Not Your Average Rescue Shelter

What makes VAAR different from other animal advocacy organizations in Vietnam and globally?

For one, we are a non-speciesist organization, meaning we know that ALL species suffer the same and ALL species deserve the same chance at living a long, healthy life.  We know that in terms of numbers of animals suffering, fish actually are the most vulnerable animals on the planet.  We know that chickens are the most abused and murdered land animal globally.  We know that dogs and cats killed for the meat trade make up less than 1% of the animals murdered unnecessarily in Vietnam yet receive ALL the funding and attention by other organizations that refuse to acknowledge that no animal needs to die for human consumption. We maintain that true animal advocacy begins with veganism if ending animal suffering is actually on the agenda. 

We work on LONG TERM solutions rather than quick fixes like hoarding animals in shelters.  We know from working in rescue for 7 years in Vietnam that shelters are only able to address a tiny fraction of the cases that come to us due to the total lack of preventative measures set up to end the unwanted population of domesticated animals who end up in shelters.  Without mass sterilization programs run year-round and nationwide by well-trained vets, there is no way we will ever make a dent on the caseload of rescues.  To actually ever end the dog and cat meat trade, we first must address the supply of animals going into it, and no shelter will ever be able to do that without vets who can safely and effectively perform sterilization surgeries in their communities.

VAAR is well aware of the devastatingly low level of veterinary care available in most of Vietnam due to a severe deficit in the amount of investment in veterinary education and capacity building projects for locally trained vets.  This MUST be addressed before all else, and with our international veterinary training center which will be open to ALL species (from pets to farmed animals and wildlife), we are addressing this issue head on.  There is no such thing as responsible rescue without having a team of qualified vets on your side managing daily care as well as handling emergencies.  This does not exist at all in central Vietnam.  Lacking the most basic infrastructure to carry out our mission, we must focus on solutions rather than just hoarding animals with no proper veterinary care and not nearly enough caring, lifelong adopting homes available locally.  Flying all animals out of the country or giving them away to unsafe homes locally is never going to be the most efficient solution in terms of our limited resources for all of the cases we need to manage. Investment in long term solutions is essential.

VAAR’s focus on non-speciesist animal rights means we are the ONLY organization in Vietnam working towards an end to animal suffering based on eliminating the industries which exploit animals and we are the first organization of our kind to have a farm sanctuary in Vietnam.  When all other rescues focus only on dogs and cats, spreading the nonsense message (albeit donor-friendly and nonconfrontational) that we can love dogs and eat pigs with not a shred of hypocrisy, telling people the dog and cat meat trade is horrible but a bigger cage for a pig is just fine before his premature murder, we have chosen the road which ruffles feathers but addresses the root cause of animal suffering. It may not have served our accounts well, but we must be firm in telling the whole truth about how we can each end animal suffering through our own adherence to a vegan lifestyle.

We work for animals, not for holding up the destructive animal agriculture industry or protecting the fragile egos of doggie-loving, animal-eater donors who say they “love animals” but with a bacon cheeseburger in their mouths.  We are not supporters of animal agriculture in any form, nor do we believe welfare laws in a country lacking rule of law will make a shred of difference to the animals who are murdered for human greed.  We support plant-based agriculture and providing the support necessary to assist animal farmers to transition to plant farming.  This not only is good for the animals, but it is good for providing more disaster-resilient livelihoods, protecting food security, and preventing the public health crises we see in countries with high levels of animal product consumption.  We do not in any way support the use of animals for clothing, food, entertainment, or research.  We advocate fully for transitioning to a vegan diet worldwide for the animals, the environment, and human health. 

We are a very different sort of animal rescue for Vietnam, and while breaking the mold has been extremely difficult for our bottom line, we cannot keep silent and be just another rescue that condones the suffering of non-pet species. VAAR has set out to solve the problem of animals suffering, not just take a few cases.  We are here to transform the entire industry of veterinary medicine in Vietnam and can do so through the skills and experience we have gained over the past 7 years of working with animals in Vietnam.  We can make a difference and while we have suffered from crisis after crisis here, we are still determined to follow through on our mission because we know the animals need us now more than ever. 

Please join us in changing the way that rescues end animal suffering.  We can all work for all species and we can build the infrastructure necessary wherever we are in the world to do so. 

To donate:

PayPal:
Donate@vietnampetsandvets.com

https://www.gofundme.com/f/vietnamvetclinic

Become a monthly sponsor:
https://www.patreon.com/vietnamanimalaid

Norwegian donations:
Vipps 97750737
Reference VAAR

Vietnamese donations:
Account name: Tran Tuyet Mai
Account No.: 0400 4638 4034
Bank name: Sacombank- chi nhánh Đà Nẵng.

Amazon wishlist:
http://a.co/7AiWqv9

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