site.btaHundreds Join Charity Race in Sofia Supporting Animal Rights Protection
Some 200 participants joined a 5-km run in Sofia on Sunday supporting the protection of animal rights. The charity race Run for the Animals took place in the Borisova Gradina park and was organized for the sixth time by the Campaigns and Activism for Animals in the Industry association (KAZHI).
The winner of the race, Teodor Dimitrov, told BTA that he took up the protection of animal rights as his cause ten years ago. He is part of the Gang of 1,500, an organisation of volunteers who care for animals in the capital's shelters for stray animals. "My wife and I have taken up animal protection as our cause, we use our free time to help animals and participate in causes to protect their rights," Dimitrov said.
KAZHI Chair Petya Altimirova told BTA that Run for the Animals is aimed at promoting in the most accessible way campaigns that can protect animals in different areas: their use for fur, experiments, food.
The funds from Sunday's charity run will go to support an animal-free science campaign, which started at last year's run. The 2023 funds were used for the Innovation in Education: Animal-Free Science conference, which provided a medium for the promotion of alternatives to animal experiments in education. Many universities participated, Altimirova said. Thanks to this campaign, 500 animals a year will no longer be used and killed for experiments at the University of Forestry, she stressed. In their place, specialised software and other technologies will be introduced to replace physiology and pathophysiology classes.
Sunday's charity run also featured the photo exhibition "End Cages", which aims to end some of the cruelest practices in animal husbandry: the use of cages in the rearing of laying hens, pigs, ducks, rabbits, and calves. The campaign was part of a European citizens' initiative a few years ago, which was joined by millions of European citizens, Altimirova said, adding that the European Commission is expected to submit a proposal to change legislation on cage farming.
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