“Tušti narvai”: The Tech Behind Animal Rights

When Justas joined Adapt, we discovered that he is not only a skilled developer but also the founder and technical lead of the non-governmental animal protection organization “Tušti narvai” (English: “Empty cages”). Justas has been a dedicated volunteer since the organization’s founding in Vilnius in 2014 — yes, that’s 10 years of commitment!

Thanks to Justas, Adapt LT has also had the privilege of digitally supporting the noble mission of “Tušti narvai”.

“Tušti narvai” is dedicated to preventing animal suffering in Lithuania through legislative and institutional reforms, collaboration with businesses, and public awareness campaigns. They are members of the international coalitions Fur Free Alliance and Open Wing Alliance.

The organization is results-oriented, focusing on achieving tangible outcomes through initiatives such as:

• Publicizing visual evidence from farms;

• Advocating for legislative and institutional changes;

• Organizing impactful events;

• Encouraging businesses to raise animal welfare standards;

• Applying pressure on relevant institutions.

Over the years, “Tušti narvai” has made remarkable progress. Since 2021, the sale of live fish has been prohibited, and in 2023, Lithuania banned fur farms. Additionally, more than 1 million egg-laying hens are no longer kept in cages, percentage of cage-free eggs in Lithuania is constantly growing. These are just a few of their many achievements.

For “Tušti narvai,” process automation plays a critical role in fighting animal cruelty. The goal is to reach as many people as possible, gather support, and hit key outcomes. This requires proactive communication and a well-structured system—without automated processes, meeting these goals becomes almost impossible.

The team initially managed their work with Google Sheets, later moving to Salesforce to integrate their CRM and database (payments, petitions, emails). However, this setup still limited their capabilities.

To address these challenges, they are transitioning to a newly developed CRM system. This will enable more efficient use of statistics, charts, and trend analysis, as well as generate filtered reports, like identifying discontinued payments. These improvements will allow the telephone outreach team to target the right audience more effectively.

An essential aspect of the organization’s success is the usability of their website. Petition forms need to be engaging and provide clear information. They also track where users drop off in the process and follow up automatically to ensure the petition’s goal is achieved.

The goal is simple: gather data, analyze it, and take informed actions that drive positive change.

Justas is responsible for all technical aspects of tustinarvai.lt and other organization’s websites, managing the back-end, front-end, servers, and databases.

What drives him to dedicate so much of his time to “Tušti narvai” is the shared mission and the close friendships he has developed with his colleagues, who have become lifelong friends. He’s motivated by both the organization’s tangible results and the technical challenges he faces in his role.