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Animals are used to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of medications, check the safety of products destined for human use, and other biomedical, commercial, and health care uses. Research on living animals has been practiced since at least 500 BC.
Early History
Descriptions of the dissection of live animals have been found in ancient Greek writings from as early as circa 500 BC. Physician-scientists such as Aristotle, Herophilus, and Erasistratus performed the experiments to discover the functions of living organisms. Vivisection (dissection of a living organism) was practiced on human criminals in ancient Rome and Alexandria, but prohibitions against mutilation of the human body in ancient Greece led to a reliance on animal subjects. Aristotle believed that animals lacked intelligence, and so the notions of justice and injustice did not apply to them. Theophrastus, a successor to Aristotle, disagreed, objecting to the vivisection of animals on the grounds that, like humans, they can feel pain, and causing pain to animals was an affront to the gods.

Roman physician and philosopher Galen (130-200 AD), whose theories of medicine were influential throughout Europe for fifteen centuries, engaged in the public dissection of animals (including an elephant), which was a popular form of entertainment at the time. Galen also engaged in animal vivisection in order to develop theories on human anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. In one of his experiments, he demonstrated that arteries, which were believed by earlier physicians to contain air, actually contained blood. Galen believed that animal physiology was very similar to that of human beings, but despite this similarity he had little sympathy for the animals on which he experimented. Galen recommended that his students vivisect animals "without pity or compassion" and warned that the "unpleasing expression of the ape when it is being vivisected" was to be expected.

French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650), who occasionally experimented on live animals, including at least one rabbit, as well as eels and fish, believed that animals were "automata" who could not experience pain or suffer the way that humans do. Descartes recognized that animals could feel, but because they could not think, he argued, they were unable to consciously experience those feelings.

English Physician William Harvey (1578-1657) discovered that the heart, and not the lungs, circulated blood throughout the body as a result of his experiments on living animals.
Animal Testing in the 1800s and Early 1900s
One of the first proponents of animal testing to respond to the growing anti-testing movement was French physiologist Claude Bernard in his Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine (1865). Bernard argued that experimenting on animals was ethical because of the benefits to medicine and the extension of human life.

Queen Victoria was an early opponent of animal testing in England, according to a letter written by her private secretary in 1875: "The Queen has been dreadfully shocked at the details of some of these [animal research] practices, and is most anxious to put a stop to them." Soon the anti-vivisection campaign became strong enough to pressure lawmakers into establishing the first laws controlling the use of animals for research: Great Britain's Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876.

Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) demonstrated the "conditioned reflex" by training dogs to salivate upon hearing the sound of a bell or electric buzzer. In order to measure "the intensity of the salivary reflex," wrote Pavlov, the dogs were subjected to a "minor operation, which consists in the transplantation of the opening of the salivary duct from its natural place on the mucous membrane of the mouth to the outside skin." A "small glass funnel" was then attached to the salivary duct opening with a "special cement."

In 1959, The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique by zoologist William Russell and microbiologist Rex Burch was published in England. The book laid out the principle of the "Three Rs" for using animals in research humanely: Replacement (replacing the use of animals with alternative research methods), Reduction (minimizing the use of animals whenever possible), and Refinement (reducing suffering and improving animals' living conditions). The "Three Rs" were incorporated into the AWA and have formed the basis of many international animal welfare laws.
Animals in Space and the Military
Since as early as 1948, animals have been used by the US space program for testing such aspects of space travel as the effects of prolonged weightlessness. After several monkeys died in unmanned space flights carried out during the 1940s, the first monkey to survive a space flight was Yorick, recovered from an Aerobee missile flight on Sep. 20, 1951. However, Yorick died several hours after landing, possibly due to heat stress. The first living creature to orbit the Earth was Laika, a stray dog sent into space on the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 in Nov. 1957. Laika died of "overheating and panic" early in the mission, according to the BBC. The record for the most animals sent into space was set Apr. 17, 1998, when more than two thousand animals, including rats, mice, fish, crickets, and snails, were launched into space on the shuttle Columbia (along with the seven-member human crew) for neurological testing.

Since the Vietnam war, animals have also been used by the US military. The US Department of Defense used 488,237 animals for research and combat trauma training ("live tissue training") in fiscal year 2007 (the latest year for which data are available), which included subjecting anesthetized goats and pigs to gunshot wounds, burns, and amputations for the training of military medics. In February 2013, after an escalation of opposition by animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatments of Animals (PETA), Congress ordered the Pentagon to present a written plan to phase out live tissue training. The US Coast Guard, however, which was at the center of a 2012 scandal involving videotaped footage of goats being mutilated as part of its live tissue training program, said in May 2013 that the program will continue.
Regulations
A public outcry over animal testing and the treatment of animals in general broke out in the United States in the mid-1960s, leading to the passage of the AWA. An article in the November 29, 1965 issue of Sports Illustrated about Pepper, a farmer's pet Dalmatian that was kidnapped and sold into experimentation, is believed to have been the initial catalyst for the rise in anti-testing sentiment. Pepper died after researchers attempted to implant an experimental cardiac pacemaker in her body.

While the AWA regulates the housing and transportation of animals used for research, it does not regulate the experiments themselves. The U.S. Congress Conference Committee stated at the time of the bill's passage that it wanted "to provide protection for the researcher... by exempting from regulations all animals during actual research and experimentation... It is not the intention of the committee to interfere in any way with research or experimentation."

Animal studies funded by US Public Health Service (PHS) agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are further regulated by the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. All PHS funded institutions must base their animal care standards on the AWA and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (also known as "the Guide"), prepared by the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research at the National Research Council. Unlike the AWA, the Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Guide cover all vertebrate animals used for research, including birds, rats and mice. The Guide "establishes the minimum ethical, practice, and care standards for researchers and their institutions," including environment and housing standards and required veterinary care. The Guide stipulates that "the avoidance or minimization of discomfort, distress, and pain when consistent with sound scientific practices, is imperative."

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reports the number of animals used for research each year, though it excludes animals not covered by the AWA. For fiscal year 2010 (the latest year for which data are available as of Oct. 11, 2013), 1,134,693 animals were reported. Since the data excludes cold-blooded animals, farm animals used for food, and birds, rats, and mice bred for use in research, the total number of animals used for testing is unknown. Estimates of the number of animals not counted by APHIS range from 85%-96% of the total of all animals used for testing.

The USDA breaks down its data by three categories of pain type: animals that experience pain during their use in research but are given drugs to alleviate it; animals who experience pain and are not given drugs; and animals who do not experience pain and are not given drugs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates the development of new medications, states that "At the preclinical stage, the FDA will generally ask, at a minimum, that sponsors... determine the acute toxicity of the drug in at least two species of animals."

On Dec. 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0. Sponsored by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), the law updates the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by eliminating the requirement that pharmaceutical companies test new drugs on animals before human trials. The amendment does not prevent companies from performing animals tests, but makes the tests the choice of the company.
The Modern Debate
The 1975 publication of Animal Liberation by Australian philosopher Peter Singer galvanized the animal rights and anti-testing movements by popularizing the notion of "speciesism" as being analogous to racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice. Addressing animal testing specifically, Singer predicted that "one day... our children's children, reading about what was done in laboratories in the twentieth century, will feel the same sense of horror and incredulity... that we now feel when we read about the atrocities of the Roman gladiatorial arenas or the eighteenth-century slave trade."

In 1981, an early victory by then-fledgling animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) served to revitalize the anti-testing movement once again. A PETA activist working undercover at the Institute for Biological Research in Silver Spring, MD took photographs of monkeys in the facility that had engaged in self-mutilation due to stress. The laboratory's director, Edward Taub, was charged with more than a dozen animal cruelty offenses, and an especially notorious photo of a monkey in a harness with all four limbs restrained became a symbolic image for the animal rights movement.

A 2007 report by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences called for a reduction in the use of animal testing, recommending instead the increased use of in vitro methods using human cells. Though the report touted new technologies that could eventually eliminate the need for animal testing altogether, the authors acknowledged that "For the foreseeable future... targeted tests in animals would need to be used to complement the in vitro tests, because current methods cannot yet adequately mirror the metabolism of a whole animal."

China is the only major market where testing all cosmetics on animals is required by law, and foreign companies distributing their products to China must also have them tested on animals. China announced that its animal testing requirement will be waived for shampoo, perfume, and other so-called "non-special use cosmetics" manufactured by Chinese companies after June 2014. "Special use cosmetics," including hair regrowth, hair removal, dye and permanent wave products, antiperspirant, and sunscreen, will continue to warrant mandatory animal testing. China's National Medical Products Administration announced that animal testing for "ordinary" cosmetics (those that do not make claims such as "anti-aging") will no longer be required as of May 2021.

After ceasing to breed chimpanzees for research in May 2007, the US National Institutes of Health announced in June 2013 that it would retire most of its chimpanzees (310 in total) over the next several years. While the decision was welcomed by animal rights groups, opponents said the decision would have a negative impact on the development of critical vaccines and treatments. The Texas Biomedical Research Institute released a statement claiming that the number of chimps to be retained (up to 50) was "not sufficient to enable the rapid development of better preventions and cures for hepatitis B and C, which kill a million people every year." On Nov. 18, 2015 the US National Institutes of Health announced that its remaining 50 research chimpanzees will be retired to the Federal Chimpanzee Sanctuary System. Gabon remains the only country in the world that still experiments on chimpanzees.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a plan on Sep. 10, 2019 to reduce studies using mammal testing by 30% by 2025 and to eliminate the mammal testing altogether by 2035. In Nov. 2019, the FDA enacted a policy allowing some lab animals used for animal testing to be sent to shelters and sanctuaries for adoption. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) adopted a similar policy in Aug. 2019 and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) did so in 2018.

On Sep. 2, 2021, Mexico became the 41st country and first in North America to ban cosmetics testing on animals, according to the Humane Society International.
Animal Testing and COVID-19
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) global pandemic brought attention to the debate about animal testing as researchers sought to develop a vaccine for the virus as quickly as possible. Vaccines are traditionally tested on animals to ensure their safety and effectiveness. News broke in Mar. 2020 that there was a shortage of the genetically modified mice that were needed to test coronavirus vaccines.

A shortage of monkeys, including pink-faced rhesus macaques, threatened vaccine development at the beginning of the pandemic and as variants of COVID-19 were found. The monkeys were previously flown in from China, but a ban on wildlife imports from China forced researchers to look elsewhere, a difficult task as China previously supplied over 60% of research monkeys in the United States.

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Animals are used to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of medications, check the safety of products destined for human use, and other biomedical, commercial, and health care uses. Research on living animals has been practiced since at least 500 BC. [2] Early History Descriptions of the dissection of live animals have been found in [...]Read More...

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There are signs that animal shelters are struggling to keep up with the number of stray dogs in Taiwan, just months after the government banned the euthanasia of animals at its shelters.

Animal shelters have experienced an influx of animals since the "no kill" policy was introduced on Feb.4, and more dogs are being left on the street, says Zhang Hui-min (張慧敏), founder of New Taipei City New Life Pet Shelter Association.

