​The number of people who have started caring more about animal welfare and who are willing to lend a hand to the less fortunate has highly increased. Public opinion is more concerned about the lack of rights and protection for animals now more than ever. A greater sensitivity and a growing interest in animal-related issues are helping animal protection organizations to achieve important results in the field.

Thanks to its supporters, OIPA was active in 2023 on multiple fronts both in Italy and abroad: animal feeding and rescuing activities, veterinary care, sterilization projects, international campaigns, emergency disaster relief aid, informative and educational programs, implementation of national and international laws and regulations to improve animal welfare and protection.

We can briefly mention OIPA’s 2023 main activities

FUR FREE EUROPE

In 2023, OIPA and many other animal welfare and protection organizations celebrated the success of the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Fur Free Europe’ that was closed with an incredible number of validated signatures. This ECI has represented the most successful ECI for animal welfare, and the third most successful overall. More than 1,5 million of European citizens has called on the EU to ban fur farming and farmed fur products on the European market due to ethical concerns but also for unsafety and unsustainability reasons.

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END THE HORSE SLAUGHTER AGE

Around 5 million horses are slaughtered across the world every year. Among the major horse meat producing countries is Mexico and in Europe this sad record is held by Italy. The terrible violence that horses endure in slaughterhouses has been documented by many investigations. Equids are often killed while still conscious, forced into unspeakable agony.

The European Citizens’ Initiative calling for an end to horse slaughter. The organizers are calling on the Commission to propose a legal act banning the slaughter of horses, as well as their reproduction and export to produce hides, leather and meat or to manufacture medicines or other substances.

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OTHER CAMPAIGNS

OIPA joined and supported other international campaigns in 2023, some of which are still running:

• ‘Vegan Meal’ to ask the European Commission to implement an EU law that explicitly makes plant-based alternatives always accessible to the EU consumers in private and public places. (READ MORE)
• “Pig minimum standards”, campaign launched by the French organization L124 to encourage that French producers AT LEAST to join the Pig Minimum Standards. (https://welfarecommitments.com/letters/gestation/eu-fr/)
• “Ban Octopus Farming”, campaign launched by the Aquatic Animals Alliance, with the aim to pursue a legislative ban on commercial octopus farming (READ MORE)
• “Ban chick and duckling culling” to stop the culling of day-old male chicks and female ducklings promoting ethical alternatives under the new animal welfare legislation (READ MORE)
• “EU for Animals” to ask for a proper European Commissioner for animal welfare (READ MORE)

OIPA reacted promptly in aid of animals badly affected by war and natural disasters. We gave our tangible support in Ukraine, Italy, Turkey, Syria and Middle East.

EMERGENCY UKRAINE

OIPA International has been providing food, veterinary assistance and general supplies to war-affected animals in Ukraine since 2022.

In 2023, thanks to the fundraising campaign ‘Emergency Ukraine’, pets, shelters’ animals and strays received about 17 tons of dry and wet food, but also probiotics, deworming tablets, parasite treatments, pet carriers, eye and ear drops. During summer, after the devastating dam failure in Kherson, the city of Nikopol was left without running water as a consequence of the disaster. OIPA purchased 40 water reservoirs (4 big and 36 small – 10/20 litres) for volunteers and vets of Nikopol.

Animals fed: 7842
Animals vaccinated: 971
Animals sterilized: 585
Collaboration with: Happy Paw, United for Ukraine, Generation 4 Ukraine, Bez Granitz
Locations: Bakhmut, Pervomaisk, Dnipro, Vilniansk, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Kryvyi Rih, Radomyshl, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Berezan, Baryshevka, Boyarka, Nikopol, Ternovka, Kremenchuk, Vilnohirsk, Zaporizhia, Gulyaipole and Orikhovo.

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EMERGENCY FLOODS IN ITALY

Due to an unexpected heavy rain, flooding and mudslides hit the northern region of Emilia-Romagna and part of Marche region in Italy. The amount of rain that generally falls in six months, it fell in just one and a half day, causing damage and disruption. More than 23 rivers burst their banks and 280 landslides submerged over 40 towns. OIPA volunteers and animal control officers, gathered together to support animals and people in need, assisting families with pets, shelters, cat colonies, sanctuaries and stables. Thanks to good hearted people and donors, 31 tons of humanitarian aid was delivered in flood affected area. OIPA supplied pet food, hays, pellets, medicines (antibiotics, vitamins, painkillers, gastric protectors, eye and ear drops) anti fleas and tick treatments, and accessories (blankets, bowls, leashes, transport cages).

