Dr. Katherine Polak

26/07/2023

The horrors at Tomohon at extreme market have haunted me for years following initial investigations in 2018. Second probably only to the market in Wuhan, China, this market is notorious for mass live animal trafficking and slaughter. The blowtorching of live cats and dogs in the thousands every month led to not only unimaginable animal suffering but also contributed to the public health risk that comes with the mass trafficking and slaughter of unvaccinated dogs, largely due to rabies.

This week, that all changed. Thanks to the incredible work of Lola Webber and our local partners in Indonesia, Tomohon market became officially dog and cat meat free, and all 6 slaughterhouses supplying dogs and cats to the market were closed, with traders transitioning to other livelihoods. Working hand in hand with the Mayor's office and the traders themselves, Humane Society International was able to secure a ban, and help ensure its enforcement. Most people said this would never be possible.

A total of 25 dogs and 3 cats were rescued, the last animals ever destined for slaughter in the market. With the help of our friends at Animal Friends Manado Indonesia, a temporary facility has been established to rehabilitate and treat these animals. These animals have a long way to go - many suffer from severe, infected bite wounds from the dogs attacking each other during their 20+ hour journeys after being trafficked, and other infectious diseases. Many are physiologically traumatized, it will take a long time for them to trust humans again.

This was made possible with the support of our amazing Humane Society International - India colleagues, who are helping get these animals the medical care they need and our friends at Dog Meat Free Indonesia who continue to pave the way for ending the dog and cat meat trades nationwide.

So incredibly proud of this team and is one step closer towards a .

22/07/2023

It's official. 💪 After years of campaigning, one of Asia's most notorious live animal markets, Tomohon Extreme Market became officially dog and cat meat-free. The permanent end of the slaughter and trade was announced Friday by the regional secretary of the city of Tomohon.

Humane Society International is currently on the ground rescuing all remaining dogs and cats from the 6 slaughterhouses supplying the market. Stay tuned ...

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-07-21/indonesian-animal-market-has-ended-its-brutal-dog-and-cat-meat-trade-campaigners-say

The Indonesian 'extreme' animal market was listed on TripAdvisor. Images of dogs and cats being bludgeoned and blow-torched sparked outrage.

28/05/2023

This week, Humane Society International/Korea launched a stunning portrait exhibition of South Korean dog meat trade survivors in Seoul. In an exhibition called Beyond Prejudice by award-winning French photographer Sophie Gamand and HSI/Korea, the event aims to show the dogs' beauty and resilience one month ahead of the annual Bok Nal dog meat 'season'.

This unique exhibition comes to the Seoul Metro Art Centre in Gyeongbokgung Station from May 28 to June 1, approximately one month before the start of Bok Nal when dog meat consumption typically increases in South Korea, and at a time of considerable political and social momentum for a ban on the dog meat industry.

It is estimated that up to 1 million dogs a year are intensively bred for human consumption in South Korea. In addition to tosas and Jindo crosses, commonly thought of as 'dog meat breeds', all breeds of dogs can be found on dog meat farms including Labradors, huskies, beagles and spaniels. We hope to showcase the resilience, beauty and individuality of these dogs, rebranding them as the true survivors that they are. 🐶🐶🐶

06/05/2023

🐕🇻🇳🐕

01/05/2023

Humane Society International had the opportunity to support work in Pata Rat, Europe's largest waste-related ghetto. Approximately 1,500 people, most Roma communities live in informal settlements around a sprawling landfill. Most live off of what they can find in the landfill and housing is made from scavenged materials. Hundreds of dogs, cats, horses, and pigs also call this area home.

This week, multiple Romanian NGOs came together in an impressive collaborative effort to support a lifesaving initiative for the animals living here, led by TAC.social. Over the week, hundreds of dogs are receiving much needed veterinary care including spay/neuter surgery, microchip/registration, vaccination and endo/ecto parasite treatment. A total of three mobile surgical vehicles and multiple catching/community engagement teams are working in tandem to reach as many animals as possible.

18/03/2023

One step closer towards a future where animals are valued and protected, not consumed as food. Last week, Jakarta, Indonesia publicly announced a formal ban on the dog and cat meat trade; the significance of this announcement cannot be understated. It represents a step towards a more compassionate and ethical society, as well as a recognition of the negative impacts of the dog meat trade on both animals and humans. Thank you Dog Meat Free Indonesia for making this a reality!

