International Fund for Animal Welfare
Non-profit Organisation | |
Industry | Conservation |
Founded | 1969, New Brunswick, Canada |
Headquarters | Yarmouth Port, Cape Cod Massachusetts United States |
Key people | Azzedine Downes, Kathleen Savesky |
Products | Landmark & framework legislation, research, activism. |
Revenue | $97,079,000 USD (2013 Annual Report) |
Number of employees | 250+ (worldwide) |
Website | ifaw.org |
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world.
The group's declared mission is to "rescue and protect animals around the world."[1]
History
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was founded by a small group of people in 1969, to stop the commercial hunt for seal pups in Canada. One of IFAW's founders, and possibly its most well known member, is Brian Davies.
With offices in over a dozen countries, and projects in more than 40[2] IFAW is one of the largest animal welfare organisations in the world.
Activities
- Rescuing and releasing whales, dolphins and porpoises that have stranded or been entangled in nets and fishing gear.
- Promoting whale watching, as an alternative to whale hunting.
- IFAW aims to protect the last 400 critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, and have developed acoustic detection systems, and collaborate with lobstermen, commercial fishers and shipping industries to prevent collisions with ships and gear entanglements.
- Through the Animal Action Education, IFAW educates children worldwide about animal welfare and wildlife conservation issues.
- Through their Community-Linked Animal Welfare (CLAW) projects, the IFAW aims to help companion animals in underserved communities around the world.
- IFAW has training for or trained customs officers and game wardens in many countries to prevent the killing of endangered species.
- IFAW protects elephants by protecting critical elephant habitats, managing human-elephant conflict, preventing poaching, ending illegal ivory trade and rescuing orphan and injured elephants.
- Carrying out legislative and educational campaigns across the globe. This is an effort to try to prevent cruelty to animals, preserve endangered species, and protect wildlife habitats.
IFAW is best known for its leading role in the campaigns to end the commercial seal hunt in Canada[3] and end commercial whaling,[4] as well as its work to help dogs and cats in impoverished communities,[5] protect elephants,[6] end illegal ivory trade,[7] rescue and release of wild animals such orphan rhinos[8] and rescue of animals in the wake of disasters such as hurricane Katrina in the US.[9]
Controversy and criticism
A financial manager of the Brian Davies Foundation, IFAW invested IFAW's money in organizations that carried out animal experiments, such as Bausch & Lomb, US Surgicals, Glaxo, Merck, Abbot, Upjohn, Philip Morris and McDonald's. When the investment was drawn to the attention of IFAW’s trustees, the shares were sold immediately and the financial manager dismissed.[10]
When Davies retired from IFAW in 1997 to start Network For Animals, IFAW wanted to use his name and image for fundraising and campaigns. In return, he was to receive $2.5 million over seven years. The contract was important for the continued level of success that IFAW achieved with Davies’ leadership, according to research on successful animal welfare organizations”.[11] Davies had the following to say about it: “I signed an agreement with IFAW which was conceived by the trustees. I was opposed to the idea of receiving remuneration from two animal welfare organisations; this solution allowed me to run Network For Animals without pay for seven years.”[10]
See also
References
- ↑ "International Fund for Animal Welfare About Page". Retrieved 2014-07-28.
- ↑ "About IFAW". IFAW. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
- ↑ "WTO confirms EU seal trade ban". EU Observer.
- ↑ "U.N. court rules Antarctic whaling by Japan illegal, orders halt". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Jenkinson, Stephen (November 2012). "Diary of a Countryman" (PDF). Your Dog Magazine: 77.
- ↑ "IFAW, Maasai community secure corridor for Amboseli elephants". kws.go.ke. Kenya Wildlife Service. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ Carlton-Schaul, Jordan. "The War on the Illegal Ivory Trade: A Conversation with IFAW's US Bureau". NatGeo.com. National Geographic. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "Two rhinos released into Manas National Park in India". wildlifeextra.com. Wildlife Extra. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ Davis, Matthew. "Saving New Orleans' animals". bbc.co.uk. British Broadcasting Corp. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- 1 2 Davies 2013
- ↑ Clarke, C. IFAW Begins: Brian Davies, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the New Brunswick Humane Movement in the 1960s. University of New Brunswick (Canada), 2009 http://dspace.hil.unb.ca:8080/handle/1882/4422 Retrieved 24 April 2013.
External links
- Official website for Canada
- Official website for the USA
- Official website for Great Britain
- IFAW in India - Wildlife Trust of India
- IFAW listing on Guidestar
- Charity Navigator
- Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance