IAR

International Animal Rescue (IAR) was established in 1989 with the aim of helping sick and injured animals and to provide either short or long term care in order to fully rehabilitate them back to health and back into their natural habitat. The head office of IAR is based in the UK but they also have offices in the USA, India, Indonesia, and Malta. In India they help to sterilise cats and dogs to prevent any increase in strays and they are also heavily involved in the eradication of dancing bears. The office in Malta is particularly dedicated to nursing sick birds back to health and has helped many species of bird including kestrels, short eared owls and buzzards.

Within the UK, IAR aim to help marine wildlife and also to offer sanctuary to unwanted cats, providing them with sterilisation and immunisation. Within Indonesia, they primarily focus on helping macaque monkeys, slow lorises and the Brahminy Kite, also known as the Red-backed Sea-eagle. The IAR specialises in the comprehensive sterilization and inoculation of stray dogs and cats, particularly in developing countries where stray animals are sadly incredibly common. Ultimately their main aim is to bring about lasting solutions that will be of benefit to both animals and humans.

Within India, the IAR are keen to highlight the plight of the dancing bears. They are closely involved in campaigns to remove the dancing bears from the streets of India and are the sole UK funder of bear sanctuaries in Agra in the north and Bannerghatta in the south of India where they are managed by Wildlife SOS, who are partners with the charity. They also do much work for domestic animals in Goa such as working with stray or unwanted dogs.

If a dog that has had a nasty injury or has been particularly ill or required complicated surgery, then the dog may be kept with the IAR as it would be too dangerous to release the dog as it would be unlikely to survive on its own. It is also not uncommon for a dog to have suffered some sort of mental trauma which would again make the dog unlikely to be able to fend for itself. In some cases a dog may find itself abandoned by their owners and in this case the dog would be taken in and then put up for adoption.

The IAR rely on generous donations and fundraising from the general public in order to continue with their vital work. The successful completion of the bear sanctuary in Agra, India and the rescue of nearly 400 bears were only made possible due to the generous donations and support of the general public. There are many ways that you can get involved and help the charity, including either making a donation online or over the phone or even leaving a legacy in your will. It is also vitally important that the word about their work is spread to as many people as possible to help promote and gain support for the work that they do.