International Tiger Day Photo Contest Winners
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and Tigers in America would like to announce the WINNER of this year’s International Tiger Day Photo Contest!
Winner: “What are We Teaching?” captured by photographer, Gigi Glendinning, at a circus in Indiana, U.S.
Guest Judge Joanne McArthur had this to say about the winning photo: “What Are We Teaching?” stands out in this competition with a strong message. Tigers are in the predicament they are in because of humans, and here we have a young human in the picture. The photo speaks of animals, culture, oppression, learning, and the potential for a better future. What will this child learn? It’s up to us to teach. This image also has a unique composition, with the two subjects looking toward each other.
The contest winner was awarded a $1,000 prize and generously donated it to two GFAS-accredited sanctuaries caring for big cats, The Wildcat Sanctuary and Black Pine Animal Sanctuary, in recognition of their rescue work.
Five additional finalists were chosen and each entry receives a $100 prize.
A huge congratulations from all of us at GFAS and TIA!
Call for Nominations: 2025 Carole Noon & Outstanding Sanctuary Awards
Do you know an individual or sanctuary making extraordinary contributions to the welfare of animals in human care? Now is your chance to help us recognize their impact! Nominations are open for the 2025 Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence and the Outstanding Sanctuary Awards—but time is running out. Submissions must be received by September 3, 2025.
These prestigious awards honor leaders and sanctuaries whose work exemplifies the highest standards of animal care, advocacy, and rescue. Recipients join an inspiring legacy of past honorees who have raised the bar for what sanctuary means.
This year, we are honored to introduce our Award Committee Co-Chairs – two outstanding leaders in the animal protection field:
🐾 Katie Moore
As Deputy Vice President-Animal Rescue for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Katie Moore shapes and oversees global strategies for animal rescue, collaborating with teams and offices around the world. From her early leadership of the Cape Cod Stranding Network to managing IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team, Katie’s career reflects a lifelong dedication to saving animals in need. Today, she works to establish IFAW as the premier animal rescue and relief organization worldwide, and serves as a valued GFAS Board member.
🐾 Holly Hazard
A trailblazer in animal law and advocacy, Holly Hazard has dedicated her career to advancing the rights and welfare of animals. From co-founding the nation’s first animal-rights law firm to leading the Doris Day Animal League and serving as Senior VP at the Humane Society of the United States, Holly has been a driving force in rescue and policy change. She co-founded the Chimpanzee Collaboratory, helped launch Save the Chimps, and played a pivotal role in the largest chimpanzee rescue in history. Today, she continues her advocacy work through community and political engagement while serving on multiple animal welfare boards and committees.
We are grateful to have Katie and Holly guiding the awards process this year, bringing their expertise, compassion, and vision to the selection of 2025’s honorees.
Submit your nomination today and help us celebrate those who make a difference for animals every day.
Join Our Free Webinar: Cultivating Compassion: Best Practices for Teaching Empathy Toward Animals
Presented by Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART)
GFAS is pleased to announce an upcoming free training webinar designed to help sanctuaries and rescue centers which offer programming for young visitors or learners.
Whether you work behind the scenes or directly with visitors, you play a vital role in shaping how people, especially young people, connect with animals. Join HEART and GFAS for a dynamic one-hour webinar designed for anyone in the sanctuary community who wants to create deeper, more meaningful experiences rooted in empathy.
Cultivating Compassion explores practical, research-backed strategies to nurture empathy toward animals and inspire compassionate action. You will learn ten powerful techniques to help young visitors or learners connect more personally with animal lives, recognize shared needs, and grow their sense of care and responsibility. Through interactive activities and real-world examples, we will show how small, everyday practices, from storytelling and observation to role modeling and reflection, can plant the seeds of lifelong kindness.
This webinar builds upon previous HEART sessions for GFAS sanctuaries, held in October 2024 and March 2025, on developing educational programs for young visitors and communicating effectively with young people.
Register today!
Date & Time: Thursday, August 21 at 1:00pm EST
Presented by: Kristina Hulvershorn, Program Director, HEART.
Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z4nrSc1NT-avde2mZ9ZszQ
Can a Horse be a Companion?
When most people hear the term “companion animal,” they frequently think of cats and dogs, but what about equines?