"I have noticed more dogs in the shelters so I often adopt more than I intend to because the environment is so horrible in there. I cannot leave them inside only to die from a disease," Zhang says.

Estimates of the stray animal population in Taiwan vary - officials say there are around 130,000 strays but animal rights activists put the figure at higher than 600,000. In advance of the no-kill policy coming into force, the government last year allocated NT$1.9 billion (US$58 million) through to 2018 to boost the standard of animal shelters.

Animal rights advocate Zhang Hui-min.

Policy-roll out

Almost 8,000 stray dogs were euthanized in Taiwan in 2016. On May 5, 2016, a vet in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, committed suicide; her death was reported as linked to her distress at frequently euthanizing dogs.

Leading up to the "no-kill" policy, the percentage of stray dogs euthanized in Taiwan's government-funded shelters has decreased dramatically in the past few years; from 73 percent in 2009 to 12 percent by 2016.

Still, due to overpopulation in shelters, an increasing number of dogs have died from hunger and disease. Animal rights activists warned last year that major outbreaks of distemper and parvovirus could spread across shelters in Taiwan within the first year of the new policy.

During a press conference on Dec.15, 2016, then agricultural minister Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻) said government shelters will practice neutering on the stray animals and release them back to their place of origin - commonly referred to as the practice of trap, neuter, vaccine and return (TNVR) - to limit overcrowding in the shelters.

However, statistics released on Feb. 28 show that 27 percent of the government shelters have exceeded their maximum space capacities. Yilan County has taken in almost 50 percent more strays than space permitting. As "maximum space capacities" is a new category in the government statistics, it is unclear whether this reflects a worsening situation or an improvement.

Zhang said that she has noticed more abandoned dogs on the streets in recent weeks.

"Last weekend, we rescued five full grown mix-breeds from the streets close to our shelter. They were probably used as guard dogs for a seasonal farm and abandoned at the end of the season," she told The News Lens in March.

Zhang believes the no-kill policy leads to people rationalizing abandoning their dogs, and it doesn't help that "drop-off" fees at government shelters are only NT$2,700. The dog shelter she founded in the rural area of Pingxi (平溪), east of Taipei, seven years ago keeps approximately 500 dogs and is still adopting more.

Liu Jin-you (劉晉佑), chief executive of Heart of Taiwan Animal Care (台灣之心), told TNL that after the no-kill policy was introduced, government agencies have become more proactive about stray dog issues. But due to a lack of supporting measures, resources are becoming exhausted. He worries that government agencies will become overwhelmed by the number of dogs in the shelters and begin to capture fewer stray dogs.

Adoption drive fails

Taiwan Dr. Dog (台灣狗醫生協會), a nonprofit that trains and certifies therapy dogs, foresaw these issues a year ago when it launched The Stray Animal Stars program, aiming to train and adopt out strays.

However, the program has achieved limited success, reflecting apathetic public attitudes and short-sighted government policies.

The program was initiated for the public to recognize the value of strays and to increase adoption rates. The organization hoped to promote the concept of "adoption, cultivation, and zero abandonment." Though well-intended, the program faced major funding challenges and found few people were interested in adopting mix-breed dogs most commonly found in shelters. Almost a year has gone by, yet only 10 of the 20 dogs in the program have been adopted.

Researchers believe that properly trained and certified therapy dogs can assist with physical therapy, help children with autism and encourage the elderly to socialize, among other things. Taiwan Dr. Dog was founded in 2001 and has since successfully trained more than 300 dogs. The group currently freely provides a dog therapy service to 45 organizations in Taiwan, including special needs schools, nursing homes and hospitals.

"If people see that humans and dogs can develop a different kind of trust then perhaps they will realize the value of stray dogs and be less likely to abandon them," said Teng Hui-chin (鄧惠津), project manager of the Stray Animal Stars program.

Teng's team obtained partial funding from the Taipei City Animal Protection Office for the program. In support, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) appeared in a short advertising video clip featuring trained therapy dogs in a mock meeting. The clip has accumulated 76,000 views on YouTube since it was uploaded in April 2016.

An online crowdfunding drive was launched that month to raise the remaining funds, but only 10 percent of the NT$3.6 million (US$110,000) goal was reached.

"We still went forward," said Teng.

Teng and her fellow dog instructors selected 20 potential therapy dogs from Neihu's Taipei Animal Shelter (內湖收容所). Because of the lack of funds, they had to eliminate certain parts of the program, such as home visits prior to adoption, but promotion efforts were not cut short.

Professional photographers were hired to capture the dogs in action and the team set up a website with detailed descriptions of each dog's personality and qualities of its ideal owner.

"We would promote at every opportunity; whether it was a government sponsored pet fair or school workshop," said Teng. "If there was a venue, we were there."

"Originally we thought there would be enough people interested, so we planned to select the most suitable owner through phone interviews."

But the calls did not come in.

People would browse the group's website but few went out to adopt, and Teng's team realized that "people weren't interested in adopting mix-breed dogs."

If dogs were adopted, the owners were not always keen on the training programs - 10 dogs were adopted of the 20 selected and only three came back with their new owners for dog therapy training.

"Normal training programs only last six months but since these are adopted stray dogs, we need to build a good foundation of trust between the dog and its owner," said Teng. Many owners cannot commit to the amount of time demanded or are simply not interested in the volunteer work which follows the training.

The program is scheduled to end on April 10 when the funds will dry up.

