FOUR PAWS

06/12/2026

A new life full of adventure for Gordo & Florencia 🐻🐻

Roaming happily, discovering hidden treats, and enjoying daily enrichment; this is their new reality at BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa (ПАРК ЗА МЕЧКИ Белица).🌳

After their extraordinary rescue from the former Zoo Luján in Argentina at the end of February, it’s incredible to see just how well they’re settling into their new lives.

Watching them thrive has truly been heartwarming.

No matter the weather, one thing is certain, they love the water! 💦 Swimming and relaxing in their pools has remained their favourite activity since day one.

Last week, Florencia had a routine veterinary check, including blood tests, dental checks, and X-rays. She’s now back in her enclosure and doing well.

Both bears are enjoying a great appetite:
🍇 Grapes are a firm favourite for both.
🌰 Florencia also loves walnuts.
🍏 Gordo? Not so much a fan of apples!

Their days are filled with specially made enrichment, keeping them curious, active, and engaged. They especially enjoy the thrill of finding hidden treats, it’s like a little treasure hunt every time!

Each has also found their perfect relaxation spot:
🌿 Florencia loves napping near her den.
🌊 Gordo prefers resting by his pond.

And even when she’s not swimming, Florencia still enjoys splashing water on her face, just because she can.

Here’s to a beautiful summer ahead for these two, full of peace, play, and plenty of pool time. 🌞

06/12/2026

Advocating for animals in Massachusetts: FOUR PAWS joins Animal Lobby Day!

While FOUR PAWS is best known for our global animal welfare work, we also believe in the importance of acting locally, and we were thrilled to attend Lobby Day for Animals again in our home city of Boston, MA this week.

Lobby Day for Animals is an annual event for advocates and animal protection organizations from across the Commonwealth to speak out for animals at the Massachusetts State House. Attendees are given the opportunity to meet with elected officials and support the passage of important animal related legislation. Our U.S. Country Director, Katie Miller, and Research and Campaigns Manager, Melanie Lary, attended along with dozens of passionate animal advocates from all over the state.

Priority bills for this year's event include:
• S.3028, The PETS Act, which strengthens animal welfare laws covering many topics, such as: prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops, putting in place protections for families and pets during the housing crisis, and supporting alternatives to animal testing in the cosmetics and household products industry.
• Bill S.616/H.3935, which would ban the sale of elephant ivory and rhino horn within Massachusetts’ borders
• Bill S.551/H.990, which would prohibit the sale of newly farmed fur products in Massachusetts

Thank you to all of the passionate animal advocates who came out for the event and to our hosts MSPCA-Angell Animal Rescue League of Boston Humane World for Animals and the Animal Legal Defense Fund



📷 Pictured with U.S. Country Director, Katie Miller is Senator Dylan A. Fernandes, Plymouth and Barnstable District

Pictured with Research and Campaigns Manager, Melanie Lary is Representative John J. Lawn, Jr., 10th, Middlesex District

Final Group Photo ©Lighthouse Photography, all other photos ©FOUR PAWS

06/11/2026

Our team is on the ground in Malta! 🐯🩺

This week, we're carrying out an important veterinary mission at a zoological facility whose owner has made the decision to reduce the keeping and end the breeding of big cats and phase out operations.

To support this transition, he reached out to us for assistance. 🤝

Our mission has two key goals:
✔️ Sterilize two male tigers and one male leopard to prevent future breeding.
✔️ Work with the owner to improve animal welfare by increasing the space available to several of the big cats.

The team hit the ground running on day one, starting with a full safety briefing and veterinary preparations before beginning the first procedure.

We're pleased to report that the first male white tiger was successfully darted, thoroughly examined, and castrated. The procedure went smoothly, without complications, and he is now being closely monitored as he recovers. ✨ While he recovers, his tiger friends are busy checking on him often and keeping him company.

Next up: a second tiger followed the same procedure! In the future, he and his female companion will be moved into a larger enclosure, giving them more space and helping to ease pressure on other enclosures by freeing up additional room.

On day two, a male leopard and a female tigress will receive their medical checks. 🐆

Every successful procedure, every enclosure improvement, and every breeding program brought to an end is another step forward for big cat welfare. 🐾

We're grateful for this opportunity and the support of Vuci ghall-Annimali and local veterinarian Dr. Catherine Portelli for this mission.

Stay tuned for more updates from Malta! 📢

06/11/2026

Who's Dad's favorite child? This Father's Day, here's your chance to make a compelling case. 😉

Make a donation to support animals in need, select an adorable e-card, and we'll send Dad a Father's Day surprise that's meaningful, memorable, and animal-friendly.

Because helping animals is a gift worth bragging about. 💙

Choose your card design: https://bit.ly/fathersday_ecards

06/10/2026

A victory for farm animals: Portland, OR passes a foie gras ban! 🎉🪿

Portland City Council passed the ban on the sale of foie gras in restaurants last week, which will go into effect on December 31, 2026. FOUR PAWS supports this ban, which came after a yearslong coordinated effort amongst animal welfare groups who have been advocating for an end to the cruel treatment of ducks and geese who are raised for foie gras.

