Top 10 highlights from 75 years of protecting animals

1. Giving animals a voice at the United Nations 🌍 

In a monumental achievement, we secured consultative status with the United Nations. This status lets us directly influence international policy and push for stronger animal welfare laws worldwide. With a seat at the table, we’ve been able to amplify animal voices where it matters most. 

World Animal Protection presenting at the United Nations Environment Assembly (Photo: World Animal Protection / Evans Kipkorir)

2. Creating safe havens for rescued bears 🐻

Since 1992, we’ve helped end brutal practices like bear dancing, baiting and bile farming – and ensured rescued bears had somewhere to go. With our partners, we’ve supported the development and support of bear sanctuaries in Turkey, Hungary, Thailand, Pakistan, India, Romania and beyond. These sanctuaries offer freedom and care to bears who had only known suffering.  

Thanks to strong partnerships and tireless advocacy: 

• Bear dancing has ended in Greece, Turkey and India. 
• Bear baiting events are no longer held in Pakistan. 
• Bear bile farming has ended in South Korea and is phasing out in Vietnam.  

We’re not stopping until every bear can live wild and free. 

A rescued bear at a sanctuary in Hungary. (Photo: WSPA)

3. Setting global standards for farm animal welfare 🐷

We’ve been at the forefront of improving farm animal welfare – pushing for better living conditions, more humane slaughter practices and a shift towards higher welfare farming systems.

From helping the Council of Europe adopt minimum welfare standards for transport in the 1960s to driving the adoption of global standards for farm animal welfare by the World Organization for Animal Health in 2005, our impact has been far-reaching.

In Canada, we joined the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), giving animals a voice in shaping national farming policies. 

4. Launching Wildlife Heritage Areas to protect wildlife 🐆

To ensure wildlife thrives in their natural habitats, we pioneered the concept of Wildlife Heritage Areas. These protected zones are designated to safeguard endangered species, ensuring that they have a safe and undisturbed environment to live and breed. By protecting these critical areas, we’re not only conserving biodiversity but also sending a powerful message against the exploitation of wildlife.  

5. Saving lives and controlling rabies 🐶

With your support, we’ve vaccinated nearly 2 million dogs across 18 countries, saving countless animals and people from the horror of rabies without the unnecessary cruelty of culling. Our advocacy also helped 64 countries commit to humane rabies elimination plans that prioritize mass dog vaccination and responsible dog population management. 

6. Championing wildlife-friendly medicine 🌱

We launched the Traditional Alternatives to Wild Animal Preparations website to promote plant-based ingredients in traditional Asian medicine, reducing the demand for wildlife exploitation. By the end of 2024:

• 22 healthcare companies and 6,350 practitioners signed our pledge 
• 131,800 consumers committed to choosing wildlife-friendly remedies 

7. Shutting down captive lion breeding programs in South Africa 🦁

In partnership with Blood Lions and other allies, we secured a commitment from the South African government to halt captive lion breeding programs.  This cruel industry exploits thousands of lions for cub petting experiences, canned trophy hunts and traditional Asian medicine. We’re keeping the pressure on to ensure the phase-out commitment becomes permanent.  

8. Banning cetacean captivity for entertainment in Canada 🐬

In 2019, we celebrated a historic victory for marine mammals with the passing of Bill S-203 - a groundbreaking law that bans the capture, breeding and use of whales, dolphins and porpoises for entertainment in Canada.  

This win marked a turning point in public attitudes toward marine mammal captivity and brought Canada one step closer to a future where all animals are treated with compassion. 

(Photo: World Animal Protection / Chanklang Kanthong) 

9. Tackling ocean waste with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative 🐢

We launched the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to confront one of the deadliest threats to marine animals: abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear – known as “ghost gear”. GGGI unites governments, businesses and NGOs to remove existing gear, improve fishing practices and prevent future waste. We later passed the torch to Ocean Conservancy to grow the moment even further – ensuring lasting impact for ocean life. 

World Animal Protection staff on a ghost gear clean up in Brazil. (Photo: World Animal Protection)

The WSPA Disaster Relief Team responding to animals in crisis during the Bosnian Warwhich. (Photo: WSPA)

The WSPA responded to the El Salvador 2001 earthquake and brought emergency aid to displaced animals. (Photo: WSPA)