Unfortunately, there are MANY horses, donkeys, and mules in need of a safe and forever home who are no longer able to be a ‘working equine,’ but that doesn’t mean they are any less capable or valuable.
Companion equines can provide friendship for other equines which enhances the social and emotional wellbeing of each individual within the herd.
Because equines are herd animals by nature, having a companion reduces stress and improves wellness.
Just like people, horses, donkeys, and mules get bored. Having a companion to interact with provides mental and physical stimulation.
Some of these qualities can be beneficial to us too. Similar to our bonds with cats and dogs, bonds with companion equines can be just as deep and meaningful and caring for horses, donkeys and mules improves our own physical health and mental well-being.
If you’re considering getting a new equine friend, consider adopting a companion equine and supporting the organizations working hard to rescue them.
Check out Find a Sanctuary for a sanctuary or rescue near you that offers equine adoption.
Make Noise for Monkeys!
The Captive Primate Safety Act has been reintroduced and we are asking everyone to urge their congressional representatives to endorse. This federal legislation would end the pet primate trade in the US, protecting these animals from a lifetime of suffering. These intelligent, social animals are torn from their mothers as infants by breeders, sold at auctions or over the internet, and face a lifetime of isolation and imprisonment as pets. When they become strong and unpredictable, they’re mutilated with procedures such as tooth extraction in an effort to “tame” them.
Public demand for pet primates in the US encourages the brutal international trafficking in these species. Traffickers slaughter primate mothers in the wild and smuggle the babies into the US. This is not only horrific for the animals involved, but also depletes wild populations, many of which are already imperiled.
GFAS sanctuaries are caring for countless primate victims. We must end the demand.
Please contact your federal senators and representative (find them here) and ask them to cosponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act. Thank you!
Sanctuary Spotlight: Iowa Farm Sanctuary’s dedication to special-needs residents
Lots of sanctuary residents steal our hearts, but at our recent visit to Accredited Iowa Farm Sanctuary, Billy the calf had us wrapped around his hoof in no time. We had the pleasure of not only snuggling with him but also bottle-feeding him his dinner! Billy is still a young calf, so he gets a combination of milk replacer and hay mash to help him grow. Like many residents at Iowa Farm Sanctuary, Billy has some special needs that the sanctuary works hard to accommodate:
“Billy was born with a unique condition called hypotrichosis with anodontia — a rare condition that causes him to have little to no hair and missing or underdeveloped teeth — Billy entered the world with a set of challenges few could imagine. But from the start, he’s been surrounded by love. His original caretakers recognized his need for specialized care and made sure he had the best chance at life, bringing him to Iowa State University’s Large Animal Hospital for evaluation and making the heartfelt decision to officially transfer him into our care.
Billy’s journey to IFS was made possible by a community of compassionate supporters who stepped up to ensure this little calf would never go without the care he needs. Upon arrival, he was understandably overwhelmed with the new sights, new smells, and entirely new humans. But even in those tender first moments, it was clear: Billy is brave. And as he slowly settles in, we see glimmers of the curious, affectionate spirit just beneath the surface.
With his rare condition, Billy requires lifelong specialized care, including soft foods, diligent skin support, and extra attention when the temperatures dip. But thankfully, he’s come to the right place. After five years of learning alongside our beloved Auggie, who shares the same diagnosis, our team is well-equipped to meet Billy’s unique needs with expertise, patience, and above all, love.
We are honored to walk alongside Billy as he begins this next chapter, and we’re committed to making sure it’s full of warmth, comfort, and the unconditional love he’s always deserved.”
Billy is one of numerous residents at IFS with unique needs. We also met Herbie, a sweet, rambunctious boy whose cleft palate did not get in the way of him running up to us to provide sloppy kisses. Herbie also gets special mashes and enrichment for his condition. Still others were in wheelchairs for mobility support.
Many IFS residents are industry throwaways due to their differences; but where animal agriculture deems them worthless, IFS treats them as the priceless individuals they are.
Certifications and Renewals
Over the past month GFAS has certified two new groups and renewed three organizations!
Congratulations to all these groups!
New Certifications
Selah Carefarm, Arizona
Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, Canada
Renewal
Centro de Rescate y Santuario Las Pumas, Costa Rica
End of the Road Ranch Horse Rescue, New Mexico
The Flicka Foundation Donkey Sanctuary, England