Unending fear and agony of being attacked: that is the life of a traumatized bear trapped in the gruesome medieval “sport” of bear baiting. The terrified bear struggles against being dragged into the ring, as if he knows what is about to happen. He is tied to the ground with no escape, as dogs are goaded to maul him.
He is defenseless, because as a cub he suffered the trauma of having his teeth pulled out. He has only his weight in his favor, but that is no protection against the tearing jaws of up to six fresh pairs of dogs at each event. After each fight, he is left untended under the scorching sun. He overheats in his thick winter coat, adding to his misery and sapping his strength.
Between events, his life is spent tethered on the short chain through his nose, so every movement hurts his sensitive nostrils. He could be chronically ill because his poor diet lacks the nutrients his injured body needs to heal. The victims of bear baiting suffer terribly. Bears are always injured, while dogs can be maimed or crushed as the bear fights for his life.
In Pakistan, bear baiting is officially illegal. So is capturing or keeping bears. Yet it still occurs regularly, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh provinces.
Together, we can put a stop to this horrific “sport”. WSPA needs your urgent attention on several fronts.
Your support will enable us to work alongside the authorities, positively encouraging them to end the distress of bears and dogs by shutting bear baiting down.
We also need your help in locating and confiscating the bears. Because bear baiting is an illegal and shadowy activity, WSPA needs to fund investigators who will find bears, identify their captors to police, then use the legal protection of the authorities to shut down the events and get the bears to safety.
Ultimately, your generosity will help provide a far better life for the bears at the Kund Park Bear Sanctuary, in Pakistan, built by WSPA. A rescued bear cannot return to the wild, because he will need care and rehabilitation to treat his wounds. He will need special nutrition to rebuild his depleted health. He needs shelter, privacy and a vet’s help to work through the aftermath of so much violent abuse. But as you can imagine, Kund Park’s high standard of care is costly. That is why we are asking for your help.
At the same time, we need to work with local people in areas that still tolerate bear baiting, convincing them that a bear being savaged in a ring is a sentient being that has needs and feels pain. School visits, teacher training on bear welfare and programs of mass awareness can be extraordinarily effective for transforming public attitudes. With your help, the idea of a frightened bear being attacked by enraged dogs will become as unthinkable there as it is here.
Help WSPA put a stop to the gruesome and medieval practice of bear baiting.
It is imperative that we reduce public demand by raising awareness. We need to keep the pressure on authorities to ensure bears are confiscated from these illegal events, so they can receive the highest standard of care at the Kund Park sanctuary. We need to do it now, because no bear should have to face another day of this abuse and terror. For the sake of bears trapped in this awful “sport”, and for all animals facing cruelty, neglect and crisis, please make an urgent donation today. Thank you.
As a member of the Animal Rescue Team, you will receive regular updates throughout the year, including 2 issues of Animals International magazine so you can see what a monthly donation helps achieve for animals in need.
To learn more about WSPA please visit our website
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