"If there are other organizations or businesses that would like to sponsor us in the future, we would welcome such partnerships." "But right now, we can only work with what we have. After all, we are just a non-profit," said Teng.
Read more:
The Curious Case of the Dogs on the Flight
Is an Animal Welfare Storm Brewing in Taiwan?
First Political Party Dedicated to Animal Protection Founded in Taiwan
Editor: Edward White

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FEATURE: Taiwan Stray Dog Adoption Languishing as Shelters Overflow - The News Lens International Edition

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There are signs that animal shelters are struggling to keep up with the number of stray dogs in Taiwan, just months after the government banned the euthanasia of animals at its shelters.

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Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cages in laboratories across the country. They languish in pain, ache with loneliness, and are deprived of everything that's natural and important to them. All they can do is sit and wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them. A lack of environmental enrichment and the stress of their living situations cause some animals to develop neurotic behaviors, such as incessantly spinning in circles, rocking back and forth, pulling out their own fur, and even biting themselves. After enduring lives of pain, loneliness, and terror, almost all of them will be killed.

How PETA Helps Animals in Laboratories

Since PETA's inception and the landmark Silver Spring monkeys case, we've been at the forefront of exposing and ending experiments on animals. Our scientists, campaigners, researchers, and other dedicated staff work hard to persuade universities, hospitals, contract laboratories, other companies, and government agencies to abandon animal tests and embrace modern, non-animal methods.

Two teams lead PETA's efforts to end tests on animals. Our Laboratory Investigations Department focuses on ending the use of animals in experiments not required by law, and our Regulatory Toxicology Department focuses on replacing the use of animals in tests required by law with human-relevant, animal-free toxicity testing approaches. With help from supporters like you, these teams and other hardworking staff at PETA win numerous victories for animals imprisoned in laboratories every year. Here's how they do it:

Promoting PETA's Research Modernization Deal, the first comprehensive, science-backed plan to phase out tests on animals

Conducting groundbreaking eyewitness investigations and colorful advocacy campaigns to shut down laboratories and areas of animal experimentation

Filing groundbreaking lawsuits to challenge public funding of wasteful, cruel animal experiments

Working with members of Congress to enact laws to replace animals in laboratories

Persuading government agencies to stop conducting and requiring experiments on animals

Encouraging pharmaceutical, chemical, and consumer product companies to replace tests on animals with more effective, non-animal methods

Ending the use of animals in experiments at colleges and universities

Helping students and teachers end animal dissection in the classroom

Developing and funding humane non-animal research methods

Publishing scientific papers on reliable non-animal test methods and presenting them at scientific conferences

Hosting free workshops and online seminars to share information about animal-free toxicity testing methods

Urging health charities not to invest in dead-end tests on animals

How Animals Are Exploited in Laboratories

More than 110 million animals suffer and die in the U.S. every year in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics tests. They also experience this fate in medical training exercises, curiosity-driven experiments at universities, classroom biology experiments, and dissection even though modern, non-animal methods have repeatedly been shown to have more educational value, save teachers time, and save schools money. Exact numbers aren't available, because mice, rats, birds, and cold-blooded animals-who make up more than 99% of animals used in experiments-aren't covered by even the minimal protections of the federal Animal Welfare Act and therefore go uncounted.

Examples of chemical and toxicity tests on animals include forcing mice and rats to inhale toxic fumes, force-feeding dogs chemicals, and applying corrosive chemicals into rabbits' sensitive eyes. Even if a product harms animals, it can still be marketed to consumers. Conversely, just because a product was shown to be safe in animals doesn't guarantee that it will be safe to use in humans.

Much product testing conducted on animals today isn't required by law. In fact, a number of countries have implemented bans on the testing of certain types of consumer goods on animals, such as the cosmetics testing bans in India, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, at universities and other institutions, experimenters inflict suffering on and kill animals for little more than curiosity's sake-even though the vast majority of their findings fail to advance human health. They tear baby monkeys away from their mothers, sew kittens' eyes shut, mutilate owls' brains, puncture the intestines of mice so that feces leak into their stomachs, and terrorize songbirds with the sounds of predators. At the end of experiments like these-which consume billions in taxpayer funds and charitable donations each year-almost all the animals are killed.

How You Can Help Animals Used in Experiments

Each of us can help prevent the suffering and deaths of animals in laboratories. Here are a few easy ways to get started:

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Animal Testing: Animals Used in Experiments | PETA

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Millions of animals are held in laboratories across the U.S. for animal testing. PETA is at the forefront of stopping this abuse.

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Ask the experimenters why they experiment on animals and the answer is: 'Because animals are like us.'

Ask the experimenters why it is morally okay to experiment on animals, and the answer is: 'Because the animals are not like us.'

Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction.Prof. Charles R. Magel

This is an ethical and moral issue of the first order. If animals are so like us that we can substitute them for testing instead of using humans, then surely those animals have the very attributes (ability to suffer physically and psychologically, conscious awareness) that means they deserve to be respected and protected from harm - as we would wish for ourselves.

Introduction

Vivisection is a social evil because if it advances human knowledge, it does so at the expense of human character.George Bernard Shaw

It is easy to think that animal experimentation has nothing to do with the average Australian - but it does. Any person who donates to a medical charity is potentially assisting to fund research involving animals. Therefore it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the issues, the impacts on animals and the alternatives, to allow an informed decision to be made as to whether it is appropriate to financially support what has become a multi-billion dollar industry.

Animal experimentation and the invasive use of animals for teaching, is inherently wrong. The use of animals in research and teaching is more about tradition and history than it is about science. Animals Australia is not opposed to 'scientific progress', but we are opposed to the use of animals in the pursuit of that progress.

