Committed to Protecting the Animals
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Committed to Protecting the Animals ANNUAL REVIEW JULY 1, 2007–JUNE 30, 2008 2 Contents 3 Staff and Board of Directors 14 On All Fronts 4 CEO Letter Protecting the majestic tiger 6 Chairman of the Board Letter 16 Making Waves New hope for seals as pressure 7 IFAW Achievements mounts to shut down hunt By the Numbers 18 Compassion Counts 8 At The Cutting Edge Saving a puppy named Oliver IFAW develops robot to free entangled whales 19 IFAW Protecting Animals Around the world 10 To The Rescue China calls on IFAW to save 25 IFAW’s Top Ten Policy Wins animals shaken by earthquake for Animals 12 Against All Odds 25 Financial Overview IFAW gives orphan elephants a 28 Ways to Give second chance at life in the wild 28 Donors 31 Locations Cover: © IFAW / C. Cullen Turtles: © Dreamstime Images Mission 3 Th e International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) works to improve the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in distress. IFAW seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of both animals and people. IFAW WORLDWIDE BOARD Pierce Brosnan OF DIRECTORS: Honorary Board Member Thomas C. Ramey Leonardo DiCaprio Chair Honorary Board Member Elliott G. Carr Hal Prince Honorary Board Member Manilal Premchand Chandaria Alexandra Denman Ben Stein Honorary Board Member Margaret A. Kennedy Amber Valletta Christopher J. Matthews Honorary Board Member David Metzler Goran Visnjic Robert J. Monahan, Jr. Honorary Board Member Thomas P. O’Neill III IFAW EXECUTIVE STAFF: Minou Palandjian Frederick M. O’Regan President and CEO Kathleen Savesky Victoria Stack Azzedine T. Downes Vice President for International Operations Brian Hutchinson Tereza Byrne IFAW Charitable Trust, UK, Board of Directors Vice President of Development and External Affairs Michael Mainelli Melanie B. Powers IFAW Charitable Trust, UK, Board of Directors Chief Financial Offi cer Sean Rocks Kevin Shields IFAW Charitable Trust, UK, Board of Directors Director of Programs Keely Shaye Brosnan Kevin McGinnis Honorary Board Member Director of Human Resources he past year was an exciting year 4 for animals, but also a tumultuous Tone. Our Emergency Relief team was constantly on the go, including being among the fi rst animal care agencies on the ground after the devastating earthquake in China in May, 2008. Through hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, fl oods and fi res, IFAW’s ER team not only rescued and cared for scores of animals, but played a crucial role in helping local agencies prepare for future emergencies. Our wildlife and habitat protection program was also put to the test last year, this time by political turmoil in Kenya. When post- election riots rocked the East African nation, tourism revenues suffered an immediate and drastic decline. In Tsavo National Park the tourism slump forced serious budget cuts and threatened to greatly reduce the park’s ability to protect its animal inhabitants. Fortunately, in Tsavo’s hour of great need, an emergency IFAW grant enabled the park to maintain basic wild animals rescued in emergencies; the vast 5 services, continue critical ranger patrols, and amounts of habitat preserved and protected manage human-animal confl ict. for generations to come; and the landmark anti-cruelty legislation that has shaped the IFAW has developed the foremost knowledge movement IFAW started in 1969. on marine mammal strandings, so when IFAW and the Cape Cod Stranding Network While I’m proud of all that we’ve been able offi cially merged in October 2007, it marked to accomplish together, I’m even more an opportunity to apply many years of excited about what lies ahead. I truly believe experience and knowledge toward helping that this, our 40th anniversary year, will be a stranded marine life the world over. Our landmark one for the animals as we focus on global impact improved further in December our priority animal welfare programs. 2007 when IFAW opened its Middle East and North Africa regional offi ce in Dubai. The I can’t thank you enough for your commitment new offi ce refl ects the growing conservation and support, and I look forward to sharing movement in the region, and the strong with you many more victories for animals respect for animals in Islamic culture. in the years to come. In 2009, IFAW will celebrate its 40th anniversary. As with any milestone year, it’s natural to look back at all that has been Fred O’Regan achieved – the countless companion and President and Chief Executive Offi cer © IFAW / Jonathan Gordon & Lisa Steiner / Jonathan Gordon © IFAW FAW won many hard-fought and truly 6 signifi cant accomplishments for animals Iin 2008, many of which are ongoing into 2009. Dedicated to its mission of improving the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the world, IFAW