Animals Asia Foundation has called on the Chinese authorities to look urgently into the possible harmful side-effects of contaminated bear bile sold as a cure-all in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The foundation has also relayed its concerns to the Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, and the World Health Organisation.
A Vietnamese pathologist has expressed grave concerns for the health of both humans and bears after conducting clinical examinations of the damaged gall bladders of three moon bears rescued from bile farms by Animals Asia Foundation.
Animals Asia Foundation turns 10 this August, and to celebrate, the Hong Kong charity will be holding a series of events, starting with the exclusive Hong Kong premiere of the film, "The Fox and the Child", at Palace IFC cinema on 5 August, 2008.
Animals Asia Foundation has called on the Beijing authorities to make permanent a temporary ban on the sale of dog meat at official Olympic restaurants during the Games period.
Survivors in Sichuan's earthquake-hit region of Dujiangyiang are lining up to hand over their pet dogs to Animals Asia for safe-keeping until they are back on their feet. The Hong Kong-headquartered charity has set up a receiving station at a local vet clinic and a hotline for pet owners to call.
Animals Asia, which is currently rescuing dogs from the Sichuan earthquake, is alarmed by the treatment of a dog at a Hong Kong dog show on Saturday (May 31).
Staff from Animals Asia's Moon Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu are heading to Anxian in northern Sichuan Province to help with the earthquake relief effort.
Eleven of the 28 bears rescued by the Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) from brutal bile farms are now dead, just 10 days after they were saved on March 31.