Animal research has become 'big business'

Today it is a multi-billion dollar industry, encompassing the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and university and government bodies. There is also a significant industry providing support services in relation to animal research, including animal breeding, food supply, cage manufacture, etc.

More than six million animals are used annually in research and teaching in Australia and New Zealand. Many (but not all) of those animals are subjected to some degree of pain and/or stress during the experimental procedure or as a result of the environment in which they are kept prior to and/or after the procedures. Australia does not yet publish national animal research and teaching statistics, but most States now gather them and publish them separately. See the statistics at Humane Research Australia.

Research and teaching using animals cover wide areas of activity. The public perception that animal-based research primarily takes place in the field of medicine is false. Animal-based research is widely used in agriculture and 'basic' scientific research in relation to which the argument 'animal research saves (human) lives' does not apply. Find out more about the types of research involving animals.

Animals in teaching

The use of animals in teaching at all levels of secondary and tertiary education is still widespread. The majority of such teaching is not directed towards veterinary practice nor training in clinical procedures in humans. In fact, many students are required to use animals in practical classes, then choose careers in which they will never need to use animals.

Some schools have inappropriate facilities and staffing for animals to be housed on site. Any benefits gained by the use of animals in teaching are often outweighed by its tendency to convey the message to students that animals are merely tools available to satisfy human research and curiosity. There are sufficient alternative teaching aids available to meet the same or more useful educational objectives as those currently being met with the use of animals.

At the tertiary level, Animals Australia considers that the need for animals in teaching cannot be established except in relation to the teaching of veterinary and animal science courses. Where no non-animal alternatives exist, knowledge and skills should be obtained by study of, and practical work on abattoir materials, models, or through assistance with actual clinical cases.

Primate experimentation

It would shock caring Australians that every year hundreds of non-human primates are being tested on in Universities and institutions around the country. Three primate breeding facilities supply these Australian researchers with animals for experimentation - 'supplemented' by the importation of animals from overseas countries where poaching and habitat destruction is a significant cause of plummeting wildlife populations, with some breeds of macaque monkey being critically endangered almost to the point of extinction.

However, for all our apparent similarities, the results of animal experiments on non-human primates cannot be directly applied to humans - meaning that, ultimately, hundreds of primates are being killed every year in tests that have viable animal-free alternatives.

Alternatives to animals?

There are already many alternatives to animals which have been developed, particularly in the areas of toxicity testing and teaching. Developments have occurred most rapidly and effectively in countries in which the use of animals is prohibited. The use of alternatives may involve the use of the same experimental goals, but using instead techniques which may include cell cultures or computer programs, or it may involve changing the experimental aim altogether, such as eliminating an animal based experiment and replacing it with a clinical experiment involving humans.

The failure to use alternatives is too often caused by inertia, lack of funding, or a reluctance to deviate from previous methodology. The use of alternatives is crucial to the elimination of the use of animals in research and teaching.

For further information see the animal experimentation fact sheet.

What you can do

As a consumer: click here to sign the pledge not to buy products tested on animals, and encourage your friends and family to take the pledge too! Avoiding cosmetics and toiletries that have been tested on animals, or have animal-based ingredients is easy - see 'The List' of products that are 'cruelty free', here or phone (03) 9328 1377 to request the 'Preferred Products List' be sent to you.

Click here to call on Colgate/Palmolive to stop testing on animals.

As a donor: if you wish to donate to a charity, ensure it is not one that supports the use of animals in research. See the list of charities which have adopted a 'no animal testing' policy.

As a student: advise your teacher and/or your school/institution that you will not take part in the use of animals in classes, and encourage them to adopt non-animal alternatives in their teaching. Visit Interniche - a great organisation dedicated to the adoption of humane education techniques, and including some great resources.

As a community member: educate yourself about the ethical and scientific aspects of animal use in research and teaching, and then ensure you let our elected leaders know of your views. For further information on these issues visit Humane Research Australia.

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Ask the experimenters why they experiment on animals and the answer is: 'Because animals are like us.' Ask the experimenters why it is morally okay to experiment on animals, and the answer is: 'Because the animals are not like us.' Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction.Prof. Charles R.

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Animal rights activists come from every walk of life and every corner of the globe, but they all have one thing in common: they all want to reduce animal suffering. Though the movement has historically struggled with human representation, progress is being made to ensure that every person who cares for animals and wants to make a difference in their lives is welcomed and has a place to belong within the movement.

What Are Animal Rights Activists?

An animal rights activist is a person who seeks to reduce non-human animal suffering. Many animal rights activists have made a career out of this passion while others pursue the goal in their private lives or in their personal time.

Are Animal Rights Activists Vegan?

Many animal rights activists choose to adopt a vegan lifestyle toward their end goal of reducing non-human animal suffering. Making the decision to stop eating and consuming meat and other animal products and adopt a plant-based diet is one of the most impactful personal changes a person can make when it comes to helping animals and the environment.

1866: The Year the First Animal Protection Group Was Created in the United States

In 1863, Henry Bergh stepped between a fallen horse and the carriage driver who was beating it. Only three years later, Bergh would found the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1866. Founded in New York, the ASPCA was the only humane society in the Western Hemisphere at the time. The society served as a pioneering organization for the animal protection movement with successes both on the ground with initiatives such as an ambulance for injured horses and in policy with the passage of the country's first effective animal anti-cruelty laws by the New York State Legislature.

What Do Animal Rights Activists Do?

Animal rights activists are fighting for animals in many different ways and in virtually every industry in which animals are found. Regardless of the industry, these activists all tend to share some common goals and ideologies.

