The Born Free Foundation looks out for Endangered Animals
As much as our pets love to have our full attention, forcing them to entertain us is a different story. While seeing animals, especially endangered species, in the zoo and featured in movies and TV, animals just want to live as if they were Born Free. That’s where the Born Free Foundation comes in.
The original Born Free Foundation was started, appropriately enough, by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, the stars of the 1966 hit movie Born Free. The foundation started working with animals in 1984 in England, and in 2002, they began Born Free USA, which is based in Washington, D.C. The couple and their son Will were compelled to start the Born Free Foundation after witnessing the terrible death of Pole Pole, an elephant who starred in the film, “An Elephant Called Slowly”. His death led to the group’s focus on the special needs of wild animals in captivity, threatened and endangered species, and conservation efforts as well as animal rescue. Specifically, the group looks to protect animals in entertainment, held captive in zoos, and those animals most targeted in the fur trade. The family’s efforts highlight the sad reality that even those animals who are in the spotlight are often mistreated, neglected, and abused. Hopefully, these efforts can change any public perception that wearing a real fur coat passes for glamour- nothing feels (and looks) better than helping a furry friend!
The Foundation has helped to keep several animals on the endangered species list in California in the past several years, thereby offering some hope to the wildlife. After all, the anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
While there are so many organizations worthy of our support, we here at Animal Fair can’t help but be a little biased as to who we think deserves help the most: Born Free USA has won the votes of pets and their parents here!
The Body Shop Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary by giving away $20,000 to charity, but with so many worthy causes, are having some trouble deciding where the money should go, so they’re asking all of their fans for help. The company is running a contest on its Facebook page, asking fans to vote for one of three charities: the U.S. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Rainforest Foundation, and Born Free USA, an animal welfare and wildlife
conservation nonprofit organization.
To participate in the voting process for The Body Shop’s grant, you can visit the contest’s facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/TheBodyShopv=app_23744633048
For the Best that Pet Lifestyle and Animal Welfare has to offer follow Wendy and Lucky Diamond on Facebook, Twitter, and right here at AnimalFair.com!