Healthier Farm Animals, Healthier Communities
FOUR PAWS calls for better animal welfare to help reduce disease risks and build a healthier future for South Africans
Cape Town, 30 September 2026 – As World Farm Animals Day approaches on 2 October, global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is highlighting the important link between farm animal welfare, public health and resilient food systems.
Scientific evidence continues to demonstrate that the health of people, animals and the environment are interconnected. Improving the welfare of farm animals and reducing stocking densities can help reduce disease risks, decrease reliance on antibiotics and contribute to safer, more sustainable food production.
With South Africans increasingly concerned about public health and the impact of climate-related challenges on agriculture, FOUR PAWS is urging consumers, industry and policymakers to recognise animal welfare as part of the solution.
The organisation notes that improving welfare standards can support animal health while helping to eliminate the need for routine antibiotic use, an important consideration as antimicrobial resistance continues to be recognised as a growing global health concern.
This World Farm Animals Day, FOUR PAWS encourages South Africans to learn more about where their food comes from and support farming systems that prioritise animal welfare, sustainability and responsible food production.
For more information, please visit our website at www.four-paws.org.za
/ENDS
Deidre Daniels
Public Relations Officer9B Bell Crescent, Westlake Business Park,
Green Building, Cape Town, 7945
A Public Relations professional with over eight years’ experience in fostering positive relationships between organisations and media.
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as 13 wild animal sanctuaries and cooperation projects across the globe, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za