Additionally, thanks to a grant received from IFAW – International Fund for Animal Welfare. OIPA was able to assist over 600 animals – including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, hens, turtles, donkeys, birds – in just a few weeks, distributing about 1,7 ton of food and providing veterinary care to animals.

Total amount of emergency aid provided: about 33 tons of pet food, hays, pellets, medicines (antibiotics, vitamins, painkillers, gastric protectors, eye and ear drops) anti fleas and tick treatments, and accessories (blankets, bowls, leashes, transport cages)

READ MORE

EMERGENCY EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY

An unexpected 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria at the beginning of February 2023. In just a few days from the event and with the amazing support of volunteers, OIPA managed to distribute 1,2 ton of pet food where we thought it would be more difficult to arrive: Syria a forgotten land in which the suffering of animals has to be added to the suffering of humans. We covered central and surrounding areas of Aleppo and Damascus.
Meanwhile, we gave support to local associations in Turkey for their rescue activities. We rented a crane to save some animals trapped in buildings evacuated in Kahramanmaraş, we provided cage traps to transfer some cats reported to be abandoned among the rubble in Hatay, Maraş and Malatya. We purchased 6 tons of pet food to volunteers in the most affected provinces of Turkey to feed stray, homeless and rescued animals and we covered transfer costs for two urgent cases and some veterinary costs related to a big rescue operation in Hatay. In addition, OIPA piad for material necessary to build 90 wooden houses for stray dogs distributed in Osmaniye.

Locations: Aleppo and Damscus (Syria); Adana, Elbistan, Osmaniye, Malatya, Urfa – Sanliurfa, Gazientep, Nurhak, Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Maras
Collaborations: local volunteers, Ayrancı Patisi, Bir pati de sen tut, Pader

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SAVE A STRAY

The project “SAVE A STRAY” has been launched to give voice and offer tangible help to stray dogs and cats who have no choice and invisible continue to suffer in countries where national animal protection laws and regulations are frequently inadequate or where governments are not able to manage stray population in an ethical manner. Stray animals are forced to spend their lives in deplorable conditions in an attempt to survive from killing, abuse and mistreatment. Our project has the objective to provide food, veterinary care and assistance, help with spaying and neutering, but also promoting informative and educational programs.

In 2023, thanks to donations of our supporters, we delivered food to stray animals in Banja Luka in Bosnia Herzegovina, to feline colonies in Corsica, to stray dogs and cats in the Middle Est (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Northest Syria), to dogs in Ankara and Pendik in Turkey. We also helped two puppies saved from the dog meat trade in Ghana, and we helped sterilized 44 cats in Azerbaijan and Montenegro. 

Total amount of food and vet supplied: 3,5 tons

READ  MORE AND SUPPORT

In many European countries, cats proliferate due to the lack of sterilisation and unwanted kittens are abandoned in front of restaurants or behind hotels, all due to the concept still rooted in people that “cats fend for themselves to some extent”. Thanks to the idea of a local volunteer, we have launched in Croatia the informative program for tourists “Make the difference – Chance the Trend”. On a flyer that can be read in different languages, we give some tips and information on how to push hotels, facilities, restaurants and travel agencies start promoting an ethical tourism.

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From August to September 2023, OIPA Cameroon carried out an awareness campaign on donkey skin trade and the impact on livelihood  in  BOGO municipality in the Far North Region  Cameroon  with  financial  support  from OIPA International. The overall goal of the campaign was to disrupt cross-border movement and the donkeys hide trade in the region.