12/03/2023

After more than 28 years in operation, this dog meat farm is finally closed once and for all.

Thanks to the amazing work of Humane Society International - Korea, with support from our team around the world, almost 200 dogs were rescued from unimaginable cruelty.

The closure comes at a time of increasing public and political support for ending the dog meat industry. This is the 18th dog meat farm permanently closed by HSI/Korea, resulting in the rescue of more than 2,700 dogs since the program began.

29/11/2022

The air may be thin at 12,000 ft, but it doesn't stop this amazing veterinary team in Bolivia from offering top notch surgical training in spay/neuter.

Dr. Katherine P***k, the vice president of Companion Animals and Engagement for Humane Society International, recently returned from HSI’s dedicated veterinary training center in La Paz, Bolivia, the only such center in the country. In

21/11/2022

Launch of Humane Society International's Models for Change in Vietnam 💪🇻🇳

Every year, more than 5 million dogs and cats fall victim to a brutal trade in Vietnam which traffics them across the country to holding areas, slaughterhouses and markets where they are sold and killed for their meat. Most of them are stolen pets. 🐕
But things are slowly changing in the country, with pet owners becoming increasingly outraged at the theft of their beloved companions. Those involved in the industry are also keen to get out of the trade largely due to growing societal pressure. HSI's Models for Change program works with those involved in the dog and cat meat industry, providing support for a transition to alternative livelihoods.

This week, Humane Society International Viet Nam helped transition a slaughterhouse owner out of the trade in Thai Nguyen province, into a business involving the sale of agricultural products and a small car wash. He simply didn't want the bad karma associated with harming animals. After years of killing both dogs and cats by means of bludgeoning and drowning, he was ready for change. With HSI's support, we were able to help him transition his business, and rescue all of the dogs on-site and take them to a new rescue center at Thai Nguyen University.

During the rescue, we were joined by enthusiastic local veterinary students and their faculty, who will be involved in caring for the lucky pups until they are ready for adoption.

19/10/2022

A nice summary of our work in Charlotte, County Florida where we built a temporary field veterinary clinic, treated 881 patients, and sent thousands more home with flea, tick, and heartworm preventive.

In the weeks after Hurricane Ian devastated communities across Florida, our team coordinated the creation of a distribution center for pet food and a pop-up veterinary clinic offering free vet services in a regional library

02/09/2022

While the dog meat trade in Asia is relatively familiar to most, millions of cats suffer in a silent trade that often goes unnoticed.

Earlier this week, police in China rescued more than 150 cats headed for slaughter. Perhaps most shocking was how technologically savvy the trappers were - in this case, they placed live sparrows in the cages to lure and trap the cats.

Luckily, these cats were saved and the sparrows were released.

Nearly 150 cats bound for slaughterhouses have been rescued by police in eastern China, an international animal welfare organisation said.

24/08/2022

Humane Society International - India's street dog management programs don't just spay/neuter dogs (by the thousands), but they also incorporate teams who focus on engaging with communities, encouraging a peaceful co-existence between dogs and people. I love the story of Bravo, which demonstrates communities caring for dogs, not NGOs, which is the way it should be. 🥰

12/08/2022

Finally made the cover! For some reason, I always seemed to lose out to hibernating bear... 🐻

In all seriousness, I'm honored to be featured in this edition of
PetVet Magazine. Reading the article brings back great memories of when I was at FOUR PAWS, and I've even more excited for the great things to come at Humane Society International.

There is so much work to be done around the world for animals, but slowly but surely we are getting there. I appreciate the veterinary industry for recognizing that pet ownership doesn't begin and end in the Western World. The love that people have for their animals is universal.

❤️❤️❤️

Read PetVet August/September 2022 by Barkleigh Productions on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

08/08/2022

Why are so many spay/neuter programs ineffective? Around the world, NGOs and government agencies invest millions of dollars in the sterilization of stray and owned dogs, but yet the problem persists....

The effective management of stray dogs requires a truly scientific approach. Humane Society International is leading the way on data-driven approaches and is pioneers the use of cutting-edge technology to ensure dog population management programs are effective.