To create this “luxury product”, ducks and geese are force-fed a high fat diet three times a day through a metal pipe that is rammed down their throats. This brutal process causes rapid weight gain and abnormal growth of their liver, while leading to serious injury of the esophagus. By the end of their lives, the animals are unable to move because their legs cannot carry their body’s unnatural weight. It is a life of misery and torture.

Luckily, the tide is turning on foie gras. FOUR PAWS proudly supported the ban in New York City as well, which was first passed in 2019 and withstood years of court challenges, most recently being upheld by the New York Appellate Division in March. The state of California has also banned the production and sale of foie gras since 2012, as have several other cities and municipalities, such as Brookline, Massachusetts and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It is encouraging to see consumers demanding change and becoming more compassionate towards farm animals, and we will keep fighting for an end to animal cruelty both in the U.S. and around the globe!

Learn more about foie gras production here: https://www.fourpawsusa.org/campaigns-topics/topics/farm-animals/foie-gras

06/10/2026

Announcing the Fan Favorite Award for March Napness!

All the bears at our sanctuaries are now awake and enjoying the spring, including our 22 competi-bears. While Amelia & Meimo from Arosa Bear Sanctuary (Arosa Bärenland) in Switzerland took home the title of “Sleepiest Bears of 2026,” another dynamic duo is the winner of one last special award: the Fan Favorite! This honor goes to the bear who received the most bracket votes for sleepiest bear.

And the winner of the2026 March Napess Fan Favorite award is….Hope! And coming in a close second is her partner, Tomi!

Many of you thought that Hope would take home the crown, and though she and Tomi shared 7th place, we think these two bears are deserving of some special recognition! Hope and Tomi are very devoted to one another, and they never leave each other’s side at BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina in Kosovo. You can see how much they are enjoying some wrestling time at Prishtina this spring!

Congratulations, Tomi & Hope! And thank you to everyone who filled in a bracket for the March Napness competition this year!

Learn more about our March Napness competition and our rescued bears here: fourpawsusa.org/marchnapness

06/09/2026

🚀We launched our Online Reporting Tool in Cambodia! 🇰🇭

This important initiative helps us gather vital information about the dog and cat meat trade, empowering local communities and travelers to take action against animal cruelty.

If you witness or become aware of incidents such as pet theft, animal transportation, slaughterhouses, or the sale of dog and cat meat, you can report them through our tool.

🚨 Every report matters. The information you share helps us better understand the scale of this cruel trade, strengthen our campaigns, and drive meaningful change for animals.

Together, we can help bring an end to the dog and cat meat trade in Cambodia.

📍Save this post and share it with your friends who travel!

06/09/2026

🇷🇴 Horrible conditions in Romanian public dog shelters exposed...

These photos are difficult to look at:

A dog tries to drink water from a frozen container.

A shelter floor is covered in feces—some of which desperate dogs are eating due to hunger.

Two dogs cower in this barren environment, trying to keep warm in below-zero temperatures, which were a reality when these pictures were taken in January.

When we began our nationwide investigation of the Romanian public shelter system, we came in with low expectations. However, the findings were truly horrifying, especially considering that millions of euros in public funds are allocated to this system. We can only question how this money is being spent.

Stray population management in Romania is broken. It's heartbreaking to see dogs suffering in public shelters under such deplorable conditions while millions in taxpayer money fund this systemic neglect and cruelty.

These dogs have little chance of ever leaving the shelters alive. They have no opportunity to exercise, nor are they prepared for adoption.

Instead, they spend their lives confined to barren kennels. In several shelters, staff members were even hostile toward investigators posing as potential adopters. For many of these animals, entering a shelter in Romania is a one-way street.

With an estimated 500,000 stray dogs, Romania faces a massive overpopulation crisis.

We urgently call on the Romanian government to implement a nationwide CNVR (Catch–Neuter–Vaccinate–Return) program to end this suffering.

If you're in a position to do so, please consider supporting our efforts to help these innocent animals: https://bit.ly/sac_romania

06/09/2026

Celebrity dog Chutou killed for his meat.

🇨🇳 While we do not operate in China, where celebrity dog Chutou lived, cases like his highlight a global issue: millions of dogs and cats are stolen and killed for their meat each year.

Chutou’s story is unfortunately no different: he was kidnapped right from his owner’s yard. His celebrity status did not save him, and the thieves will most likely face no consequences. While his story is blowing up on social media, millions of other dogs die in silence. ⊘

🛑 Take a stand with us: amplify these stories, demand better protection, and support efforts to end the dog and cat meat trade.

Every year, millions of dogs and cats are mercillessly killed for the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia. This includes both stray animals and family pets, who are often stolen from their gardens, homes, or snatched while wandering outside. Every day in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, pet do...

06/08/2026

No matter the size, a cardboard box will always win a (big) cat’s heart. 📦🤝🦁

This is Simona. 🥹 She was rescued from being kept in a tiny enclosure at a hotel in Bulgaria.

Since 2010, she's been enjoying the sun (and various boxes and other enrichment) at our LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa.

This is only possible because of you!! 🤗 Every donation brings us one step closer to a world where people treat animals with empathy, respect and understanding.

Without you, we wouldn't be able to care for rescued lionesses like Simona.

Learn more about helping us rescue and rehab these beautiful, sentient beings: https://www.fourpawsusa.org/campaigns-topics/topics/help-for-big-cats