Show Your Stripes for World Animal Week

27 September 2004

Show Your Stripes for World Animal Week 4TH – 10TH October 2004

Leading international animal welfare charity, WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) is calling on the pubic to show their support for ‘World Animal Week’.

Running from Monday 4th to Sunday 10th October, World Animal Week will offer people in New Zealand and around the world the chance to show their love for animals and make a difference.

British naturalist, Charles Darwin said “the love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man”. WSPA’s Regional Manager, Kimberly Muncaster says, “These sentiments are at the very heart of World Animal Week, which is about celebrating the human-animal bond and joining together to make a difference that will improve the lives of animals.”

Last year WSPA supporters in New Zealand raised more than $30,000 in fundraising efforts which included gold-coin collections, sponsored events and crazy fear-factor challenges! This year WSPA hopes to double that amount and encourages anyone who cares about the welfare of animals to get involved. Over the years WSPA has celebrated a number of victories that have transformed the lives of animals. Working with member societies in more than 100 countries, its impact has been far reaching. WSPA’s successes are a direct result of mutual cooperation and an understanding that by speaking with one voice, more can be achieved for animal welfare than independently. The progress made by WSPA and its partners this year alone is testament to this collaborative approach. Following years of lobbying and public awareness campaigning, Israel – one of the world’s largest producers of foie gras – has made an unprecedented move to ban the force-feeding of ducks and geese from 2005. In June this year, Barcelona declared itself an anti-bullfight city and one of Japan’s worst bear parks, Jyozankei, where bears are forced to live in concrete pits and beg tourists for food, has officially announced it will be closing to the public this year.

Without the unfailing dedication and compassion of people from all parts of the world, these successes would not have been possible. Kimberly Muncaster urges the public to get involved, stating, “World Animal Week is your chance to make a difference. Whether you lend a hand at your local animal shelter, fundraise for your favourite animal charity or simply spread the message of ‘kindness not cruelty’, you can be part of this global movement.”

The Body Shop will again be showing its support to WSPA this year by rolling out a World Animal Week theme in each of their 21 stores throughout New Zealand. Proactively involving themselves in the community, The Body Shop stores will be ‘Showing their Stripes’ by selling funky WSPA Tee’s and other merchandise, offering in-store face painting to kids and collecting donations on behalf of WSPA.

For more information on how you can get involved, contact WSPA on 0800 500 9772 or visit www.wspa.org.nz.

ENDS

© Scoop Media