Addressing the plight of animals in Liberia through public engagement and actions
This year World Animal Day celebration will be done in 46 schools around Lofa County, Liberia. Each school will organize programmes on improving the welfare status of animals and engage the larger society with the messages.
- Contact Name: Morris Darbo
- Contact Email: darbomorris@gmail.com
- Organised by: Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society
Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society (LAWCS) is people helping animals and people. It is the voice of animals in Liberia. It is considered the older local based animal protection organization in the country. At LAWCS, we improve the welfare and health of all animals including farm animals, wildlife, and companion animals focusing on the five welfare needs. We ensure that an entire community better understand that animals deserve to live happy and healthy lives with regard to their welfare and health. LAWCS focuses on animal welfare education along with free healthcare and treatment, rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes neglected and abandoned animals. Wild animals are also rescued and released back to the wild.
Every year, LAWCS celebrates the day by creating public awareness and education and calling upon everyone who directly or indirectly interact with animals to improve conditions for all animals. LAWCS continues to appeal to everyone in the country to reflect on the contributions of animals in our own lives, how our actions affect animals and what we can do, individually and collectively, to improve conditions for them.
LAWCS has a wonderful celebration this year with children from 46 schools participating in various programmes. Over 4,000 students were involved in the celebration. Each of the 46 schools organized special programmes including community awareness, parade, school to school education and a big Animal Art Competition with over 500 children from grade 1 to 6 from the 46 schools participating. The children were given the opportunity to use their artistic skills to demonstrate how we can improve the welfare standards for companion, farm, working and wild animals. The Animal Art Competition has two themes and the children were given the opportunity to choose between the two:
- WILD ANIMALS ARE OUR TREATURE! LET PROTECT THEM AND STOP BUSH MEAT, WILDLIFE TRADE AND HABITAT LOSS
- PETS ARE PART OF THE FAMILY CIRCLE. LET LOVE AND CARE FOR THEM TOO!
All of these activities were done to draw the attention of everyone to the plight of animals and ensure that people who keep, utilize and care for animals live up to their responsibilities to ensure the wellbeing of their animals, provide appropriate housing, nutrition, medical care, humane treatment and handling.