Animals Asia is indebted to the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust for its support in our work to rescue bears from the bear bile industry in China and Vietnam.

The trust was set up in 1989 by the late Madame Jeanne Marchig of Geneva - a philanthropist, animal lover and animal welfare leader - in memory of her husband, painter Giannino Marchig.

The trust’s remit is to promote and encourage practical work in preventing animal cruelty - it’s an aim that reflects our founder Jill Robinson’s own reasons for setting up Animals Asia.

Jill said:

“Animal Asia’s tagline ‘Until the Cruelty Ends’ were not words we chose without extensive thought. This is at the heart of all we do. Literally through one animal at a time, our mission is to end suffering - beyond that there’s a huge fight to end bear bile farming and combat the dog and cat meat industry.

“So each bear rescued is a success in its own right. It’s hard to measure pain except to say that, for these animals, pain existed for their whole miserable lives. We want to end that while keeping sight of the bigger picture too. To do this we take our inspiration daily from our supporters - animal lovers across the world – and it’s incredibly moving to think of Jeanne and Giannino Marchig continuing to fight cruelty as an on-going legacy of their own incredible lives.”

The trustees of the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust have very generously helped Animals Asia over the years and are doing so again this year, by providing financial support for our sanctuaries in China and Vietnam, focusing on the care of our bears, including food, enrichment and vet care.

With an increasing number of bear rescues and the costs associated with running world class accredited sanctuaries, the Marchig Trust’s generous support comes at a crucial time.

Jill adds:

“Our sanctuaries have earned admirers from across the world but the best judges of what works are the bears themselves. We have horticultural teams in China and Vietnam that patiently build and rebuild structures and play areas to keep the bears entertained. These enclosures will be the whole lives of these bears so we should never underestimate the importance of making them as exciting and stimulating as possible. The support of the trust is helping us do that.

“The smiles of our bears, their games, their rehabilitation from the bear bile industry and the lives they go on to live - these are thanks beyond words for what this donation has meant to us.  Every rescue is a commitment to a bear where previous ‘owners’ have failed them. We’re committing not just to giving them a life - we’re committing to ensuring it’s a happy one. The Marchig Animal Welfare Trust has joined us in that commitment and we couldn’t be more grateful for their generosity and love towards bears enjoying their second chance.”

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