Animals Asia

What Animals Asia does

Animals Asia is a non-profit animal welfare organization founded in 1998 by Jill Robinson MBE, headquartered in Hong Kong with registered fundraising entities across Australia, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The organization's mission is to end bear bile farming and improve animal welfare across Asia. It operates three award-winning bear sanctuaries in Chengdu (China), Tam Dao, and Bach Ma (Vietnam), and has rescued over 700 bears since inception. Beyond bear rescue, the organization runs programs addressing the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam, captive animal welfare in zoos and circuses, elephant riding tourism, and veterinary capacity building, including a program that has trained more than 7,500 veterinarians across China.

The organization generates no product or service revenue and operates entirely on donations from individual supporters, philanthropic foundations, corporate partners, and gifts in Wills. Donor acquisition and engagement run through a multi-language website (English, French, German, Italian, Vietnamese), social media channels, celebrity ambassadors including Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, and Judi Dench, and partnerships with legacy-giving platforms (EveryWill, Octopus Legacy, FreeWill). A dedicated Bear Guardianship program offers donors the ability to name and sponsor an individual rescued bear at $15,000. The core operational technology is the Cooperative Care Program, a behavioral training methodology that trains rescued bears to voluntarily participate in veterinary procedures without anesthesia, alongside the Veterinary Welfare Training Program that integrates animal welfare into veterinary curricula across China.

The business model is structurally tied to bilateral regulatory relationships, most notably a 2017 Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnamese government to end bear bile farming nationwide, and a landmark pledge from all 60,000 members of the Vietnamese Traditional Medicine Association never to prescribe bear bile. Operations span China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and broader Asia, with programmatic reach into sanctuaries, traditional medicine communities, government policy, and tourism operators such as Yok Don National Park. As a registered charity with no disclosed financials, the organization's scale is inferred from its operational footprint rather than revenue disclosures.

Name

Animals Asia

Legal name

Animals Asia Foundation Limited

Website

https://animalsasia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Animals Asia is a non-profit animal welfare organization founded in 1998, operating three bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam, and running programs across Asia to end bear bile farming, the dog meat trade, elephant riding, and captive animal cruelty, funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters worldwide, one-time and recurring contributions to support animal rescue and welfare programs.
2. Gifts in Wills (Legacies): Bequests and legacy gifts from supporters who include Animals Asia in their Wills. One in six of the organization's projects are funded by legacies.
3. Philanthropy and Major Gifts: Transformational gifts from individual philanthropists, trusts, and foundations at major gift levels.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate support including workplace giving programs, brand partnerships, and employee fundraising initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Animals Asia rescues bears from bile farms and provides lifelong sanctuary care at three facilities in China and Vietnam (Chengdu, Tam Dao, Bach Ma). The organization also delivers veterinary training programs across Asia, advocates for policy reform to end bear bile farming, the dog and cat meat trade, and elephant riding tourism, and runs demand-reduction campaigns in partnership with traditional medicine practitioners.

Product overview

Animals Asia is an animal welfare charity organization (nonprofit) operating a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on ending bear bile farming, protecting companion animals, and improving captive wildlife welfare across Asia. The core offerings include three bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam, multiple campaign programs (bear bile farming, dog meat trade, elephant riding), veterinary training initiatives, and ethical tourism experiences. The organization also offers philanthropy programs including Bear Guardianship and legacy giving through Wills, as well as engagement tools like newsletters and donation mechanisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bear Sanctuaries

