


Animal lovers who are looking to give back to the community - ACRES needs you! ACRES or the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society is a local charity that advocates for an end to animal cruelty in Asia. They tackle wildlife crime in Singapore in addition to a 24-hour wildlife rescue service leading to helping more than 10,000 injured or orphaned wild animals and relocated displaced wildlife. Reaching out to over 105,000 children and adults every year, their educational campaigns continuously seek social responsibility toward a cruelty-free lifestyle.
These 3 folks at ACRES tell you more about volunteering, working with the organisation and how you too can make that difference.
Anbarasi Boopal
Anbarasi, or better known as Anbu, joined the organisation in 2006 as a volunteer, moved onto full-time staff and now is ACRES’s Deputy Chief Executive. Not one to shy from otherwise misunderstood wildlife, Anbu has had her share of dealings with monitor lizards, snakes and mammals who otherwise alarm people in the city. “Working at ACRES is like a dream job, spending everyday with a passionate team of staff and volunteers towards a common goal of helping animals. As a volunteer 9 years ago, I felt a perfect alignment of my values with ACRES’s and since then I have not looked back.”
Joe Kam
Joe started volunteering as a Wildlife Rescue Officer and even though he often fulfills night-shift duties, he loves the work it encompasses. He finds that there is a large disconnect with society and the way we perceive animals; often as a nuisance or a danger, and believes education during a rescue is the best demonstration proving humans generally run after the animals – not the other way around! He encourages volunteerism, but for those who cannot afford time, tax-exemptible donations are highly sought after to help ACRES continue its work in Singapore.
Alpana Ahuja
Alpana is an artist and a finalist at the Sony-IWA (Indian Women's Association) Woman of the Year 2016. She volunteers with the Outreach, Fundraising and Wildlife teams, also incorporating advocacy work in her art to speak up for animals - she was looking out for animal-related causes before learning of the horrors in the bear bile trade at ACRES’s roadshow! She enjoys bringing each star tortoise out from their night dens to their open-air enclosures and checking vital signs at the same time. Her first wildlife rescue night-shift saw her attending to a case of an Equatorial spitting cobra. Alas, her prayers for a snake-free night apparently went unheard.
Contact ACRES if you are looking to make a difference, volunteer or donate. You can also follow their Facebook page to find out what they have been up to lately.
For more volunteering opportunities across Singapore (and the region), visit Expatgiving to work with a non-profit of your choice.
Natasha Tulsi - Vanilla Luxury Magazine Editorial Director

Wordsmith and marketer by day, Natasha is your go-to girl on all things beauty, travel and family. This mommy to two loves her cheese, a fab read and crooning to Ping Fong (don't we all?). Natasha also heads Communications at Expatgiving and helps volunteers find their dream non-profit role! Reach her at email or via her Instagram @sonattymama
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