rescued!

The wild animals at the
Safari Park Zoo in Fier are safe.

Romania, Bucharest | 2016 08 18 | Dogs at the Speranta Dog Shelter | Copyright Notice: © Speranta | Status: Check / All rights of use

the beauty of adoption

It’s a way of giving a loving new home to a shelter animal

22,000 € for a Tiger?

The trade in big cats from Europe is booming.

FOUR PAWS

is a strong, global and independent voice for animals under direct human influence. Our vision is a world where people treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding.

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End the suffering of Vietnamese bile bears

The gallbladder of the bile bear is punctured with a needle through the abdominal wall. The anaesthetic is often administered ...

bär im käfig kopf unten

#THANKSEBAY!

It’s becoming more and more common to buy pets online via classified ads sites. No matter if you are seeking a puppy, a kitten, a rabbit or...

End the cage age

Cage farming is a nightmare that we can end. Caged farming is cruel, unnecessary and has no place in Europe. Join the m...

sign the petition

recent updates

Press, blog posts, rescues and other news.

Calves considered by-product of buffalo mozzarella production suffer cruel fate

FOUR PAWS continues to uncover brutal business of Italy's buffalo farms

dachshund fall

Dogs in autum

Guide for dog owners

Last Day on Lombok

Looking back on our 15 day mission in Indonesia

Rescue Hoa Lan and Hoa Tra

FOUR PAWS rescued another abused pair after more than 12 years in cages

Dog Meat Trade Indonesia

Beach paradise turns into hell for thousands of animals every year

Bears in Bärenwald Arbesbach | 27.05.2008 | Vinzenz on left side and Liese |

30 Years of FOUR PAWS

In 1988, Heli Dungler in Austria founded the internationally active animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS.

wildlife SANCTUARIES

We provide species-appropriate homes for rescued animals all over the world.

Lion cubs at Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa on 16.03.2009. Four Paws Animal Welfare Foundation had transfered in March 2009 three lions from Romania and four Lions from Austria in Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary, South Africa. MIHAI VASILE / FOUR PAWS

Big Cat Sanctuary LIONSROCK

A species-appropriate home for more than 100 animals, mainly big cats rescued from zoos, private captivity or the entertainment industry.

Geretteter Tiger aus Syrien genießt die Abendsonne in FELIDA

FELIDA Big Cat Centre

Our FOUR PAWS rescue centre for big cats in the Netherlands

Bears in Dancing Bears Park Belitsa | 05 2005 | Bulgaria | Stefan and Bobby in the park |

Dancing Bears Park Belitsa

A safe haven for former dancing bears

Bär Pashuk aus dem BÄRENWALD Prishtina

BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina

The FOUR PAWS BEAR SANCTUARY in Kosovo

Bears in Bärenwald Arbesbach | 27.05.2008 | Vinzenz on left side and Liese |

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach

An animal-friendly home for abused bears since 1998

Germany, Müritz | 2012 09 04 | BWM Transfer | Siggi (deceased), a 19 years old brown bear, plays in the water in Baerenwald Mueritz, on September 4, 2012. MIHAI VASILE / FOUR PAWS

BEAR SANCTUARY Mueritz

The biggest BEAR SANCTUARY in Western Europe

Switzerland, Arosa | 2017 08 31 | FOUR PAWS started the construction of the bear land, a new sanctuary situated in the winter sports hotspot Arosa in Switzerland! The event was attended by members of the Swiss FOUR PAWS team and additional stakeholders. The project is being conducted in co-operation with "Arosa Tourismus" and "Arosa Bergbahnen". The bears that will be accommodated in Arosa will come from Italy, France and Spain.

Arosa Bear Sanctuary

The first bear sanctuary in Switzerland

Ukraine, Domazhyr | 2017 10 16 | Bear Bodia enjoying his life at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.

Domazhyr Bear Sanctuary

The FOUR PAWS BEAR SANCTUARY in Ukraine

Vietnam, Ninh Binh | 2017 12 12 | Bears Thai Van, Thai Giang and Nhi Nho (Hai Chan) were successfully released into their outdoor enclosure at BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh. Here: bear Thai Giang.

BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh

A new home for bile bears at the BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh!

Germany, Maßweiler | 2016 09 08 | Tiger Sharuk at TIERART.

Big Cat Centre TIERART

FOUR PAWS offers an animal-friendly sanctuary in Germany

Animal Rescues

Read more about our emotional animal rescues.

Rescue May and Binh Yen

FOUR PAWS ends the keeping of bile bears in Ninh Binh province

Rescue Masoud and Terez

Two Bulgarian lion cubs find a new home in our Big Cat Centre FELIDA

Bulgaria, Belitsa | 2017 09 27 | Bear Riku at DANCING BEARS PARK Belitsa.

Rescue Riku

FOUR PAWS brings Albanian bear Riku to DANCING BEARS PARK Belitsa

Rescue Ivan-Asen

Rescued from a zoo in Bulgaria and brought to our Big Cat Centre FELIDA

Ukraine, Domazhyr | 2017 10 11 | Bear Manya at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr, one day after her rescue.

Rescue Manya

Ukrainian restaurant bear rescued by FOUR PAWS

Albania, Tirana | 2017 08 09 | Transfer of bear Jeta from her transition enclosure at Zoo Tirana (ALB) to DANCING BEARS PARK Belitsa (BG).

Rescue Jeta

New home for one of Europe's saddest bears

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Fantastic news 🙌: Haute Couture and prêt-à-porter designer Jean Paul Gaultier promised to ditch fur from all his collections from this point onward. Following similar recent announcements from DVF - D...