Around the globe, 2020 stretched us all to our limits and we have now reached a pivotal point in society. Yet these hard times have now given us a vital opportunity to change how we live and change the way animals are treated around the world.  

Billions of animals are subjected to horrific treatment, cramped conditions, poor hygiene, stress, injuries and disease, minimal veterinary care, and lack of genetic diversity as a result of human industries. The appalling conditions make them a ticking time bomb for pandemic disease risk. Already multiple fur farms have reported COVID-19 outbreaks. It is time to demand change!

We cannot do this alone. Governments hold the key and have an opportunity to take bold action now to prevent future pandemics. Help us to tell decision makers this cannot wait any longer – they must use this pandemic as a turning point. 

The world needs a reset of our relationship with animals. We must treat our planet and all its inhabitants with more respect, care and compassion – for their sake and ours.

International institutions and national governments need to tackle the root causes of zoonotic disease emergence in a holistic approach which recognises animal welfare as one major aspect in the prevention of pandemics and must take action to improve animal welfare. The One Welfare Framework could serve as a guiding framework towards treating our planet and all its inhabitants with more respect, care and compassion – for their sake and ours.

The political response to prevent future pandemics must focus on changing our animal industries and making our food and agricultural systems more resilient and banning practices that increase the risk of zoonotic disease emergence and spread, like the commercial wildlife trade, the dog and cat meat trade and fur farming.

When animals suffer and endure cruelty, they are weakened and vulnerable, creating the perfect conditions for disease to spread between animals. Because there is so much exchange of disease between these animals, some pathogens develop the ability to jump to humans – and  have deadly consequences, just like we are seeing with COVID-19. When they suffer, we suffer!