December 14, 2023
We achieved a lot in 2023! Here is a look back at our year.
We achieved a lot in 2023! Here is a look back at our year.
It has been a busy year. In the final days of the year, we pause for a moment and look back. We started with several reports. In summer, we celebrated a particular success and published our first white paper. In fall, we expanded our team and have been working as a team of four ever since.
Throughout the year, we carried out many consultations and have become part of the movement. We are constantly expanding our sphere of influence!
We supported foodwatch with their report on the health of farmed animals. The report shows that millions of farmed animals suffer massively from diseases, injuries and pain. The problems are widespread in all forms of farming, whether conventional or organic.
For the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, we prepared the position paper on the various stunning methods used in the slaughter of "fattening pigs". There is no comparable German-speaking position paper on this topic that is based on such extensive references.
For the French organization L214, we prepared the position paper on the transport of turkeys in a squatting position. The birds are forced to squat in a bent position for hours on end. We reviewed the scientific literature on this transportation practice for the position paper. We also supported the organization in a meeting on the topic with DG Sante, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety.
In August, we published our first white paper. The report "Untying the chains: A comprehensive investigation into the tethering of cattle" provides detailed information on the still widespread practice of tethering.
Several organizations and activists used the white paper in their work to abolish tethering for good! Ten articles on our white paper have been published so far. Among others the following reported on our White Paper:
Two animal organizations consolidate their campaigns with our white paper. PETA Germany is using the results of the report in its current campaign against tethering. The German Animal Lobby is basing its guidelines on tethering on our report.
The positive response to our report confirms that we have found the right format for science-based work in the interests of non-human animals with the white paper.
To ensure that the report has a long-term impact, we have successfully sought inclusion in specialist libraries and made it freely available on the scientific platforms ResearchGate and Academia.
As part of the publication of the white paper, we were guests on two podcasts. Our vet Sophie-Madlin Langner spoke to the German speaking podcast "Gans Normal Vegan" about our white paper. Our biologist Eva Seifert presented our report on German speaking podcast "Tier und Jetzt".
We are also pleased that our social media channels are growing steadily. Social networks are a great way to get in touch directly with interested parties. We use posts and collaborations to provide information about animal-related expertise and our organization.
Almost 1,000 people follow us on all channels together. Thank you for the great support!
We also launched our own newsletter on LinkedIn. There we inform our subscribers about ongoing projects and our organizational development.
In Stephanie Kowalski, we have found an experienced veterinarian with a broad professional background who has immediately integrated herself into the team and the organization. She has been contributing her knowledge of non-human animals since September.
Our new colleague enriches us and the animal movements with her knowledge. The expansion of the team also marks an important milestone:
Expertise for Animals is here to stay and is being used more and more by the animal movements.
In November, Expertise for Animals celebrated its second birthday. The four of us are starting the third year of the organization and look forward to the upcoming projects and challenges that we will master together.
We say thank you to everyone who supports us.
Throughout the year, we were available to various stakeholders as trusted contacts. We work with organizations and individuals that we find worthy of idealistic support within the framework of pro bono collaborations. As a non-profit organization, our focus is on covering costs and not on profit.
This year, we carried out numerous professional checks of campaign and investigative materials. This type of work is an essential way for us to support the many organizations in our movement, both large and small!
Organizations, alliances, individual actors and activists can contact us at any time.
We took part in a number of conferences and events this year. Our co-founder Marietheres Reinke presented our work at the CARE Conference in Warsaw. Her presentation focused on our founding process and the associated challenges and opportunities.
We appreciate the CARE Conference because it gives activists and organizations the opportunity to exchange ideas about methods, campaigns, strategies, collaborations, funding, public relations and key issues of the animal movements.
As we are constantly learning, this year we took part in veterinary conferences and training courses both on site and online. We incorporate the specialist knowledge we gain there into our work and pass it on directly to the animal movements.
We regularly share our impressions of the events on social media. There, for example, we report on the veterinary symposium on animal welfare and the ethology conference of the German Veterinary Medical Society.
In addition to the visible successes, we have been working on several major projects behind the scenes. The collaborations have taken a lot of time, but are not always immediately visible to the public. As soon as the clients publish the results, we will let you know!
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We are now part of the Buch7 partner program. Buch7 is a social bookstore that donates 75 percent of its profits to organizations like Expertise for Animals. Now you can order books and other media and do good with them.
There are no additional costs or disadvantages for our supporters. Due to the German fixed book price system, the books cost exactly the same as in the bookstore.
Use our partner link: https://www.buch7.de/store/partner/expertiseforanimals
Transparency is one of our core values as a non-profit organization. That is why we began the process of joining the German Transparent Civil Society Initiative this year. To this end, we have implemented their ten requirements.
These include our statutes, the names of the decision-makers and information on the source of funds, use of funds and personnel structure. We also publish our activity report and annual financial statements every year.
Following their final audit, we will soon be listed with the German Transparent Civil Society Initiative.
In the coming year, our focus will be on constantly updating and expanding our freely available knowledge offering. We are planning to publish more factual reports and science-based assessments.
We are currently preparing the next white paper and further background articles. We also want to expand our pro bono consultations so that more actors in the animal movements can benefit from our work.
Together with you, we are committed to a world without exploitation and oppression of non-human animals!
With your help, we can bring the latest research from the animal welfare sciences to the animal movements. Do you like our unique approach? Find out more here and help us with a donation.
We look forward to the coming year and thank you for your support!