Published today, this new article details the use of a smartphone application to better track, manage, and measure dog populations and ensure spay/neuter success in India.

Street dogs survive on food handouts provided by individuals, or the wider community yet typically receive limited to no veterinary care. They can also carry a variety of zoonotic diseases such as rabies, posing a significant risk to human and dog population health. Dog sterilisation is one of the m...

07/07/2022

Every year, the Yulin 'festival' causes massive outcry from animal lovers worldwide, including those in China fighting for the protection of dogs as companions. The work done by Humane Society International's partner on the ground in China, VShine has been nothing short of incredible. Not only were they able to facilitate the interception of 386 dogs bound for slaughter, but only 10 days later they were also able to shut down a large-scale dog slaughterhouse and rescue another 126 dogs which were handed over to Baoji Small Animal Protection Association. At the slaughterhouse, a pile of collars was found on the ground, signifying their prior lives as pets. The rescued dogs were emaciated from surviving on sawdust mixed with garbage.

While the situation remains dire for many animals at risk of ending up in the brutal dog meat trade, the animal protection movement in China is growing rapidly, and we are proud to support the change.

03/06/2022

We’re excited to debut Survivors of the Dog Meat Trade, a new portrait series partnering HSI with photographer, artist and dog advocate Sophie Gamand! 💜🐾

The series shows the beauty, resilience and individuality of dogs rescued by HSI from a gruesome fate on South Korean dog meat farms. Now, they’ve all been adopted into loving homes—including with our friends Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy and actor Daniel Henney!

We can’t wait to introduce more of the portraits in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

04/04/2022

Excited to announce the formal launch of the initiative. Humane Society International together FVE - Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and FECAVA is rolling out a program to provide free vet care for pets and horses of Ukrainian refugees across 38 European countries.

BRUSSELS—Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war with their pets in tow will now be able to access free veterinary...

28/01/2022

Animal welfare friends,

Don't miss out on the chance to register for this year's International Global Animal Issues Track at the HSUS EXPO 2022 conference. This conference is the premier event for those involved in animal sheltering, international animal welfare projects, and really is just an awesome opportunity to network with like-minded people trying to help animals!

Given the ongoing pandemic and challenges with international travel, the track will be offered virtually and at no cost for individuals in developing countries. If you are interested in joining, please email Donna Pease at [email protected] or check out the link for more information about sessions, etc:
https://humanepro.org/expo

Hope to 'see' you there! 🥰

The Humane Society of the United States is excited to host its first-ever Animal Care Expo hybrid experience April 19-22, 2022, in Orlando, Florida, at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Register today!

13/01/2022

It's the end of an era, after five amazing years, this is my last week with FOUR PAWS. I am forever grateful to the people whom I've worked with over the years, our inspirational teams and local partners, who've shared their knowledge and skills with me, along with the animals that we've been able to help along the way. Across Southeast Asia, in this short amount of time, the needle of animal welfare has moved considerably, and I'm excited to see what the future has in store. I'll miss my FOUR PAWS family but will be cheering everyone on from afar. What an incredible journey it has been. 🥰

08/01/2022

Bali village passes new law protecting companion animals 🐶💪🐶

In Karangasem Regency, one of Bali's most underserved areas, Program Dharma uses a unique community engagement approach to improve animal welfare and public health through human behavior change. On Tuesday, 28th December 2021 in our working area of the village of Purwa Kerthi, Karangasem, we celebrated the signing of an official village regulation (Peraturan Desa) achieved in collaboration with local charity partner Bali Animal Welfare Association that prohibits cruelty to animals, including the killing of dogs and cats for consumption, and defines proper animal care.

This new regulation will be critical in supporting Program Dharma operations, providing legal protection to animals that so desperately need it, and serving as a model for other villages to follow.

08/01/2022

13/12/2021

Thank you VTV3 fo covering the Hoi An MoU!

https://fb.watch/9Rd1_s0fJs/

10/12/2021

Monumental step in ending the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam 🇻🇳

The figures are astounding. Every year, more than 5 million dogs and 1 million cats are stolen, traded, trafficked and killed for their meat every year in Vietnam. This poses not only a risk to animal welfare, but also to public health, largely due to rabies.

