The search for the ideal gift has officially begun. This year, what if your Christmas purchases were centred around solidarity? Humane Society International (HSI) is an international organization working to safeguard the rights of animals and has just opened an online store where you can purchase gifts while giving a present to animals suffering around the world.
Pick between items like a pet-themed foulard that’s both ironic and elegant, produced in collaboration with the refined Neapolitan weaver Calabrese 1934, genderless T-shirts, customized greeting cards and decorations for both your home and your tree. Of course, there are also gifts for your four-legged friends, such as a foldable eco-friendly bowl that is easily transported for all travels.
By doing your holiday gift shopping at HSI, you are also contributing to the worthy causes carried out by the international team all over the world. Founded in the United States in the 1950s, Humane Society International now works in more than 50 countries, with activities including the promotion of a better relationship between humans and animals, the saving and protection of dogs and cats, improvement in the welfare of farm animals, the opposition of fur in the fashion industry, and the promotion of animal-free experimentation and research.
HSI professionals also intervene to respond to natural disasters, such as tsunamis, major earthquakes and fires, and work to raise public awareness towards more conscious choices. This is the case in South Korea, where regulations against the trade in dog and cat meat have recently been introduced and work is underway towards a ban. Just a few weeks ago, HSI announced the closure of a slaughterhouse in Vietnam where dozens of puppies were being slaughtered. Thanks to the Models for Change programme, the owner had the possibility to stop the business and take a new path in agriculture. About five million dogs are killed every year for the trade in their meat in Vietnam; most of them are stolen or are stray pets lured onto the streets with poisoned bait, caught with taser guns and similar devices, or are imported from neighbouring countries such as Cambodia. But there are also many rural families who sell the puppies to make money. The dogs are then forcibly fattened and live in terrible conditions until they are killed, which often happens in front of their own kind, fueling terror. To put an end to situations like these, which are widespread throughout South East Asia, Humane Society International works persistently alongside local associations with the aim of resolving these issues with the authorities.
Photo credit Chau Doan AP Images for HSI
Photo credit Chau Doan AP Images for HSI
Photo credit Chau Doan AP Images for HSI
Photo credit Chau Doan AP Images for HSI
Photo credit Chau Doan AP Images for HSI
The approach is bringing about results. In Europe, some countries, including Italy, have banned farming-for-fur production, just as several states in Asia have embarked on a path to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat. In Italy, HSI gave support to pet shelter owners during the darkest period of the pandemic and activated a protocol with the police to combat illegal dog fighting. Supporting these activities is easy. And at the same time, it solves your gift dilemmas.
Toll free phone number for Italy: 800 142 495 / Monday-Tuesday 9am-2pm; Wednesday-Friday 2-7pm
Family Portrait Day with Humane Society International – HSI
Bring your pet(s) along for a holiday family portrait by The Florentine’s Marco Badiani organized by Humane Society International – HSI.
Saturday December 16
11am to 1.30pm
Ditta Artigianale Piazza Ferrucci (lungarno Cellini 1, Florence)
