International Fund for Animal Welfare
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The following article is part of Boston Tutoring Services’ series of blog posts about local nonprofit organizations. Our goals are to raise awareness about their work and to share how other people can get involved. If you or someone you know is part of, has worked with, or knows about a local nonprofit, please contact us and share your experiences. All submissions are welcome!
In the tenth part of our nonprofit series, Boston Tutoring Services interviews Tracy Weeks from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Boston Tutoring Services: Could you give me a brief history of the organization?
Tracy Weeks: International Fund for Animal Welfare was established in 1969 after our founder, Brian Davis, witnessed the commercial seal hunt in Canada from a commercial Jet liner. He saw the ice dyed red and was so moved he started IFAW. Since that time we have grown into a large international organization working on seals, elephants, whales, cats & dogs, animal rescue, wildlife trade and education.
BTS: What are the organization’s biggest goals? What is its mission?
TW: Our mission is that “IFAW rescues and protects animals around the world.” Our goals are many but a few are ending the commercial seal hunt (we have ended the Russian Hunt and much reduced the Canadian one), we want to end elephant poaching and preserve elephant habitat, we want to end commercial whaling, we want to institute programs that increase the welfare of companion animals and enact legislation to protect them around the world. We want to be able to respond after man-made and natural disasters, and help put procedures and protocols in place so after we leave a disaster, local groups are better prepared for future disasters. We want to educate youth to be compassionate about animals (we reach 5 million young people each year with our programs).
BTS: What are some of the most difficult challenges and setbacks your organization has faced/continues to face?
TW: The most difficult challenges are mostly raising the funds to do all the work we would like to do and to expand into other areas. Enacting programs that work in impoverished communities, it’s a challenge, but I think we are really good at it. The very hardest thing is being focused and having to say no to issues we do not work on and not being able to work on every single thing, even when you know it’s critically important. You can spread yourself too thin and not accomplish anything.
BTS: What is the most gratifying aspect of your work?
TW: Saving an animal, whether it is after a disaster, or by education in a community, or better laws, or bringing them to a shelter to rehab – it’s amazing. And seeing a wild animal set free, well that is the most amazing thing.
BTS: What is your favorite memory since working at the organization?
TW: My personal favorite memory is seeing the baby seals on the ice in the gulf of St Lawrence a week before the hunt started. I keep a picture of one of those babies on my desk. I wonder if it survived the hunt, and I will not rest until the hunt is ended forever.
BTS: What are some of the organization’s greatest accomplishments?
TW: Ending the Fox Hunt in the UK, helping set up the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, helping to end the Russian Seal Hunt, stopping Mitsubishi from putting a salt mine in the Baja – one of the most important whale birthing grounds, helping to secure the EU ban on seal trade, educating over 5 million young people with our Animal Action Education program every year, rescuing 189,921 animal in natural disasters, rearing and releasing 177 orphan bears, training 2,100 officers to protect elephants, funding the first Wildlife officer at INTERPOL, and I could go on and on.
BTS: How can other people get involved?
TW: First visit our website www.ifaw.org and learn about the amazing work we do. Sign up for our e-alerts so we can keep you informed, and make you aware of the opportunities to help in your area. Connect with us if you are on Facebook or Twitter and become part of the conversation about animal welfare. Take action under the “Get Involved” tab (there are several actions you can take right now.) If you live on Cape Cod or along the coast south to Rhode Island border, you might consider joining our Marine Mammal Stranding Team as a volunteer (there is an application process and several trainings once you are accepted). We also have a volunteer coordinator starting and hope to have more hands on opportunities for our supporters in the future.
Here are some great video links that will give you a better idea of the amazing work we do: