Hello! First of all, greetings—it's not often that I write here. Working for animal welfare consumes much of my day, and sometimes that can be a huge mistake because by not sharing our work, we might miss out on invaluable feedback. In an effort to change that, I'd like to share with you the new program and campaign launched by Fundación DyDAnimal Chile (Derecho y Defensa Animal, our organization is composed exclusively of lawyers.)
Context:
Chile, with its extensive coastlines, is one of the world's leading producers of marine species. This year, a new aquaculture law will begin its legislative process in our country—an extraordinary opportunity to propose solutions that enhance animal welfare. I believe it's unnecessary to delve into the enormous impact on animal welfare that aquaculture has in numbers.
Actions:
We have initiated a program called Aquatic Welfare, which will monitor the implementation of this new law. We have already submitted proposals to the government, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring that animal welfare is at the forefront of aquaculture practices.
At the same time, we are reaching out to the Chilean public through a campaign titled "Let's Save the Octopuses" (Salvemos a los pulpos, sign here, pls: https://change.org/salvemosalospulpos !). We chose this theme because we believe that the public will be able to understand concepts like aquaculture and become more engaged with the issue, fostering greater awareness and support for animal welfare in the marine sector.
I present both of these emerging initiatives to you and warmly invite any feedback you might have to help us improve.
We devote every second of our time as efficiently as possible to support animal welfare. Even though we've received funding from OWA for farm animal projects and ACE for general operations, we launched this project without dedicated financing—driven solely by our commitment to this cause. In fact, if you have any funding leads, we'd greatly appreciate it! That way, we won't be like octopuses (?) juggling too many tasks in our free time, and we can hire a dedicated staff member. Please send details to [email protected].
