The Moon Bear Rescue has enjoyed loyal support from Luxembourg for many years, starting from the time when Renate Engel reported on the horrors of bear farming in the monthly paper “Letzbuerger Blad” and mobilised her readers to support our work.
Since then numerous Luxembourgers have generously donated to the bears and have kept up keen interest in the rescue. The readers were able to sponsor so many bears that Animals Asia had to build a bear house specially for the Luxembourg bears – Lucky, Poupouce, Leon, Angel, Petz, Heather, Francy, Sunshine, Ashley.
Sponsors from all over Luxembourg help us to cover the cost of caring for the bears, especially the expensive medical treatment in the first months after their arrival, and in return they get to give their bear a name for life, and are kept up to date on how their bear is getting along.
One of the most generous of them is Irene Mentgen-Wirtz, who has been supporting our work since 2002 and has now helped give seven bears their freedom, Petzi, Simba, Teddy, Cookie, Sally, Benji and Kimmy, with four more on the waiting list. In her compassion for the bears Irene Mentgen-Wirtz has not forgotten the other animals in China needing help - and has shown the same generosity towards the dogs and cats of China.
Denise Kirchen is another pillar of support for Animals Asia in Luxembourg, helping us spread the message of bear farming with her tireless friends Christiane and Fernand Schmit, Liette and Marco Lusi, Maggy Nickels and Sonja Feltgen.
Two years ago during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the “Haus der Natur”, the Animals Asia booth they set up caught the attention of the Archduke Henri and Archduchess Maria Teresa. Of course Denise and her friends lost no time in informing the royal couple on the Moon Bear Rescue.
Another event strongly supported by our Luxembourger friends was the auction “Artists for Moon Bears” in October 2006 in Freiburg. Luxembourger artists contributed a significant number of art objects to be auctioned for AAF: Marianne Bassi-Niclou, Sylvie Brenner, Monique Bühler, Martine Fixemer, Corinne Goetz. Ger Maas, Hannelore Maier, Ania Polfer, Génie Reuland, Monique Simon, Stéphanie Uhres and Anne Weyer.
Our heart-felt thanks goes to all mentioned above and also to those not mentioned here, but who nonetheless support our work in so many ways, from befriending bears to regular donations.
A special word of thanks too to Claude Uhres and his firm for legal assistance in our registration as a charity organisation in Luxembourg.
PS: If you live in Luxembourg and would like to support our Moon Bear Rescue, just send an email to [email protected] or contact Denise Kirchen directly at:
Animals Asia Foundation – Aktion Hilfe für Bären in Not a.s.b.l.
B.P. 343
L – 2013 Luxembourg
Archduke Henri and Archduchess Maria Teresa listening attentively to AAF’s work
Jill Robinson meets Denise Kirchen in Freiburg
Teddy loves climbing. If only coming down were just as easy …
AAF Luxembourg friends Génie Reuland, Sylvie Brenner with Jill Robinson at the auction 2006
