Contributor

Jill Robinson

Founder and CEO, Animals Asia

Born in the UK, Animals Asia founder and CEO Jill Robinson arrived in Hong Kong in 1985 and spent 12 years working in Asia as a consultant for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Repeatedly faced with scenes of widespread animal cruelty, Jill founded “Dr Dog” in Hong Kong in 1991 – the first animal-therapy program in Asia.

In 1993, a visit to a bear farm in southern China changed Jill’s life. Exposing the plight of endangered Asiatic black bears (also known as moon bears) cruelly farmed and milked for their bile, and learned how easily herbs and synthetics could replace bear bile, Jill embarked on a journey to end the practice of bear farming once and for all.

In 1998, she founded Animals Asia, an organization that is devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam by promoting compassion and respect for all animals, and working to bring about long-term change.

Animals Asia began as a small group working out of Jill’s front room. She has built the organization into a respected international NGO with over 300 staff, an annual turnover of more than $9 million, award-winning bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam, headquarters in Hong Kong, and offices in Australia, China, Germany, Italy, the UK, US and Vietnam.