Please sign to help koalas - they have nowhere to go

Posted on 5:00pm Tuesday 11th Sep 2018

Yesterday, I had an email from Darren Grover, Head of Living Ecosystems at WWF Australia.

WWF have had a big win for the fight for koalas in Queensland, and now they are fighting for koalas in New South Wales. And they need all our help.

Tree clearing and climate change are leaving koalas with nowhere to go.

Their trees are being cut down. The koalas are risking their lives as they hunt for food and shelter. One in four koalas have already been lost and if nothing changes, they could be locally extinct as soon as 2050. There’s been a massive spike in the destruction of koala habitat, with 14 hectares of koala forest being destroyed every day. It all adds up.

So WWF Australia are asking people to sign their petition.

It tells the NSW Government to stop excessive tree-clearing, and to encourage tree planting across the state to combat drought-stricken areas and give the next generation of koalas somewhere to live.

It’s an important time to join together and protect Australia’s land and unique wildlife who live there.

Please support this petition and stand up for NSW Koalas and Australian wildlife

Sign the petition here

Ditch plastic bottles at Wimbledon petition

Posted on 8:00pm Friday 13th Jul 2018

It seems the All England Lawn Tennis Club aren't doing their bit to stop the use of throwaway plastic bottles.

Top tennis players are calling on them to do the right thing and ban these wretched bottles from the tournament.

So we need to put a bit of public pressure on the club to nudge them in the right direction and do the right thing.

They’ve made a start – they’re ditching plastic straws.

But now it seems they need some encouragement to move away from the plastic, single use bottle.

So 38 Degrees have a petition to encourage Wimbledon to get active and do the deed.

They’ve been successful with their petitions before, when lots of people persuaded PG Tips to switch to plastic-free tea bags.

Come on, Wimbledon – do your bit to go plastic free!

You can encourage them to do just that and Sign the Ditch Plastic Bottles at Wimbledon petition here

Go to 38Degrees.com to see other campaigns you can support

Please help Save Life for all Algarve animals

Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 4th Jul 2018

One of Portugal’s largest animal sanctuaries is being built in the central Algarve.

The sanctuary will consist of 3 rescue centres, jointly able to offer refuge to 600 animals in all in the boroughs of Loulé and São Brás de Alportel.

The recently formed Animal Rescue Algarve is behind the project and British businessman and animal lover Sidney Richardson has launched Animal Rescue Algarve and brought the project to life.

“Our mission is to help abandoned and sick animals by providing veterinary treatment, neutering, socialising and re-homing them” Richardson explained.

Work on the Cabanita rescue centre should complete in October, whilst the second rescue centre was unanimously approved by the municipal assembly on Monday 25 June. This second centre should be completed within 8 months.

The third phase is waiting for approval from the local council.

ARA is very concerned that it treats animals with dignity, respect and comfort, so they are building a modern re-homing centre from scratch with an eco-friendly design. Even the sewage system is eco-friendly as all the waste from the dogs goes to a container that filers the detritus. This means the sanctuary can both save water and reuse it in other works.

The facilities will include a reception, veterinary practice with operating theatre, sections for puppies, adults and senior dogs, a quarantine area, a training ground to allow for interaction between volunteers and animals, and a cat shelter. Accommodation for employees and volunteers will ensure the rescue centre is efficiently run and surveilled around the clock. Volunteers from abroad can help with daily tasks in exchange for accommodation and food.

There are about 10,000 abandoned animals in Portugal and the sanctuary appreciates it cannot help them all and it pays tribute to the other rescue centres in Portugal are working with very limited resources to help animals.

Support will be needed to help the ARA with on-going income to help care for the animals and look after them, so donations and volunteers are very welcome.

And it wants to raise awareness of the importance of neutering in the local area and to allow the public to visit and volunteer to enable the animals to socialise with people. They hope to allow local school children to visit the shelter and see what work it does and how much love and companionship caring for animals can give people.

Richardson is doing an amazing thing by spearheading the project. He came to Portugal from Essex 25 years ago, attracted by the climate and lifestyle and his passion for golf. And 12 years ago, he rescued a dog who has become his best friend and changed his life. “Instead of leaving a substantial sum of money in my will, I decided to use some of it now and see this project through,” he says.

Which just goes to show there’s no point in waiting for the right time to help animals around the world. The right time is now to get out there and make a difference.

We wish the Animal Rescue Algarve sanctuary well. You can find out more here and donate here.

Animal Rescue Algarve is registered charity 514692049, and registered in the council of Loulé in Faro. Its registered name is Abrigo dos Animais and the charity name is Animal Rescue Algarve.

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Sign the petition here