Donation Respect Animals July 2022: Maita’i Te Animara Association
In July 2022, as part of our Respect Animals program, we made a donation of 500 euros to the Polynesian association Maita’i Te Animara (IMTA). This association works for the defense, the safeguard and the protection of animals on the territory of French Polynesia and works to raise public awareness of the animal cause, overpopulation, care and education of animals.
The association was chosen by Vaimalama Chavez, with whom we collaborated on a capsule collection inspired by Tahiti, her birthplace.
Interview with Karine, representative of the IMTA association
Can you present your organization?
Our association was created in 2005 to help abandoned animals in an industrial area of Punaauia in Tahiti. On the whole island, there is no shelter and the rare foster families are reserved for the rescue of the most fragile or seriously injured street animals. The others are therefore cared for and fed daily in the area where they were abandoned. We try to regulate the population by systematically sterilizing all the animals in our care.
At the same time, and in order to act against abandonment at the source, we have set up a spay/neuter subsidy for low-income families. In Tahiti, it is not uncommon for families to own a dozen dogs and as many cats. And none of them are sterilized.
What is your scope of action?
If the daily care of abandoned animals concerns the city of Punaauia and in particular its industrial zone, the aid to sterilization is granted without restriction of perimeter on all the island of Tahiti. Currently, the association is in charge of about 40 dogs and 60 cats.
Can you tell us where the Respect Animals funds will go?
The funds from the Respect Animals program are intended to finance sterilizations. Thanks to this help, 4 female dogs or 6 female cats can be sterilized.
What are your annual needs and what resources does your organization rely on?
The average annual budget of the association is about 50 000€ per year. It fluctuates according to donations, as the association lives only on donations, and depending on the year, also on subsidies from the State or from foundations in France. The only own resources come from the adoption fees which cover only a small part of the costs incurred for each animal.
Can you tell us about your latest intervention to help animals?
The last animal rescued was a 5 month old male dog who was standing sadly and dangerously along a busy road, narrowly missing being hit by a car. Not only was he overgrown with fleas and skinny as hell, but he was also practically hairless. The picture speaks for itself. This was a week before he was taken in by a dedicated foster family and given all the care he needed. His look has already changed a lot and this is the best reward, we named him Kurumi.
Would you like to say anything else?
For a few months now, the number of abandoned animals has been increasing, while the number of adoptions is almost at a standstill. It is thus a difficult context in an ultra-marine territory where the competent authorities have always completely neglected the animal condition. Local associations are currently the only ones trying to improve things.
Support Te Animara
We are proud to bring our help to the association te Animara which realizes daily an exemplary work to help the animals of Tahiti. To follow the news of the association and to help them, go to their Facebook page!
Animoz Team : Maëva, Anaïs, Leslie, Johan, Thibault and Bastien