Sochi achieved world fame for hosting the 2014 Olympics, and at the same time stirred outrage over its local appetite for killing dogs. While the Olympic fuss has melted away, two badly mistreated animals have been left behind without hope. It took a year for their suffering to capture the attention of the first the media and then animal lovers around the globe. A filthy, rusty cage with two bears bored to death on the concrete has touched the animal welfare world. The situation in Sochi resembles the one in Romania 10 years ago. The owner of a restaurant keeps two bears locked behind bars for entertainment. Their only pathetic satisfaction is the beer that the owner proudly adminsters to lighten up their mood.
The abuse doesn’t stop at the alcohol. The bears’ owner points the high beams of his car at their cage, confusing them and damaging their eyes. His reckless fun has blinded one of the bears and has added vision impairment to the list of the illness that animals suffer in the heart of Sochi.
The animal welfare organization that monitors the case called for help, and AMP promptly responded. „These bears are living in awful conditions, and they need help. We have experience with three other foreign cases, and we believe that bear welfare shouldn’t have frontiers. The sanctuary’s space and conditions allow us to assess the case, but we need the support of animal lovers and animal welfare NGOs from all over,” says Cristina Lapis, AMP president.
World Animal Protection (WAP) in London has engaged positively in this mission, understanding that other bear facilities around the Black Sea don’t have the resources to perform international rescue missions.
The rescue mission is planned for early spring. WAP expects transparent collaboration from the Sochi government while the organization and AMP assess transportation needs and bureaucratic requirements.
