Asia’s largest animal welfare forum, the Asia for Animals conference, will be held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province from June 10 to 14, organisers of the event said today.
The conference, sponsored by Animals Asia Foundation (AAF), will bring together animal protection groups and individuals to explore ways to improve animal welfare and prompt legislation in Asian countries, said Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of AAF.
“It is crucial for animal welfare specialists to share their experiences and challenges for the common cause, as many animals are still exploited, abused and neglected throughout Asia,” Ms. Robinson said.
She said inadequate legislation on animal welfare was a major obstacle for charitable groups like AAF, as without a legal framework, animal abuse remained a moral issue and would be hard to be banned.
Ms. Robinson said she hoped all the countries would outlaw animal abuse, including animal exploitation for profiteering, at an early date.
During the June event, Animals Asia would launch “the Andrews” award to people who made outstanding contributions to animal welfare protection in Asia.
The award was named in memory of the first bear Animals Asia rescued from a Chinese bile farm, Xinhua reported.
Animals Asia, a non—governmental organisation based in Hong Kong, has campaigned to end cruelty to animals.
Its animals conference has been previously held in Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, Chennai and Bali.
