Ms. Fatma Samoura Zurich Dear Ms. Samoura, As a proud supporter of In Defense of Animals, an international animal protection nonprofit of more than 250,000 members, I urge you to take a stand against the Russian government's practice of poisoning stray dogs and cats as well as wild animals in preparation for your competition. I am one of the many soccer fans and animal advocates representing many countries who are shocked and outraged that FIFA has been silent, thereby condoning the suffering of countless animals. Most of your fans love and live with animals, especially dogs and cats. I am extremely frustrated knowing that FIFA, a powerful and wealthy organization, hasn't negotiated with Russian authorities to ensure that animals are treated humanely. Today, news of this international tragedy is spreading quickly. FIFA's reputation is being tarnished as you read this letter. Fans are canceling their plans to travel to Russia to witness the World Cup and many groups on social media are calling for a boycott of the event. There are countless petitions to FIFA on the Internet calling for a stop to the killings of so many sensitive beings. Over 1.5 million people have already signed one such petition to stop the killing. We applaud the efforts of the Parliament, the Government, and the World Cup Organizing Committee to build shelters in World Cup hosting cities, with plans to spay/neuter, and vaccinate the dogs. Orders to follow that project's guidelines were allegedly given to local authorities in those cities. Despite this heroic effort, brutal killings continue in some cities, breaking the hearts of local people. Even worse, the earlier contracts for killings were not cancelled as promised and new contracts continue to appear. I find this simply unacceptable. All animals should be treated humanely. Witness the suffering for yourself of two stray dogs who were poisoned to death on February 9: https://www.facebook.com/100006363167201/videos/2126971344191617/ FIFA Headquarters is located in Switzerland, the society with the highest humane standards for animal welfare, where animals are often treated with respect and compassion. I implore you to uphold Swiss values and help sentient animals who will otherwise suffer in pain and agony for your benefit. Please use your authority and partnership with Russia to ensure that street animals don't die in agony. You can set an international precedent by choosing compassion over killing. The world will follow your lead! + With gratitude, http://www.sinergia-lib.ru/index.php?page=goricheva_tatiana