The importance of animal welfare is something that can be found in all walks of life, even in the odd times that we find ourselves in at the moment. If travelling is starting to look like a potential opportunity for you to have a change of scene, it’s important to keep in mind how your adventures could impact and contribute to animal welfare in general.

Choosing to travel kind is essential in ensuring that your holidays play their part in creating a world that causes less suffering animals and instead treats them with love, empathy, and respect. It could be the difference between a world where an animal lives and a world where an animal dies. This is power of animal welfare.

The importance of animal welfare conscious travelling in creating a world full of less suffering would be futile if there were not organisations out there ensuring it is taken seriously and that guidelines were offered as to how to achieve this. As an international animal welfare organisation, we promote the importance of animal welfare at a not-for profit level independently from the Government and are here to help you travel kind.

The Dos and Don’ts of Animal Welfare

We know that there is a lot to consider when it comes to planning your travel, so we don’t want any animal welfare considerations to become just another chore to add to the list. This is why we’ve created a compact and easy follow list of dos and don’ts for you to follow so you can make memories without creating suffering.

Dos

• While travelling, make sure to enjoy wild animals in their natural habitat rather in captivity where possible. Only support genuine sanctuaries or conservation centres. If you are worried about an animal, report it!
• Make sure any domesticated animals, like mules or horses that are ridden, are in good physical condition, well cared for, and are offered water and shade.
• Finally, do think about what you are eating or buying. Avoid buying products or souvenirs that contain animal products – often endangered species – and don’t support cruel food practices like the dog and cat meat trade.

Don’ts

• Remember, if you can hug, ride, touch, or take a photo with a wild animal, it has likely suffered some form of cruelty to make that possible.
• Avoid feeding wild animals or supporting the use of wild animals to solicit money from tourists e.g animal shows and performances, selfie opportunities, or animals killed for souvenirs.
• Don’t put yourself at risk! Big cats, elephants, and other wild animal species are unpredictable and direct contact with such species poses a high risk.

having adventures. You can also support animal welfare in a wide range of ways, including through a donation. We ensure that all of the support we receive is put to as good use as possible, so you can rest assured that it will go much further than a simple click of button.

Whether you have your animal welfare concerns focussed on a single rescue, like our recent task or saving Kaavan, or you’re looking to donate to animal welfare more generally to help our ongoing missions, your donation will be used to help animals have better lives across the globe.

It’s also important to recognise that animal welfare is multi-tiered and includes aftercare for the rescued animals too. This is where our sanctuaries play an important role for housing and creating a second life for animals that are rescued from all kinds of different situations. This includes the situations that you may find on your travels.

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.