Although we're very fortunate in
Britain to have our animals and wildlife protected by both government statute
and highly effective regulatory agencies, animals elsewhere in the world are not
so fortunate. Two overseas charities that are trying to make a difference to the
lives of indigenous animals are "Nowzad" in Afghanistan and "Save Our Street
Dogs" in Singapore; although as neither one receives any sort of central
funding, they rely entirely on the generosity of their members and that of the
general public, both in their own countries and from abroad.
The first charity, Nowzad, is an
animal welfare organisation dedicated to caring for Afghanistan's animals, most
notably the dogs and cats, which are generally considered to be unclean and are
therefore treated little better than pests. Additionally, Nowzad also tries to
arrange for the repatriation of those dogs and cats that have been rescued by
our service personnel, including US, British, German and Canadian soldiers who
come to care for the individual animals they encounter in this war torn country.
A truly worthwhile cause! Check it out for yourself at www.nowzad.com
The
second charity people might want to take a look at is a Singapore based charity
called "Save Our Street Dogs", which a truly courageous band of volunteers who
dedicate their time and their very limited resources to helping the countless
homeless dogs who find themselves abandoned on the streets of this apparently
economically successful Asian superpower. I challenge anyone with a heart to
read the story of "Ol Boy", a dying street dog to read about his final few days
of life and not feel choked by the thought of any animal having to live and die
in those circumstances. See for yourself at www.saveourstreetdogs.com and see
if you can help make a difference