Welcome to our two new members – SSPCA and KFV

EUROWA are proud to announce two new members. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) joined us as an Associate Member and KFV (Riksförbund Katastrofhjälp Fåglar & Vilt) Sweden as an Affiliate Member¹. Both organisations formally joined during the EUROWA Network meeting held in Altafulla, Spain in November.

The SSPCA is dedicated to improving the welfare of all animals across Scotland and have been working on this mission since 1839. A significant branch of the organisation is committed to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation and central to this effort is their wildlife rehabilitation centre, located in the heart of Scotland. The SSPCA is the primary wildlife rescue organisation in Scotland, and their staff bring extensive experience in wildlife triage and assessing animal health to an oil spill effort. SSPCA are keen to expand and strengthen partnerships in wildlife-focused initiatives and build their capacity for responding to oiled wildlife incidents in collaboration with EUROWA.

The Swedish Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (KFV) was founded with the primary objective of caring for oiled wildlife, particularly seabirds, but the organisation has also developed capabilities to treat a broader range of injuries. Following their creation in 1997, they established strong collaborations with local authorities, notably the Fire and Rescue Services who provided bird rehabilitation facilities and today have grown into a regional association. Their current work focuses primarily on the education and training of wildlife rehabilitators and they are the only organisation in Sweden specifically dedicated to the care of oiled wildlife. A representative of KFV, Mr. Jan-Åke Hillarp, was also involved in the establishment of EMPOWER, the forerunner of the EUROWA network.

EUROWA is very pleased to have SSPCA and KFV in our network, joining us from countries with significant oil spill risks and high wildlife sensitivities. We are looking forward to working with you!

Footnote

1. EUROWA Members join a dynamic network of European oiled wildlife response experts, working together under the EUROWA Charter.For further information: https://eurowa.eu/who-we-are/becoming-a-member/