Last week, following their journey from Israel to South Africa, Ori and BenTzur took those first magical, giant steps, into their new habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.

Saved from the illegal wildlife pet trade, they had never experienced so much space, and as they explored and mapped out the acres of their new home, it symbolized so much of what we are working to achieve – giving animals back the life stolen from them, working to create public awareness, and bring about permanent change through legislation and law enforcement.

Watch the video here.

Ori and BenTzur are not yet two years old and could enjoy 20 years of peace and freedom in our care, and that is what I want to talk to you about today – securing the future for them and the animals around the world, who still need our help.

Some of the young leopard tortoises at ADIWS, seized from traffickers in South Africa and currently in our nursery, will eventually be released here and will outlive all of us reading this today, as they can live to 100 years old.

I celebrated another birthday at the weekend, and Tim and I are working hard to secure the long-term future of the tortoises, lions, tigers and all other residents, long after we are gone. We are building a worldwide organization which simply MUST continue, for the sake of the animals here now, and all those who will need it in the future – long after we are no longer feeding and watering lions, tigers, monkeys, bears and others on epic flights to freedom!

August is Make a Will Month in the US.

Can you be part of the future for the ADIWS?

The most important way you can pledge to be there for the animals in the future is by making a bequest in your will/estate – to ensure that the work continues after you have passed on. Creating a will can protect your own loved ones, pets and secure your assets, while simultaneously ensuring lasting support for the causes you care about most. It is a way of remembering the people and animals that have touched your life.

Legacy/Estate gift planning can simplify administration of your estate, leaving less of a burden on loved ones and provide tax advantages to those you wish to benefit. If you do not write a will, then you risk others deciding where your assets should go.

It you are wanting to support good causes, only you know exactly what those are – simply leaving it to loved ones to decide which animal cause you would want to help, may mean the one closest to your heart misses out.

We know ADI is just one of many animal protection organizations ranging from the tiny to some with vast resources.  What makes ADI distinct, is our range of work – we combine investigations to expose suffering and abuse, educate, create awareness for public, legislators, and law enforcement, securing laws, then rescuing the animals involved and provide lifetime care at our sanctuary (and others we fund).

I believe our work is marked by our achievements, for example:

• Bans on animals in circuses secured worldwide over past 30 years, from original groundbreaking investigations
• Ending cosmetics testing on animals in multiple countries; exposure of suffering, funding advanced non-animal methods to replace animal use
• Securing bans on bullfighting and other cruel entertainment in Latin America and elsewhere
• Ending the use of wild caught monkeys in European laboratories
• Exposing the traffickers, the labs, the animal trainers, pushing animal protection laws forward
• Following animal protection legislation with unique strategy to remove the victims, such as emptying all the circus cages in some countries.

But there is so much more to do. We are at a point where real progress can be made to end the use of animals in laboratories. ADI has always combined scientific critique of use of animals with exposure of the suffering, while also funding advanced, non-animal technology to replace animal use, now known as NAMs (new approach methodologies), which is being taken up in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere.

As we relentlessly close down the animal circuses (over 50 countries with bans), social media has grown and become the propagator of keeping wild animals, like lions, tigers, monkeys and others as ‘trophy’ pets in inappropriate and often cruel conditions and displays of abuse as ‘fun’. A whole new challenge.

A legacy in your Will is a commitment to the battles for animals to come and the animals yet to be saved. A way of ensuring that your belief in respect and compassion for the other species who share our planet, continue into the future.

Some are wary of writing a Will because it feels like tempting fate. In fact, statistically, people who write Wills, on average, live longer than those who don’t – perhaps because they are forward thinking.

Others feel that they do not have much to leave, they think that Wills are for the wealthy. But most people accumulate property throughout their lives and it can come to a surprising amount.

People can, understandably, want to benefit their spouse or children first and foremost; in these cases, a ‘residuary’ gift is often appropriate.  This is where specific amounts or items are bequeathed to individuals, and what is left over is given to a charity or divided amongst a group of charities.

Legacy gifts are ADI’s largest source of income. Every aspect of the work we do depends on this vital funding, from scientific studies to replace use of animals or argue the case for animal protection, to rescue of animals in distress.  And of course, writing a Will has no financial impact on you right now. It is a pledge for the future, and we hope, many years into the future.

Tim and I have both made bequests to ADI in our Wills.  We want this work to continue long after we are gone – we certainly hope that is long into the future!  However, if anything were to unexpectedly happen to us, we have contributed to ensure our dear BenTzur, Ori, Saif, Aziza, Dhubiya and all the other family, continue to be cared for, along with our mission to change the world for animals.

I hope you feel the same and can help as well.

August is National Make-A-Will Month in the US, and through our partnership with FreeWill, you can create your will online in just 20 minutes – at no cost to you. Create your free will.

If you are in the UK, writing a Will is not as complex as you think, you can find out about it here.

Thank you for being a part of the ADI family, cheering on our latest rescue of BenTzur and Ori, and helping us change the world for animals. Your support means the world to us.

P.S. If you have already included ADI in your estate plans, please let us know by completing this form (US) or sending a message about your pledge to ADI / ADI Foundation at execassist@ad-international.org. We would love to thank you for your generosity!