Animals Asia was founded in 1998 and promotes compassion and respect for all animals. To date they have rescued over 600 bears, caring for them at their award-winning bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam.

Animals Asia also works to end the trade in dogs and cats for food in China and Vietnam, and lobbies to improve the welfare of companion animals, promote humane population management and prevent the cross-border export of "meat dogs" in Asia.

In addition, Animals Asia campaigns for an end to abusive animal practices in zoos and safari parks in Asia, and works closely with governing authorities to improve animal management and increase awareness of the welfare needs of captive animals.

iM3 have been involved with Animals Asia over the past 12 years and most recently have donated a set of lip retractors that have proved incredibly useful for tooth and gum inspections.

You can see these lip retractors in use on Su Su, a very playful bear with a sad history. She was one of three bears rescued from a bile farm in Pleiku which is 1,165km, 22 hours drive from the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in Tam Dao National Park. She had spent a decade on the farm in a tiny cage regularly having her bile extracted for sale as a traditional medicine.

Su Su was rescued on 11th November 2016. When the Animals Asia team arrived on the farm, skinny Su Su stood to greet them and took the offered treats. When she stood it became immediately apparent that she had lost the toes on her right fore and right hind paws- likely from a snare injury or perhaps injury on the farm. Su Su moved easily into the transport cage, rushing in as soon as the connecting door was opened to gobble up the offered treats. Since her rescue she has settled into sanctuary life very well.

Su Su playing with her friend Phoenix and relaxing in her new home.

Su Su’s first health check involved the surgical repair of an abdominal hernia and extraction of several broken teeth, one of which was causing an abscess. Despite the fact that all the toes of her right forepaw and hind paw were missing, she didn’t display any severe arthritic changes, which means she was able to live a pain-free life until recently. Her last health check showed two fractured canines, which required further treatment.

Rescued bears come to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre with a variety of afflictions. For all of the bears here, dental assessments and possible treatments will be required for life. Approximately 45 bears a year will receive dentistry treatment including widening of diastema were food gets caught between teeth, repairs of fistula and draining tracts from fractured teeth, root canal therapy, and for those teeth that are too badly damaged or infected to save, they will be extracted. Animal Asia are working to save Su Su’s fractured canines by performing root canal therapy on both teeth.

Animals Asia are incredibly grateful for all of the support they receive, whether that is financial donations from supporters, donation of equipment they receive from organisations or veterinary specialists who donate their time and skills.

If you would like to support Animals Asia in their fight to stop animal cruelty visit https://www.animalsasia.org/uk/

To see more of Su Su and her playful nature visit https://youtu.be/2ylU3F0Dzqc