What we do
Bark for Justice is a British non-profit organisation, founded in 2015 to assist projects fighting for the welfare of dogs worldwide.
Many rescue groups are working tirelessly to save and protect vulnerable dogs, but most are grossly under-funded, under-staffed or struggling with few resources. Bark for Justice was born to seek out these organisations, identify their needs and help them achieve their goals by raising awareness, providing financial aid or putting volunteers on the ground to support them.
Mexico
South Africa
Why we do it
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
We’ve travelled the world and seen first hand the suffering, neglect and cruelty imposed on animals by man. Our team of volunteers are committed to being a voice for the voiceless. Country by country we identify projects that are helping to end suffering and find ways to support them; forming a network of animal rescuers worldwide.
Dogs in China
Life for millions of dogs and cats in China is tragic, short and horrific
It is estimated that in China alone, over 10 million dogs and 4 million cats are slaughtered as food each year. Some are abandoned pets, left to fend for themselves after being relinquished by their owners, many are strays born on the streets and millions more are simply bred or stolen for their meat.
Dogs and cats, many of them family pets still wearing their collars, are snatched and packed into small, rusty cages. Some suffer broken limbs as they are squashed during transport over vast distances, without food or water, to the meat markets. The tortuous transport and inhumane slaughter methods suffered by these animals is some of the most extreme animal abuse in Asia, yet there are no laws to protect them and relentlessly year on year the torture continues. Government authorities organise euthanasia campaigns in an attempt to reduce stray dog and cat populations and dogs, cats, puppies and kittens suffer horrendous abuse at the hands of people who see them as ‘pests’. A 2015 report by Animals Asia Foundation stated that most dogs that are consumed at the annual Yulin dog meat festival are strays or stolen pets. Approximately 70% of rural villages in China have suffered mysterious dog losses around the time of the festival each year.
In China we champion Du Yufeng of the Bo Ai Animal Centre in Guangyuan, the most incredible animal activist and dog rescuer who works tirelessly and at great personal risk to say no to dog and cat meat and fight against the Yulin festival.
Dogs in Mexico
70% of all dogs and cats in Mexico suffer abuse, malnutrition and neglect
Although there are no hard and fast statistics for how many dogs are eking out an existence in Mexico, Mexico City authorities report that they capture and kill an estimated 20,000 dogs per month in their city alone. In Manzanillo, a city in Colima, there are more than 16,000 dogs and cats living on the streets.
Affording veterinary care is difficult for many families in Mexico and canine sterilisation and vaccination aren’t common practice as a result. Pet dogs are often allowed to run loose and when these animals are hit by cars, become sick or pregnant they are often abandoned by their owners. Anti-cruelty laws are few, enforcement is ambiguous and authorities typically don’t prosecute offenders.
For every animal given treatment and care by a charity group, an uncountable number across the country continue to suffer due to indifference at all levels of society. Government legislation is supposedly in place for animal welfare but common practice continues to verge on neglect and outright abuse. Watch Buchanan Films documentary about the horrific situation in Mexico here – “Companions to None.”
In Mexico we champion Mutt Scouts as they work to rescue as many dogs as possible from Mexico and find them homes in the USA.
Don’t turn away – contact us and help save lives
Dogs in Japan
Mass execution of dogs and cats in Japan is widely accepted as the norm
Statistics show that Japanese nationals legally kill approximately 500 dogs and cats every day, and about 300,000 pets in total are cruelly killed each year using primitive means such as suffocation, drowing or poisoning. Dog fighting also is big business in the country and there are no laws to prohibit the use of animals in this way.
In Japan, it is not uncommon for dogs to be disposed of with no regard for their sentience. Each year thousands of unwanted animals are taken by animal control to so-called “dream boxes”, where they face an inhumane death by gassing. These gas chambers are not back-alley businesses, but are sanctioned by the government Department of Public Health (“hokensho”) to deal with the stray dog and cat problem. And it’s not just the strays rounded up on the street that are sent here; Japan has very few rehoming shelters, so when someone hands their pet over to a “hokensho”- run “animal welfare center,” usually they will end up in the dream boxes. Death by gassing is a cruel process, with different sized animals being given the same gas exposure, meaning that the larger animals may take up to 30 minutes to die.
In Japan we champion the Okinawan American Animal Rescue Society in Okinawa.
Dogs in Egypt
Egypt is a country that is well-known for its mistreatment of animals
Similarly to China, very few laws exist against causing animal suffering in Egypt and overt cruelty to dogs and cats goes unpunished by authorities. Local communities often see torturous treatment of stray animals by both adults and children and as children are taught that homeless pets are a scourge, the cycle continues into the next generations.
The absence of an explicit legal text in anti cruelty laws to punish those who harm street animals has led to widespread killing and assault cases, especially against dogs. Many Egyptians despise street dogs because they believe they are dirty, carry disease and pose a substantial risk to the general public. The number of stray dogs in Egypt exceeds 20 million so there are real concerns about population control and no laws to protect these animals.
Administration officials feed homeless pets poisoned food in an effort to clear the streets of these animals. The government uses strychnine, which is also dangerous to human health as its effect lasts in the soil for 40 days, yet still the culls continue without objection from authorities.
In Egypt we champion the work of The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA).
Speak out for those who can’t speak for themselves
Dogs in Greece
Greece has an overwhelming problem with stray dogs
It is a daily occurrence to read about them being poisoned in an attempt to simply “get rid” of them. Some years ago, the government decided to poison thousands of dogs before the Olympics to clean up the streets. It is also not uncommon to see Greek dogs being kept on chains and refused food or medical care leading to a very slow and painful death.
You’d expect to see some improvements in this regard given the track record of other countries, but the situation has actually only worsened in recent years as the country continues to suffer a recession that has no end in sight. Authorities said there were over one million stray dogs on the streets of Greece in 2015 with more being abandoned every day.
In Greece we champion Ilioupolis Animal Welfare
Dogs in Saudi Arabia
Here canines are viewed to be “unclean” animals, a generally accepted Muslim belief
Saudi Arabia has robust animal protection laws, having signed the Gulf Cooperation Council-wide Law on the Humane Treatment of Animals in 2013. However, implementation of the laws has yet to catch up with the intention. The small percentage of dogs that are owned as companion animals in Saudi Arabia must be “working dogs” in order to be legally kept as pets. In accordance with the strict interpretation of Islamic sharia, dogs are primarily allowed for specific roles such as hunting, protection, assistance (e.g., seeing-eye dogs), and work.
Although trends of dog ownership, in general, are very slowly changing in the country, there is still not wide acceptance of dogs as part of the family.
Most street dogs have a life expectancy of only 1–4 years
As many as 525 million dogs are estimated to be homeless worldwide
Many suffer from disease, parasites, malnutrition & dehydration
How You Can Help
Bark for Justice was formed to help organisations doing the hard, emotionally destructive and exhausting job that is animal rescue. You can support them by using the power of social media to raise awareness of these organisations, or donating to their funds.
If you’re helping dogs anywhere we want to know about it. Contact us on Facebook, Instagram or email office@barkforjustice.org, tell us what your project is doing and how we can help you.