SHELBURNE, VT November 29, 2006 - Making the world a better place, one bear at a time, has been the mission of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company since it began 25 years ago. Now, the Company takes that mission global by launching a program that will provide essential financial resources to IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).

The new Save the Bears collection includes 20" Panda, Polar, Grizzly, and Moon teddy bears. Five dollars of each sale will support the bear rescue and rehabilitation efforts of IFAW, www.ifaw.org. All of the represented bears in this new Vermont Teddy Bear collection are considered endangered species in the wild.

We wanted to help increase IFAW's success rates and raise awareness of the threats against these incredible animals, said Elisabeth Robert, President and CEO of Vermont Teddy Bear. It was important to all of us at Vermont Teddy Bear to provide funding from the sale of each of the new bears to help to sustain IFAW's efforts and to support what they are doing to instill change.

IFAW works to improve the welfare of wild animals throughout the world by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats and assisting animals in distress. In China, home of the pandas, IFAW works to protect wildlife habitats and promote animal welfare and conservation. Through animal rescue, rehabilitation and release, IFAW is working to save moon bears in Asia and brown bears like the grizzly in Russia.

Real bears around the world today face many threats; they need our help, said Patrick Ramage, IFAW Public Affairs Director. Vermont Teddy Bear's contributions will directly help care for bears orphaned by the winter den hunts in Russia, provide essential funding to the moon bear center in India, support studies of climate change and its effects on marine animals, and conservation efforts.

Each year IFAW cares for about 18 bears at its center in Russia and has successfully released more than 110 bear cubs back into the wild. Globally, IFAW promotes actions to protect our shared environment, such as addressing the affects of climate change on polar bears and other marine mammals.

Like all Vermont Teddy Bears, the new Moon, Panda, Polar, and Grizzly Bears are handmade in Vermont and guaranteed for life. Each bear retails for $99.95, with five dollars being donated to IFAW. The Save the Bears collection is sold through the Company's website www.VermontTeddyBear.com, catalog, and phone center, 1-800-829-BEAR.

Vermont Teddy Bear Company

Vermont Teddy Bear Company

We've been making the best Bears in the Universe for over twenty years -- and every bear is lovingly designed, cut, sewn, stuffed, and stitched right here in Vermont. A Vermont Teddy Bear Company® Bear-Gram® is the creative alternative to flowers. It's a fun, unique gift idea that is guaranteed to last forever.

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