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OIPA supported the awareness campaign ‘Stay with me’ presented by actress and animal activist Caterina Murina, focused on the plight of pet abandonment and the harmful consequences suffered by dogs and cats, victims of this vile and cruel act. This touching project conveyed a message of love, compassion, civil and social responsibility towards animals. READ MORE

Rescuers uncovered a horrific scene in Abu Dhabi of over 100 cats and some dogs who had been cruelly dumped in the desert (close to renowned Falcon Hospital) and left to die in scorching temperatures without food, water and shelter from the heat. OIPA wr an open letter to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan  to express deep concern about the recent horrific case of animal cruelty discovered in the Al Falah area of Abu Dhabi and asking to supervise the investigation. READ MORE

After receiving countless disturbing evidence (group chats, videos and photos) showing the existence of a gruesome cat abuse online network in China, where different groups use extremely brutal and cruel methods to torture and kill cats recording and uploading or live streaming their vicious acts on websites, social media platforms or messaging apps, such as Telegram or Twitter, OIPA has lauched a campaign ‘Stop online cat abuse in China’ asking supporters to send protest letters to social media platforms that allow and profit from animal abuse and to urge China Government to outlaw animal cruelty. READ MORE

Our organization gave its contribution participating in public consultations, drafting documents, writing open letters to Governments and international authorities, joining protests and demos for the defence of animal rights.

Following the request of our member league Happy Paw, last December OIPA funded the sterilization and vaccination of 131 animals in the cities of Gulyaipole and Orikhovo, Zaporizhzhya Region. In details, they were fully vaccinated and sterilized 27 male and 86 female cats, but also 8 male and 10 female dogs.

The veterinary team planned to start the project at the end of November, but at that time there were very large blizzards, stormy winds and generally unfavourable weather conditions in Ukraine. This made it impossible for the team to work. It was decided to postpone the trip to Orikhovo to the beginning of December, but the city was heavily shelled and the house in which the team was supposed to work and the warm room for the post-operative accommodation of animals were completely destroyed.

However, no one gave up and on December 14-16 veterinarians set off on the project reaching the town of Gulyaipole, a 40-minute drive from Orihovo. They vaccinated and sterilized local animals and they also went to Orikhovo to catch street animals for sterilization and vaccination as initially planned.

During these 3 days project something incredible happened and some lives were literally saved. A woman from the city of Gulyaypole went to sterilize her animals and at that time a shell hit her house and destroyed it. This woman was left literally without a roof over her head, however they were all saved! Unfortunately, this is the reality in which people and animals live in the front-line regions.

This project has been successful only because of excellent cooperation and solidarity.

Support our campaign “Emergency Ukraine” and write with us new happy endings

Last month we helped our member league association BF Bez Granits feeds their guests at Gorod Cobak shelter, located in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. The 187 dogs they care for, most of which are old and disabled, received 84 bags of dry food for a total of 1.2 ton.

In addition, part of our donation was used to buy a new water pump and a switch for the shelter. A recent emergency left the facility without water for more than 24 hours putting the survival of animals at risk. The daily water consumption for dogs is 500 litres per day. When volunteers realized that the pump was broken, they were shocked and worried for the animals. This would have meant carrying bottled water from a site located 1 km away from the shelter risking their lives under constant shelling.

Without water and food, dogs would not have survived.

We are still providing assistance to animals affected by war in Ukraine. You can help us keep sending aid donating to our project “Emergency Ukraine”

Every year, a countless number of dogs and cats are abandoned after being purchased or adopted irresponsibly during Christmas time. Becoming aware that having a dog or a cat is not a joke but a lifetime commitment, many owners will decide to deliberately surrender their pets to animal shelters or even worse dumped them on the streets putting animals’ lives at risk.

Many abandoned dogs and cats will stay in a shelter for years, while others will spend their entire lives inside the same box without ever finding a forever family. They will never experience the feeling of staying relaxed in a warm house surrounded by love and cuddles, they will never experience the feeling of taking a stroll in a park, or the feeling of running free sniffing new odours in new places.

However, the fate of abandoned pets dumped on the streets may be even worse. Afraid and in constant fear, stray animals will wander lost struggling to survive. They will be hungry, thirsty and forced to face extreme weather conditions without often finding a safe place where to hide and rest. They will likely get injured, sick and easily exposed to different diseases if they do not receive veterinary care and treatments.

Life is hard for homeless animals!

This Christmas make them a gift. Support our campaign “Happy Meal Xmas” and help us donate these four paws a daily meal.