Quantifiable outcome

• 700+ bears rescued from bile farms
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vietnamese GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2017 committing both parties to ending bear bile farming nationwide, rescuing remaining bears, and providing lifetime care. Animals Asia works directly with policy-makers and public officials at national and provincial levels.
• Vietnamese Traditional Medicine AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote plant-based alternatives to bear bile. All 60,000 members have pledged never to prescribe bear bile - a landmark shift in attitudes.
• Yok Don National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to end elephant riding tourism and run Vietnam's first ethical elephant tourism program. Elephants roam free in forests while visitors observe from respectful distance.
• Elephant Conservation CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking together to protect critically endangered elephants and end elephant riding. Animals Asia provides practical workshops, veterinary advice, and staff training.
• YDV Shelter NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2013 to elevate animal care standards nationwide. Animals Asia offers training, guidance on rehoming, and emergency assistance.
• EveryWillminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline Will writing partner for Australian supporters. Enables leaving legacy gifts to Animals Asia at no cost.
• Octopus LegacyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExpert estate planners partner for UK supporters. Cost of Will covered by Animals Asia up to £150 for free Will writing.
• FreeWillminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline Will writing tool for US supporters. Guides users through creating Wills or trusts in 20 minutes.
• China Association of Zoological GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership to improve animal welfare standards in zoos across China through training and policy engagement.
• FLIGHT (Indonesia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesian organization that rescues and releases trafficked songbirds. Part of Animals Asia's network of regional animal welfare partners.
• Scorpion Foundation (Indonesia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesian macaque rescue centre opened in 2022 with support from Animals Asia. Part of regional partnership network.
• Jakarta Animal Aid NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesian organization that rescues and releases rehabilitated macaques into safe island habitats. Supported by Animals Asia.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare): Large international nonprofit focused on wildlife rescue, animal welfare policy, and disaster response for animals. Comparable as a multi-country animal welfare charity with similar donation-based funding and program mix across companion animals and wildlife.
• Humane Society International: Global arm of The Humane Society of the United States, working on wildlife trade, factory farming, and companion animal welfare. Directly comparable as a large multi-country animal protection nonprofit with overlapping campaigns on bear bile, dog meat trade, and captive wildlife.
• WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature): One of the world's largest wildlife conservation organizations, with global programs on threatened species and wildlife trade. Comparable as a large-scale conservation NGO working in Asia on wildlife trade issues, including species relevant to Animals Asia's work, though broader in mandate.
• World Animal Protection: Global animal welfare nonprofit headquartered in London that campaigns against wildlife cruelty, factory farming, and disaster response for animals. Directly comparable as a large multi-country animal protection charity raising funds from individual donors worldwide, with overlapping campaign-style operating model.

Regional players

• Animals Australia: Leading Australian animal protection charity campaigning on factory farming, live exports, and wildlife cruelty. Comparable on nonprofit operating model, donor-funded structure, and multi-issue animal welfare campaigns, though geographically focused on Australia rather than Asia.
• Save Vietnam's Wildlife: Vietnam-based NGO focused on wildlife conservation, including rescue operations at Pu Mat National Park. Closely comparable on geography (Vietnam-focused) and mission on wildlife welfare, though specialized in carnivores and pangolins rather than bears.

Direct peers

• FOUR PAWS International: Global animal welfare organization headquartered in Vienna that operates sanctuaries (including bear sanctuaries) and runs campaigns on captive wildlife, companion animals, and fur farming. Highly comparable to Animals Asia given shared sanctuary model, bear welfare focus, and multi-country advocacy footprint.
• Free the Bears: Specialist nonprofit running bear sanctuaries in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, rescuing sun and moon bears from bile farms and the wildlife trade. Closest direct peer to Animals Asia's bear bile mission, sharing sanctuary operations, rescue logistics, and government engagement in the same region.
• Wildlife Asia: Singapore-registered nonprofit working on Asian wildlife trade issues, including bear bile demand reduction and traditional medicine alternatives. Comparable as a regional NGO addressing the same bear bile trade and wildlife trade advocacy themes as Animals Asia.
• Born Free Foundation: UK-based animal welfare and conservation charity focused on captive wild animals, including bears and elephants, with sanctuaries in India and Africa. Comparable as a nonprofit advocating for wild animal welfare, running sanctuaries, and lobbying against wildlife trade.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AnimalsAsia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HKAAF
• Facebookfacebook.com/AnimalsAsia
• Instagraminstagram.com/animalsasia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/animals-asia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Animals Asia