A dream of mine has been to create Vietnam's first-ever dog and cat meat-free city, a model for other provinces to follow. It became clear after sercuring a ban on the dog meat trade in Siem Reap, the first-ever in the Kingdom of Cambodia, that governments were indeed motivated to take action, largely in recognition of the risk posed to international reputation and tourism.

This morning we held an MoU signing ceremony both online and in-person to celebrate the creation of Vietnam's first-ever, "Dog and cat meat-free, tourist-friendly city" in Hoi An! It was an event almost 2 years in the making. Starting in January, the project will be rolled out over two years and will include rabies vaccination support, free spay/neuter, public awareness and education and finally enforcement of currently existing laws to close dog and cat meat-related facilities. We are so excited about this monumental win for animals in Vietnam!

This would not be possible without the amazing work of local charities Vietnam Cat Welfare and Paws for Compassion who set the stage for this precedent, and will be instrumental in making the first DCMT-free city a reality in Vietnam!

30/11/2021

Another step forward towards a Dog Meat Free Indonesia!

With DMFI support, last week the local police in Central Java was able to intercept a truck filled with 53 dogs destined for slaughter. This raid will send a strong message to other traders that dog meat trading won't go unpunished. This also undoubtedly marks a turning point in the campaign to secure a nationwide ban and action.

The dogs are doing great, recovering in a nearby temporary shelter. Hopefully, they'll be ready for adoption into the loving homes they deserve after enduring such horrific trauma.

https://www.newsweek.com/video-dogs-53-meat-slaughterhouse-rescued-java-indonesia-1653613

21/11/2021

And it's official. The American Bar Association's International Animal Law Committee invites you to a free webinar on Monday, Dec. 6th, 11 am-12:15 pm EST(registration link below)
In June 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suspended, without notice, the importation of dogs from 113 countries considered to be high risk for canine rabies. According to the CDC, the suspension was necessary to ensure the health and safety of imported dogs as well as to protect the public's health against the possible reintroduction of the canine rabies virus variant to the United States. The ban, which has received significant attention and media coverage, has had a significant effect on the lifesaving work of responsible international rescue groups who previously transported animals in need from around the world for adoption in the United States, and has also affected private citizens, military service members, and diplomats seeking to bring their dogs into the country.

Join us to learn more about legal issues relating to the CDC ban and associated topics, including: the recently announced upcoming agency rulemaking process; CDC and USDA authority in this area; different import approaches used in the EU, UK, and Hawaii; related proposed federal legislation; legal and veterinary measures taken by responsible rescue organizations to mitigate infectious disease risk and protect the public from zoonotic diseases; the benefits of dog importation for global animal welfare; and dog rescue as a space for positive international collaboration.
https://americanbar.zoom.us/.../WN_yARcSpDBQ4-BZMlBQjdzEw

03/11/2021

Events to promote dog welfare in the Kingdom of Cambodia are far and few, so we seize any opportunity to promote canine welfare and responsible pet ownership.

Last weekend, we had the opportunity to support a unique dog agility event in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and decided to enter a couple of our rescued dog meat trade dogs. With very little training (minus a few runs up a homemade ramp our team created out of spare planks and tires), let's just say our dogs were not destined to fare well in the competition.

Despite being the underdogs (literally)! Jane and Rocket amazed us all. Not only did they successfully complete the course, but Rocket was invited to the finals. Go Rocket go!

29/10/2021

Helping pet owners during COVID lockdowns in Vietnam.🇻🇳

As in many places in Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese government imposed strict lockdowns to fight the virus. Many pet owners lost their jobs, were unable to purchase pet food for their animals or were unable to even buy pet food since pet stores weren't deemed essential businesses. But thanks to the amazing team at .for.compassion_vietnam, pet food was distributed throughout communities in Da Nang, and distribution points were set up allowing for vital access to pet resources.🐕🐈🍲

28/10/2021

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/ha-tinh-cat-thieves-nabbed-after-stealing-frenzy-4377659.html

At least all of the confiscated dogs and cats were successfully rehomed, most reclaimed by their owners.

Eight people were arrested in the central province of Ha Tinh on Wednesday for stealing pet cats using nets and tasers to sell to restaurants.