Program areas at HSI
(CONFRONTING CRUELTY) HSI responds to disasters around the world by providing rescue efforts, medical equipment/supplies and food. HSI responded to assist animals during the following in 2020: in Australia, after the devastation of the wildfires, HSI provided rescue, veterinary care, and supplies to koalas, kangaroos and other animals. In Latin America, HSI provided relief after Hurricane Iota, by assisting with search & rescue of lost/displaced pets, assisting with care of animals that needed medical attention, and assisting with transport of animals. In Lebanon, HSI provided veterinary care & helped in reuniting dogs and cats with their families after a major explosion caused devastation to Beirut and to their citizens and animals.
(ANIMAL TESTING) In India, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission heeded our demand and abolished the obsolete 'abnormal toxicity test' (ATT) from the country's quality control standards for human vaccines. This move will spare many tens of thousands of animals each year from crude/cruel re-testing of individual batches of vaccine. India is HSI's first win in this arena. Globally, The Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network signed an MOU with HSI towards the global removal of the ATT for human vaccine regulations worldwide. In Korea, HSI organized and chaired a successful government forum where a new law proposed by HSI would modernize safety testing and human health research and to promote alternatives to animal testing. The director of the Korea Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods confirmed that his institute (under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) will be actively supporting this legislation. Further in Korea, a federal biocides law was amended to include a series of animal protective measures developed and pushed by HSI. (CONTINUED FROM PART III, LINE 4C) Biocides are non-food pesticides, and government testing requirements to bring a single new biocidal chemical to market can involve dozens of separate animal tests, consuming up to 10,000 rodents, fish, birds, rabbits and dogs. In China, there was movement towards ending animal testing for cosmetics by accepting alternatives.
(COMPANION ANIMALS) In Korea, HSI has permanently closed 17 dog meat farms since 2014 and has rescued and rehomed over 2,200 dogs from these farms. In India, Mizoram took the first step towards ending its dog meat trade, by amending the law to remove dogs from the definition of animals suitable for slaughter. HSI India was the first organization to work in Mizoram on ending dog meat trade. HSI also sterilized and vaccinated 97% of street dogs in Nainatal. Further in India, Nagaland ended the import, trade and sale of live dogs and dog meat. In China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs declared that dogs are companions and are not "livestock" for eating. Globally, HSI joined forces with animal protection groups from around the world to urge governments across Asia to act urgently to permanently shut down unsanitary and brutal dog and cat meat markets and trades, amid growing global concern about zoonotic diseases and public health danger zones. Further globally, HSI supplied much-needed food and medical help to companion animals affected by the pandemic.