Three decades ago, a small group of concerned local citizens banded together to stop a massive and brutal commercial hunt for white-coat harp seals on the eastern coast of Canada, and a new breed of animal advocacy organization was born.




From the outset, the founders of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, or IFAW, rejected the notion that the interests of humans and animals were separate. Instead they embraced the understanding that the fate and future of harp seals-and all other animals on Earth-are inextricably linked to our own.



IFAW's courageous actions drew international attention to the plight of the seal pups and successfully rallied worldwide condemnation of the hunt.IFAW's continued vigilance, it is now illegal to hunt whitecoat seal pups for commercial purposes on the ice floes off Canada's east coast. IFAW begins its fourth decade of operation with more than 200 experienced campaigners, legal and political experts, and internationally acclaimed scientists working from offices in 13 countries around the world.