr Thomas Peacock of Imperial College London warned that fur farming poses a risk for the emergence of future disease outbreaks and should be considered in the same category of high-risk practices as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. The PNAS article states that “fur farming takes place in a high-density animal environment that allows for rapid spread of viruses with pandemic potential—and for virus adaptation to animals that would be unlikely to occur in nature.” The virologists also strongly urge governments to consider the mounting evidence suggesting that “fur farming, particularly mink, be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness”. 
  • A September 2024 study published in Nature reporting on viruses found on Chinese fur farms found 39 viruses identified as a ‘high-risk’ for potential to spread to humans, including 13 potentially high-risk novel viruses and 11 zoonotic viruses. Study author Professor Edward Holmes of the University of Sydney, described the fur trade as ‘a roll of the dice’ and noted that fur farms present a ‘clear epidemic or pandemic risk’. 
  • A Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry sets out precautionary measures to prevent the spread of avian flu from wild animals to fur animals. Visiting the farms, investigators took full biosecurity protection measures, wearing new bio-suits, shoe covers, and face masks for each farm, and returned negative COVID-19 tests prior to visits.

ENDS

Media contact: Sally Ivens, HSI/UK: 07590 559299; sivens@hsi.org  

Humane Society International / Latin America

HSI

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—This month, Humane Society International/Latin America provided advanced training to Costa Rican government authorities and other animal welfare institutions to enhance their capacity to combat illegal dog fighting and cockfighting. The two-day educational session engaged more than 50 representatives from Costa Rican agencies and organizations including, but not limited to, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) and the National Animal Health Service (SENASA).

The training addressed issues such as the link between animal cruelty and human violence; the regulatory framework concerning animal fighting in Costa Rica, and the connection of animal fighting to other illegal activities, such as drug trafficking and organized crime. Other specialized training covered investigative techniques and evidence gathering for cases involving organized dog fights and cockfights.

Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America, said: “With this training, we are pleased to empower local authorities to investigate and prosecute these illegal and cruel instances of animal fighting in Costa Rica. Abusing animals for human entertainment has no place in our society.”

Cockfighting is a bloody practice in which two or more birds bred specifically for fighting are placed in a ring or “cockpit” for the sole purpose of fighting for human entertainment and gambling. Dogfighting is also an illegal and extremely cruel activity, in which dogs are bred, conditioned and trained to fight for the same purposes.

These fights usually result in the death of one or both animals involved. Those animals who do not die suffer terribly from their injuries and from not receiving treatment. Dogs are sometimes killed by their owners via the most horrible methods. Both types of animal fights often co-occur with other illegal activities, including drug, arms and human trafficking.

In Costa Rica, the Penal Code (Article 279) punishes, with sentences of three months to one year in prison, anyone who organizes, encourages or carries out fights between animals of any species, without exceptions in the national territory.

ENDS

Media contact: Alejandra Zuniga: 7012-5598; commsLatAm@hsi.org

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