continues to build and maintain a solid foundation for its campaigns on seven continents. Globally, we experienced signifi cant challenges. The economic conditions we all face, as individuals or entities, are unprecedented. IFAW is responding proactively to this environment to preserve and protect its animal welfare programs and policy leadership. We are proud of IFAW’s continuing achievements and our excellent management team. What always strikes us as a Board is the global reach of IFAW and the dedication of IFAW employees as they address these diffi cult issues in order to secure a better future for animals. Of course none of this is possible without you, our donors and supporters. Your confi dence in us is well-placed. You have helped us build an organization that is and will remain a committed world leader in fi nding practical, long-term solutions that improve animal welfare around the world. We are extremely grateful. Thank you for your steadfast support, Thomas C. Ramey Chair, IFAW Board of Directors © Dreamstime Images IFAW Achievements 7 BY THE NUMBERS 48,277 220 dogs and cats cared for by IFAW mobile whales, dolphins, seals and other marine veterinary clinics and other companion animals received hands-on help from the animal projects worldwide. IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue Team after stranding or becoming entangled along the shores of southeastern Massachusetts. IFAW’s 200 team also deployed internationally when more offi cials trained to prevent illegal wildlife than 100 melon-headed whales stranded off trade in 21 countries. of the African island of Madagascar. 1,256,813 6,500,000 views of IFAW animal rescue and wildlife young people, families and educators campaign videos on YouTube. worldwide took part in the IFAW Animal Action educational program. 1,300 species of wildlife now make their home 11,388 in Kenya’s Meru National Park, Meru rose animals rescued during natural disasters with from near ruin to be awarded world-class the assistance of IFAW. conservation status by UNESCO in July 2007 following a multi-year partnership by IFAW and Kenya Wildlife Service to restore 664 park security and replenish wildlife. penguins and other seabirds saved from oil spills, strandings, and abandonment in just one year. 4 Stars awarded by Charity Navigator in rating IFAW as “exceptional” for exceeding 1,175 industry standards in organizational endangered animals rescued and 845 released effi ciency and capacity and for out- back to wild habitats, from gibbons in performing most charities in its cause. Indonesia to sea turtles in Sri Lanka. © IFAW / C. Cullen © IFAW 8 © IFAW / T. Conlin / T. © IFAW IFAW and the Campobello Whale Rescue Team disentangled a 40-foot humpback whale from a deadly train of 75 lobster traps, ropes and anchors, saving it from certain death in the Bay of Fundy off New Brunswick, Canada on December 19, 2007. © IFAW Images © IFAW 9 IFAW DEVELOPS ROBOT TO FREE ENTANGLED WHALES ach year, countless whales suffer need for a more humane approach and die from entanglement in a to disentangling whales, IFAW and a Evast undersea maze of abandoned committed group of marine biologists fi shing gear. joined together to develop a kinder alternative. They believe they’ve found the Fulcrum, an 11 year-old humpback and answer in a fl oating robot. regular visitor to the waters off Cape Cod, is no exception. She has been entangled It works like this: from a safe distance, the multiple times -- and she’s not alone. A rescue team attaches an oversized suction staggering 300,000 whales are estimated to cup to the whale. A long rope trails off die each year from drowning, infection or the cup and back toward the team. The lethal wounds as a result of entanglement. robot is then deployed and it slowly climbs Fortunately, rescuers have managed to along the rope until it reaches critical cut fi shing gear off Fulcrum nearly every entanglement points. Using sensors and year of her life, but it’s a traumatic line cutters, the robot is then able to cut and scary process. the rope without harming the whale. In fact, since it feels neither the suction cup Traditional methods of nor the robot, the whale hardly knows disentanglement often send anything is happening - until it suddenly the massive animals into a realizes that it’s no longer tangled. panic, putting both the whale and the team With a commitment to fi nding innovative of rescuers at grave solutions like this one, IFAW is ensuring risk. Convinced the survival of wondrous animals like of the Fulcrum for centuries to come. 10 boots lined up before him. boots linedupbefore asleep withhisspecialprotective missions,thisonefell search from Exhausted survivors inthewreckage. nd tofi dogsworkedtirelessly rescue and Search heroes. the bravest the Chinaearthquakebutamong notonly victimsof Animals were waiting foranewpermanenthome.