04/25/17 45 Chinchillas Rescued!
After Croatia baned fur farming, breeders agree to give up chinchillas for adoption
- Adopters from Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, other Croatian cities welcome gray furballs
In a carefully planned and executed action, Animal Friends Croatia (AFC), in collaboration with the Mrkvica Association, rescued 45 chinchillas! After the fur farming ban was enacted on January 1, former breeders heeded AFC’s call and showed compassion to the remaining animals by giving them up for adoption. The rescued chinchillas were destined to die for their fur, but will now get to spend the rest of their lives in caring homes in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, and other cities.
AFC president Luka Oman said: "This year's fur farming ban was heartily welcomed by the public. People had been waiting for that moment for the ten drawn-out years of the phase-out period. This ban will save many animals from suffering in production and being gassed to death, having their necks broken, or electrocution. It's hart-warming that former breeders decided to ensure happier lives for the remaining chinchillas. These animals no longer have to fear the prospect of being skinned alive."
AFC was astounded by the number of kind-hearted people who offered to open their homes to these creatures. For the first time in their lives, 45 chinchillas got the chance to leave their cramped cages, jump around, cuddle, and feel the solid ground under their feet instead of wire.
Ingrid Newkirk, president of the largest animal rights organization in the world, PETA, expressed her pleasure with the news of successful rescue: "We congratulate Animal Friends Croatia and everyone who helped rescue these 45 individuals from a terrible life and a bad end. Knowing that these chinchillas were going to be killed, but that they are now going to live and be loved, tips the balance back a bit from evil to good. Just looking at them enjoying life makes the very idea of buying or wearing real fur revolting."
TV star and presenter Sharon Osbourne also expressed her support and sattisfaction, stating: "My heart goes out to everyone who worked so hard to give these 45 chinchillas a bright, happy life, rather than end up skinned and hanging in a dark closet. This beautiful story shows the world that conflicts can be peacefully resolved."
This is a resounding NO to the slaughter of animals for fur. In the wake of Slovenia, Croatia, and other countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are also set to enact their own fur farming bans.
AFC and the Mrkvica Association wish to thank everyone who supported the rescue action and, above all, the adopters who offered to provide lifelong care to these tortured animals. Special thanks goes to the international organizations Fur Free Alliance and PETA, who invested months into following and supporting the ban.
Photos of chinchillas on the farm and their rescue