This pandemic has seen a change to our lives, how we socialise, and how we view ourselves as a global community. It hasn’t, however, seen a change in how we strive to be the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. It hasn’t changed our vision to be an animal charity that creates a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy, and understanding.

Through this turbulent pandemic period, we’ve worked to stay true to our primary focuses and operated as an international animal charity that works on a range of different channels in order to maximise the impact and reach that we can have for animal welfare.

You can find out more on these areas, below:

Companion animals, animals that we find companionship from, such as pets, have become more important than ever during this pandemic as social isolation has stripped us of friends and family. Ultimately, it’s stripped us of company and of community.

However, the sad reality is that, despite their growing importance, not all companion animals are able to live out their lives in a caring. As an animal charity, we work to ensure that stray animals in many countries around the world can have a chance at a happy life. We’ve also implemented a ‘Responsible Pet Ownership’ branch in our #LiveKinder campaign, which ensures pets are being looked after here at home too.

Our work as an animal charity in a pandemic includes neutering programs, fighting against the dog and cat meat trade, closing dog and cat meat slaughterhouses, exposing and combatting the illegal puppy trade, promoting responsible pet ownership, and more. Find out more on our page.

With the pandemic forcing us to stay home, it’s at home where the comforts have had to be found. One of these avenues has been in what we eat, from banana bread to brand new recipes, food has played a bigger part in our lives than ever before. This means, that we’ve become more conscious of where our food comes through too.

As an animal charity in a pandemic, one of our goals has to been to change how we perceive animals. To understand that behind our viewpoints of food on a plate is a living, sentient being that has a personality and is capable of suffering. This is especially true for farm animals, which are often overlooked and seen simply as a commodity.

To do this, we’ve been inspire our community to try plant-based alternatives, rally the call to end factory farming, and partner with farm animal sanctuaries to show a different side to farm animals. If you’re looking for inspiration from an animal charity, you can find out more on our page.

With the source of the pandemic reportedly coming from a live wild animal market, it’s no question that we need to change our approach to wild animals. Unfortunately, they are in constant demand for a wide range of reasons. This includes their exploitation for entertainment, for the tourism industry, and for their skins and body parts.

Our role as an animal charity in a pandemic has been to ensure that wild animals stay wild and free, free from human exploitation and free from the suffering caused by human intervention. We are currently campaigning to end the wildlife trade, offering a range of wild animals a species-appropriate life at our sanctuaries, and have launched Travel Kind, which aids to offer guidelines on how to travel in a cruelty-free manner for when travel is allowed again.

Not only does our promise as an active animal charity include pursuing a world for better animals, it also includes giving them one. Our diverse range of sanctuaries allow us to do this. Find out more about some of them below:

BEAR SANCTUARY Mueritz: The biggest bear sanctuary in Western Europe

BEAR SANCTUARY Mueritz has been managed by FOUR PAWS since 2006, and currently operates as a happy home for 15 brown bears that were rescued from captivity. Thanks to our animal charity supporters, they now spend their days in a natural forest environment on the beautiful 16-hectare site. We are keeping our promise so they can live free from abuse and enjoy a second chance at happiness.

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach: An animal-friendly home for abused bears since 1998

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach was extended in 2009, and now proudly offers a near-natural territory for bears that were former circus bears, or owned privately and kept in unsuitable conditions. Due to animal charity supporters, this animal-friendly home operates on a total area of 14,000 square metres and houses 6 bears.

Big Cat Sanctuary LIONSROCK: Species appropriate home for more than 100 animals, mainly big cats in South Africa

LIONSROCK was previously an existing park that is now a haven for rescued big cats, serving as a beautiful tribute to the potential of change. This site is appropriately named after a prominent rock in the centre of the area known as “Lionsrock”. The sanctuary currently homes more than 100 animals, mainly big cats that have been rescued from zoos, private captivity, or the industry. Their new lives are a testimony to animal charity supporters and their role in us keeping our promise.

Big Cat Centre FELIDA: Our FOUR PAWS rescue centre for big cats in the Netherlands

For rescued big cats, we also have FELIDA. This sanctuary provides a species-appropriate home for big cats, such as tigers and lions (as of writing, one tiger and five lions). Much like the rest of our rescued animals, they have a diverse and rich selection of backgrounds, all of which are unified in their suffering. This includes private keeping, circuses and war-torn zoos. Just because they had a difficult start in life. Thanks to animal charity supporters, the rest of their lives will be very different.

Our sanctuaries are a testimony to our promise to make a real difference in the lives of the animals we rescue, and animal charity supporters are the ones who help us to keep it going. This list is far from exhaustive, and you can find out about the rest of our sanctuaries here. You can also find out more on the animals that now live in them through our rescues page. We’re sure you’ll be able to find your favourite, as well as get lost in their interesting backgrounds!

If you’re interested in donating to an animal charity, such as FOUR PAWS, you can do so through our donation form. This is a quick, easy, and simple way for you to donate on a one-time or monthly basis. Whichever suits you best, and whatever you can give, it all helps.

Alternatively, you can get in touch with us via our online contact form, or by giving us a call on 020 7922 7954. A member of our supporter care team will be more than happy to discuss your donation options with you.