Fight for Basic Animal Rights

Animal rights activists believe that animals should be treated with respect and have more rights than they currently do. To this end, activists spend their time attempting to help provide rights and respect to animals. Some activists take part in protests and demonstrations that utilize extreme tactics that could result in criminal charges. Other activists share delicious vegan recipes on social media, start blogs, or open vegan businesses making the diet change easier for others.

Save Animals From Exploitation

Regardless of the tactics that animal rights activists are using, one of their shared goals is to save animals from exploitation. Though the larger goal is shared amongst all animal activists, the specifics can differ broadly depending on an individual's ideology. There are those activists that do not believe in owning pets and would deem pet ownership animal exploitation due to the extensive breeding that animals have undergone in order to be the dogs and cats we share our space with today as well as the conditions in which they are often placed. Other animal rights activists are veterinarians on farms that educate and encourage farmers to implement more humane practices that reduce the suffering of their animals despite the animals' likely destiny: being slaughtered for food.

Make Sure Animals Are Treated With Dignity

Another goal of animal rights activists is to ensure that animals are treated with dignity regardless of their life circumstances. Many activists seek to reduce the suffering endured in the lives of chickens or other farmed animals and increase the dignity with which they are treated even though they will likely still be slaughtered in the end. By focusing on reducing suffering, these activists are able to impact the quality of life for millions of animals as they pursue their end goal of eliminating exploitation altogether.

Monitor the Use of Animals for Entertainment

Another important role played by animal rights activists is to monitor entertainment to ensure animals are being treated appropriately. Perhaps the most prominent example of this is American Humane Association (AHA) and their " No Animals Were Harmed "® end-credit certification. The organization grants the certification to films and media which has been monitored by an auditor throughout the production process to ensure that animal actors have been treated appropriately.

I Want to Be an Animal Rights Activist

One of the great things about being an animal rights activist is that anyone can be one. Here are three easy ways to get started within the movement:

1. Educate Yourself Regarding the Issues

There is seemingly a never-ending supply of animal issues to learn about. Start with the ones that interest you the most. Why are you reading this article? Have you started questioning the impacts of animal agriculture on the environment? Are you alarmed at the continued use of animals within the textile industry? Do the puppies in pet stores make you sad due to their likely background? Focusing on one facet of the animal protection movement, especially early on, is a good way to learn more, get engaged, and start creating change for animals.

2. Make Lifestyle Changes

One good place to start as an animal rights activist is with yourself. Are you causing animal suffering? If so, how might you reduce, or even eliminate, that suffering? Two things to consider on this journey are adopting a plant-based diet and purchasing cruelty-free products.

Become a Vegan or Vegetarian

A vegetarian has stopped eating meat but might still consume dairy, eggs, and other animal products whereas a vegan has stopped their consumption of animal products altogether. C hoosing to adopt a plant-based diet is beneficial both for farmed animals (by not contributing to demand for their bodies and the products they produce) and for wildlife (by reducing environmental degradation required for animal agriculture).

Becoming a Cruelty-Free Consumer

Cruelty-free products are those which have not been tested on animals. They can often easily be identified by labels that set them apart. Though there are several different labels to keep an eye out for, the most prominent all feature rabbits due to the frequency that rabbits are used for cosmetic testing.

3. Take Part in the Cause Publicly

Another exciting step that a new animal activist can take is to make their belief system and the actions they are taking to back it up public. This can be accomplished by donating to the cause or getting involved with an animal rights organization.

Donate to Animal Rights Organizations

Though not an option for everyone, donating time, money, or energy to an animal rights organization is an impactful way to improve the lives of animals.

Get Involved With an Animal Rights Organization

Taking the time out of a busy schedule to volunteer or otherwise get involved with an animal rights organization can have a huge impact on the lives of animals. Often there are opportunities to take action from home by making phone calls to campaign targets or signing petitions. Other ways of getting involved include petting cats or walking dogs at a local animal shelter, volunteering to care for animals at a farm sanctuary, or organizing a fundraiser for a favorite organization.

4. Use Your Voice

Speaking up about animal rights and welfare helps by spreading awareness about the cause and demonstrating to those listening that animal issues are worth fighting for and discussing. Consider sharing a favorite organization's ongoing campaigns on social media, at the next potluck share the recipe for your favorite delicious vegan dish, attend a protest, there are never-ending ways that we can use our voices to help animals be heard.

3 Famous Animal Rights Activists

There are prominent animal rights activists all over the world. Some examples include:

Cesar Chavez

Best known for his role as a labor activist, the co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, was a vegetarian and was quoted as saying "I wouldn't eat my dog. Cows and dogs are about the same". Though Chavez focuses his activism primarily on the needs of people, he recognized and used his voice to advocate for animals making him an animal rights activist as well.

Rukmini Devi Arundale

As the first woman in Indian history to be nominated as a member of the upper house of the Parliament of India, Rukmini Devi was used to breaking barriers. It was in this role that she authored the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and set up the Animal Welfare Board of India.

Wayne Hsuing

Wayne Hsuing is the co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere, an animal rights network that frequently takes extreme and sometimes illegal actions in protest of animal suffering. The overarching goal of the organization is to achieve animal liberation in just one generation.

3 Animal Rights Activist Groups

There are numerous animal rights groups and organizations in which to get involved. Finding the right fit can be the tricky part. Here are three places to start getting involved in the movement.

Humane Society of the United States

The Humane Society of the United States provides a variety of different ways to get involved ranging from volunteering at a shelter or policy lead to signing petitions and sharing campaigns, the opportunities for engagement are endless.

