Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme - "the Muscles from Brussels" - and the animal welfare organisation GAIA announce the start of a closer collaboration for animal welfare. The statement was made today by the actor himself and Michel Vandenbosch, GAIA’s president, in Knokke, where JCVD is currently staying.
JCVD joins the GAIA fight, and will support the organisation for a ban on fur farming in Flanders and against animal suffering during long-distance transport.
JCVD already lent his face to a GAIA poster campaign in 2011 against the suffering of mink raised for fur production. The poster showed a vulnerable JCVD, holding a dead mink in his hands. Since then, the actor and GAIA have always kept in touch. In a video message earlier this year he expressed his deep appreciation for the work of the organisation. His son and daughter also publicly supported GAIA’s actions, against battery cages and force-feeding respectively.
The collaboration between JCVD and GAIA now takes a more structured form.
Michel Vandenbosch commented: "Jean-Claude Van Damme becomes an international ambassador for GAIA, and GAIA becomes JCVD’s partner in Europe. Together we join forces for animal welfare. We are truly honoured that he has chosen GAIA. He will back our campaigns and spread them to millions of his fans around the world. JCVD in turn spoke highly of GAIA: “GAIA is fully dedicated to animal welfare. They do a great job."