Past experience has demonstrated well enough that technology is a double-edged sword: while it is capable of bringing major improvements to the way we live, it is also able to put humanity at the brink of existential risk. Let alone AI - while this booming technology has enabled many advancements in terms of convenience, it has also placed in question the relevance of the existence of humans as such. Eventually, what matters the most is not only the way that technology is used but also the fundamental purpose that it serves. Once directed for a good end, technology may bring phenomenal results – and become the solution to a whole range of problems that could not otherwise be tackled.

Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment (PACT) chose to be the solution in the world of animal rescue. At the heart of the platform’s proposition lies a story of a dog called Bear. Confronted with fate’s bad turns, she lost her sight and was later diagnosed with cancer. Still, Bear fights on with sheer zest and a love for life. This is why she was chosen to be the face of the NFT. The Bear Necessities Sanctuary NFT collects donations for Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment, which serves as a life-saving mission for homeless animals. Additionally, each community member will have access to the e-Governance project. This demonstrates the aptitude of Bear NFT towards promoting the decentralized future.

Gripped by this compelling proposition, I approached the Co-Founders of PACT, Neeri, Deshnee and Candice, to speak about the scale of impact that can be done to help those with four paws and no home.    

What led you to the idea of founding Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment?

There was a great need within the community. We saw the plight of the animals and decided that something needed to be done. “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

From your perspective, what is the quality of animal support nowadays? Does it need to change?

Animals are always sidelined. People often look at animal welfare as being “someone else's” responsibility. We all have a moral obligation to help animals in need. Collectively, we all need to engage in helping animal welfare.

Why do NFT and blockchain technology play a central role in the mission of saving animals by acquiring Bear NFT?

Suhail - Everytime a bear NFT is sold on the NFT market a percentage of the sale will automatically go towards PACT using smart contract technology. 

How can anyone acquire Bear Buddies within the Metaverse of Bear NFT? What is the idea behind it?

Suhail - So right now you can acquire a Bear NFT by going to our minting DApp site and mint an NFT for free all you have to pay is the transaction fee, but once the initial 10k all get allocated you will have to purchase one from the secondary market at whatever price the new owner feels its worth, our metaverse is still in development but in the future, you will be able to then Use/Display the  BEAR NFT in the metaverse.

In your opinion, what has to be done for people to be aware and active in animal support?

If you can donate, volunteer, foster, or adopt then you have changed the lives of animals already. However, something as simple as sharing posts from animal welfare groups could also help save a life. Therefore, there is no excuse as to why you are unable to help animals.

What role does the community occupy in both PACT and Bear NFT projects?

The community is the project! Bear NFTs and PACT can only exist and sustain animals through their involvement. Without you, there is no us!

Could you tell me a bit more about the ‘Public Property' projects facilitated by Bear NFT? 

Suhail- We are currently in the works trying to turn public properties and landmarks across cities in South Africa into NFTs and then into our metaverse.

Finally, what is your long-term vision of the organization? What is the set of actionable steps that will eventually help you in realizing it?

We hope that the Bear NFT will be the first step to ensure that PACT is financially sustainable so that the physical Bear Necessities Sanctuary can materialize in the real world. We also hope to have our own clinic where sterilizations will be the norm will also be accessible and affordable to all. Our aim is to create a safe haven for animals to feel free to live their best life. Bear NFT took the first steps in laying down the foundation for the universally-accessible ethical animal treatment, which hopefully, will soon find many followers across the world. This is the first step to promoting a better future for all living beings. We also would like to highlight the priority of our community among our core values: thus far, we are doing a Free Mint (just pay gas) of 9 000 out of the 10 000 Bear NFTs. This is foundational to the success of our project: we would like to serve our community and constantly engage in value creation with the help of various initiatives (i.e. digital payment wallet, blockchain and metaverse) as a part of our long-term vision - thus leveraging a new technological power to make the world a better place to live.