History of
Anima International

Inspired by the animal rights movement in western Europe, particularly organizations such as Anima in Denmark and Norway, a group of friends came together in Poland to create the Open Cages group in 2012. While Anima had been pushing the movement forward in Scandinavia since the year 2000, this new wave in central Europe allowed Open Cages to learn from their more experienced colleagues in the north to push animal rights further in countries like Lithuania, Estonia, the UK, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

It soon became clear that both Anima and Open Cages shared several key strategies, values and the aim of creating efficient, innovative change for animals. After a few years of working together as supportive partners Anima and Open Cages decided to go all in and vote for a merger, creating the new Anima International, spanning nine countries across the continent. In 2020, Assiettes Végétales, an organisation working to change public catering menus in France, joined the coalition.

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2000

A group of animal activists starts working on a vegan advocacy booklet program and awareness about the fur industry. Anima Denmark is formally founded

2003

First person is employed in Anima

2004

Anima Denmark joins Fur Free Alliance

2006

Anima Denmark joins DOSO (Danish Animal Welfare Umbrella Organisation)

2011

Anima Denmark starts the cage-hen sanctuary “Frie Vinger” (Free Wings)

2012

Otwarte Klatki (Poland) is created
as an investigations group

2013

Otwarte Klatki (Poland) co-founds
Network for Eastern European Animal Rights
— an alliance of animal rights groups focused on capacity building in the Baltic and Eastern regions