Local Animal Shelter

Local animal shelters, whether private or municipal, are always in need of help. Though the best way to get engaged is to contact them directly to learn about the specific needs of those in your area, common opportunities include fostering sick or young animals, hosting a donation drive for blankets, food, toys, or other animal care essentials, and helping to walk dogs and play with cats or otherwise provide enrichment for the animals during their stay.

Mercy For Animals

If you find yourself drawn toward farmed animal issues, Mercy for Animals is an excellent organization to get involved with. Opportunities include action parties, digital engagement such as sending emails or making phone calls and hosting personal fundraisers.

What Can You Do?

Everyone can make a difference in the lives of animals. Many choose to do so by reducing their meat consumption while others perform undercover investigations into dairy farms. Every contribution made toward ending animal suffering is a step toward a more merciful world. So I turn this question back on you, what can you do to help end animal suffering?

Want to Protect Workers, Animals, and the Planet? Ban the Sale of Meat Chinese Eyes: Exploring Identity and White Supremacy in Animal Rights Will Development Banks Finally Agree to Divest from Factory Farms?

Grace Hussain

Grace is an avid writer and advocate with a passion for exploring animal rights from a social justice lens. She brings almost a decade of varied experience within the animal rights movement to her work as staff writer at Sentient Media.

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Animal Rights Activists: Who They Are and What They Do

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An animal rights activist is a person who seeks to reduce non-human animal suffering. Want to learn more about animal rights activism? We've got you covered.

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Wang especially enjoys the one-on-one time with the dogs - and has even met her best friend in the process. One day in December 2015, Wang spotted a shaggy, sweet-looking gray dog who had just been brought in as a stray.

"She was immediately very kind to me and wanted to sit on the floor and play all day," Wang said. "Everytime I'd go in to volunteer, she would spot me and would walk beside me for the rest of the day. I eventually started calling her Huei Huei, which means 'gray.'"

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Family Dedicates Everything To Caring For 3,000 Stray Dogs

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Wang especially enjoys the one-on-one time with the dogs - and has even met her best friend in the process. One day in December 2015, Wang spotted a shaggy, sweet-looking gray dog who had just been brought in as a stray.

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Introduction:

In February, Taiwan will begin implementing a ban on euthanizing stray animals, meaning abandoned pets or animals born as strays will no longer be put to death if they are not adopted from government-run shelters.

Last year, around 70,000 animals ended up at the shelters and each year around 10,000 are put down when they're not adopted, while several thousand more die from other causes, such as injuries and illnesses.

The ban comes after the government has long been criticized for not doing enough to deal with Taiwan's pet abandonment problem.

But over the years, many unsung heroes in Taiwan have been quietly giving their time and energy to helping strays.

One of them, Liza Milne, 42, is from the UK and has lived in Taiwan since age 20. She works as a cram school English teacher in her paying job, but spends the rest of her time as an animal rescuer and volunteer at non-government shelters that save and care for stray animals.

For about 11 years, she volunteered as chairperson, events and sponsorship coordinator, and rescuer of Animals Taiwan -- an NGO that has saved hundreds of sick or injured stray dogs and cats -- found homes for them and cared for up to 70 of the animals awaiting adoption at its shelter, which recently relocated from Taipei to Linkou in New Taipei City.

In 2016, Milne became a full-time volunteer for Mary's Doggies, a shelter that rescues strays and finds homes for them in the United States or Canada.

She does all of this as a volunteer and also takes in abandoned animals at her home, where she's currently fostering 14 dogs and five cats. She recently shared with the CNA's contributing writer Cindy Sui her insight about Taiwan's stray animal problem and her views on the new law.

(Liza Milne and a dog at Animals Taiwan; photo taken by Cindy Sui)

In her own words:

I'm from the south of England. In the back of our house, there were horses, and deer would wander in at 3 o'clock in the morning and my dad would say, "Wake up, look at the deer." He has a great respect for animals.

I didn't know as a child I would do this. It wasn't until I came to Taiwan and saw the strays at 7-Eleven; it was pretty bad. I've always loved animals...but at the time, I didn't understand the plight of animals. When I lived in England, we didn't see stray dogs.

How she got involved:

In the years before I joined Animals Taiwan, I rescued a few animals and found them homes. Others I had to put to sleep due to internal injuries from car accidents.

I rescued two dogs at that time that were hit by cars. With both of them, I heard the screeching of the car, so I just ran over there, but people didn't go to help them. They would look at me like why does the foreigner like animals so much; it's just a dog. I managed to carry the dogs back to my scooter and try to find a vet.

(Photo courtesy of Liza Milne)

(Photo courtesy of Liza Milne)

Then I started seeing dog packs in parking lots. I went to a steak store and asked them if they had leftover steaks and they said yes. So at 10 o'clock at night, I would go there and get the steak and feed the dogs.

I joined Animals Taiwan because I realized as one person there was only so much I could do. By joining a team of likeminded people, I would be able to do so much more. When I first started, I thought I'll just give some money every month or I'll just do a couple of events. I quickly became more involved. In every year that I've been with Animals Taiwan, we rescued around 90 animals.

The problems she has seen:

Some of the main problems in Taiwan are car/scooter accidents. Also gin traps that farmers put out to keep dogs or other animals out of their farmland.

These vicious traps snap down on the dogs' legs and then they can't get them off. They are terrified and in great pain. If left for too long, the leg either rots off or the dogs bite their leg off to stop the pain. More often than not, the leg needs to be amputated. These are all life threatening to animals and take a lot of care and medication to help them pull through. Not all do though.

(Photo courtesy of Liza Milne)

Other problems are fights between male dogs. Also, skin problems are common due to the humidity and dampness of Taiwan. We've had some very serious cases of skin problems where the animals take a lot of time to recover.

