Network for Animals

NFA is instrumental in the fight against the illegal practice of organized horse fighting in Mindanao, in the Southern Philippines. As an incentive to stop horse fighting, NFA provides free veterinary clinics in communities where horse fighting is prevalent, on the condition the horses are not used in fights. NFA regularly persuades television stations and newspapers to cover the horse-fighting issue, reaching hundreds of thousands of people. Additionally, NFA prints and distributes educational leaflets and posters in horse fighting areas, give presentations to veterinarians, schools, and civic groups, and when funding allows, runs advertisements in newspapers.[9]

In Zimbabwe, NFA works with MARES, a donkey sanctuary in Bulawayo that combats cruelty, rescues donkeys and fights to end the donkey skin trade.[10] In Kenya, NFA cooperates with the Kenyan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KSPCA). NFA highlights the slaughter of donkeys on a daily basis and has stated that by 2023, Kenya may not have a single donkey left. Kenya has since announced that it will ban the commercial slaughter of donkeys.[11] In early 2020, abattoirs were given a month to stop the slaughter or be shut down.[12] NFA also works to improve the lives of donkeys in South Africa. During the coronavirus pandemic the organization provided food to feed 250 donkeys.[13] The organization also runs outreach programs to teach donkey owners how to take care of their donkeys in Limpopo.[14]

NFA works to help street cats around the world, with support projects in South Africa, Italy, and Greece. On the Greek islands of Kefalonia and Ithaka, NFA funds spay and neuter programs and provides food for street cats. In Cape Town, South Africa, NFA supports the work of activist June Bradbury who cares for feral cats in industrial areas, and financially supports the cattery at the TEARS animal rescue shelter. In Paciano, Italy, NFA provides funding for the care and feeding of street cats.[15]

Alongside NFA’s campaigns for animal welfare, the organization assists animals and their owners in times of natural disaster. In 2020, when Australian bush fires killed a billion animals, NFA provided funding for specialized food and care for flying-fox cubs. In January 2020, the Taal volcano erupted in the Philippines. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated, and animals were left to fend for themselves. NFA provided food and care for animals in the danger area.[16] When Hurricane Florence swept through the Carolinas in 2006, NFA donated more than $45,000.00 to rescue, care for, and reunite animals with their families. When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in 2017, NFA called on supporters for help, rescuing stranded animals and raised $60,472.00, which was given to the Houston SPCA.[17]

On 27 March 2020, the government of South Africa declared a national lockdown to combat the spread of the virus Covid-19. It was announced that only emergency veterinary surgeries could take place under new strict regulations.[18] Fallen Angels in the Western Cape was one of several shelter-and-outreach organizations affected by the ruling.[19] Their shelter cares for over 300 dogs, whilst also providing valuable care for thousands of strays living in townships in and around the province. With authorities estimating there could be more than 230 000 street dogs in Cape Town alone, Fallen Angels could not afford to turn their back on these dogs.[20] NFA’s sister organization PAL challenged the ruling, encouraging South Africans to do the same and show their support for the cause by signing a petition to Government. Efforts paid off and the ban was lifted, enabling sterilization of animals in the Western Cape.[21]

NFA, in partnership with local animal protection organizations, has led the fight to end the brutal illegal dog meat trade in the Philippines.[22] NFA’s animal welfare campaigning within the Philippines promotes rabies awareness alongside other health concerns involved in the dog meat trade. The team regularly works in Philippine schools, and reports of NFA’s raids are regularly broadcast on Philippine news networks. The team operates a network of informants across the region, who monitor suspected slaughtering locations and smuggling vehicles, as well as organizing raids to tackle illegal trading.[23] NFA has helped achieve major reductions in the Philippine consumption of dog meat. It is now almost unheard of in the capital of Metro Manila, and widely considered an embarrassment to the nation’s reputation. NFA has also worked on issues such as puppy mills, illegal dog smuggling, dog cruelty at the hands of children, dog fighting, and even provided maimed or disabled dogs with doggy-wheelchairs.[24]

NFA works closely with South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park, financing a project to reintroduce the gene that produces tusks into Addo’s elephant population that has largely lost its tusks.[25] It also provides kenneling for canine anti-poaching units in the reserve, elephant relocation[26] and provides requested material assistance in working to make more land accessible to the animals.

NFA’s Dogs In Distress campaign aims to give as many dogs as possible a life free of pain and suffering. This is achieved by assisting several dog shelters with funds, food, and veterinary care. The campaign is active in Croatia, Jordan, Montenegro, Philippines, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey. It is particularly active in South Africa financing two leading Cape Town shelters – The Emma Animal Rescue Society (TEARS) and Fallen Angels[27] and taking part in regular animal welfare work in township areas.