Saudi Animal Welfare Society (Refq)

The Saudi Animal Welfare Society 'Refq' is a Saudi organization dedicated to animal care. Established on February 1, 2018, under the Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations, its headquarters is located in the capital, Riyadh, and its services cover all provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The society aims to promote a culture of animal welfare in society, reduce the indiscriminate breeding of stray animals and pets based on scientific principles, provide treatment and shelter for needy animals, and facilitate the adoption of abandoned pets.

The society also works to reduce the culture of indiscriminate hunting, and the transition from individual to institutional animal welfare efforts, provide humane and scientific solutions for all aspects related to animals, and combat the culture that prioritizes financial gain over animal care.

The society offers a variety of programs including "Fi kul Kabed Ratba Ajr" (Compassion for All Living Beings), Refq Shelter Program for housing needy animals, Refq Program for registration of pets, and Refq Program to control the random reproduction of stray animals.

The society plays three key roles, the first is oversight and follow-up, through which the society works to spread the culture of defending animals and not abusing them by all means, whether by individuals, groups, or public or private entities.

The society's second role is awareness and education. The society educates individuals, institutions, universities, schools, and both public and private sectors about the laws, procedures, and regulations on animal welfare, and proper practices. Awareness emphasizes avoiding direct and indirect causes of animal abuse and any actions contrary to animal welfare.

The society also undertakes care and rehabilitation roles, where the society provides direct services to animals and animal enthusiasts through future partnerships with related supporting entities. These services include medical support, provision of certain types of treatments and nutritional supplements, and establishment of shelters.

Strategic projects of the Saudi Animal Welfare Society include developing a national plan to establish animal shelters, considering objectives and strategic distribution, developing a program for rehabilitating and domesticating animals and offering them for adoption, establishing a program for providing veterinary services, and creating prosthetic limbs, if possible, for animals in need.

The society also formulates a disaster and emergency animal rescue plan in collaboration with relevant entities, contributing to the development and enhancement of regulations and legislation related to living creatures, including import, export, transport, and sales, and supporting relevant entities and helping monitor violations by sellers, producers, or marketers involved in running animal-related businesses.

The society works to develop a national awareness program about animal welfare concepts. This program, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, aims to enhance curricula and extracurricular activities. It includes extracurricular programs for decision-makers and volunteers.

Among the society's strategic projects is the development of communication programs for cooperation with ministries and entities concerned with animal welfare in the Kingdom, including ‏the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, ‏the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing‏, the Ministry of Education, emirates of provinces, Saudi scouts, public security, customs, and the Ministry of Interior among other ministries and institutions. Furthermore, the society developed a program to connect the society with international organizations sharing the same objectives, such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Humane Society International (HSI), and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).