(Photo courtesy of Liza Milne)

Others who are also making a difference:

We are lucky in Taiwan that medical care is manageable and there are many vets that will give discounts to organizations. The vets that we use go above and beyond to help the animals that we rescue, no matter what condition they come in.

Taiwan (now) has hundreds of people working tirelessly and unnoticed by the public to help the plight of the stray animals. Many of these people not only give up their free time, but can also end up giving up their jobs and homes to care for the hundreds of dogs and cats that they have rescued.

(A vet and a volunteer at Animals Taiwan ; photo taken by Cindy Sui)

(Volunteers at Animals Taiwan; photo taken by Cindy Sui)

I joined Mary's Doggies this year (2016) full time because I decided Mary could use my help more. The work I do there is similar to what I did at Animals Taiwan. I help her with the various Facebook pages, rescues, fostering, sponsor program, fundraising and anything else I can help with.

Most of the dogs she rescues get re-homed in the U.S. or Canada. Mary's Doggies just this year (2016) has rescued over 150 dogs and found homes for just as many. She also helps other organizations from down south (mainly Taichung) find homes for their dogs in the U.S. too, so she re-homes around 300 dogs a year.

Why she helps animals:

Why do I do what I do? I love animals! I want to help as much as possible. I think people should do what they love doing and I do love doing what I'm doing.

There are good times or bad times when we're not able to rescue or an animal passes away. We have success stories when an animal gets adopted and we get the photos back from the families. And when I go to our boarding facility and the dogs are barking and wagging their tales and are so happy to see me, I realize this is the right thing I'm doing.

I really wish the government would step up. I feel the local community is doing more for the animals than the government is. That's not the way it should be.

A lot of the pet stores around Taiwan are actually illegal. The government will only go there if you report it. It says all of Taiwan's animals have to be (micro) chipped (to hold the owner responsible for abandonment), but a store can sell an animal without chipping it.

The government is focusing on catching the stray animals, but you've got to stop it where it starts. There are a lot of problems that I feel the government is closing their eyes on.

(Puppies crammed into a cage awaiting adoption at a government animal shelter; photo taken by Cindy Sui)

(A dog placed in a viewing room hoping to get adopted at a government animal shelter; photo taken by Cindy Sui)

What she thinks of the new law:

In 2017 Taiwan plans to become a no-kill country, meaning any dog surrendered or caught by the government will not be put to sleep within 12 days, but be held for adoption.

I am not an advocate of this plan at this time as I feel Taiwan is not ready for this as of yet. There are 100s of 1000s of stray/homeless animals in Taiwan and all private and government shelters are bursting at the seams.

With the no-kill policy, I feel people will become more complacent about giving up their pet to shelters. Also the overcrowding issue is huge, quarantining animals, supervising animals and giving the adequate medical care to the animals will become impossible.

If an animal brings in Parvo/distemper/giardia or any other contagious disease into the shelters, without the proper quarantining, it will spread very quickly throughout the shelter and kill many of the animals, especially young or sick animals which are most susceptible.

What she thinks the government should do:

I believe the government needs to first focus on encouraging people to spay and neuter their pets, by giving them incentives. This will seriously impact the amount of animals born on the streets.

To give a quick example, we recently were asked to help with a dog which was adopted from a government shelter as a puppy and never spayed. She then proceeded to have six puppies, four of which were female. The owner is still refusing to spay the mother dog and gave up the four female pups to people willing to take care of them.

If these people hadn't stepped forward to help the puppies, they may have been dumped in the mountains and then in turn would have produced six to 16 puppies each within a year, meaning in one area in a short amount of time, there could be 24 to 64 new dogs.

I believe encouragement is the key, as well as helping the private shelters, helping the people who feed the stray dogs, helping communities wanting to have community dogs and helping people who adopt animals.

(Photo taken by Cindy Sui)

(Photo courtesy of Liza Milne)

End note:

The Council of Agriculture's animal protection section says along with the ban on euthanasia, they are increasing the budget to hire more animal control workers to spay and neuter strays, and enforce micro-chipping rules. All shelters will also ask anyone who wants to abandon their pet there to pay a fee, though the fee is relatively small in many cases.

Activists, however, say much more needs to be done to encourage pet owners to spay or neuter their animals and to fine them if they don't. And while public awareness is rising, they say more efforts should be made to encourage people to adopt instead of buy animals.

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(INTERVIEW) Taiwan's unsung heroes: Volunteer stray animal rescuer | Feature | FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

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Introduction: In February, Taiwan will begin implementing a ban on euthanizing stray animals, meaning abandoned pets or animals born as strays will no longer be put to death if they are not adopted from government-run shelters.

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Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times

Several animal protection groups on Friday demanded that the Changhua County Government tackle the problem of stray dogs, after its animal shelter was discovered housing twice the number of dogs it can handle.

Since the nation's "no mercy killing" policy for stray animals came into effect in February 2017, many public animal shelters have reported problems with overcrowding.

Dozens of group representatives, who gathered at a news conference with the county government on Friday, held images showing dogs crowded in small cages.

They also delivered a petition to officials regarding the improvement of shelter conditions for the animals.

The number of stray dogs registered in Changhua has grown from nearly 7,000 in 2015 to 16,000 last year, the groups said, citing data compiled by the Council of Agriculture.

The county's public shelter in Yuanlin Township (員林) has taken in 344 animals, more than double its maximum capacity of 161 animals, they said.

Four to five dogs are forced to stay in cages designed for two because the county government catches and sends them to the shelter, said Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳), secretary-general of the Taiwan Animal Protection Administration Administrative Oversight Alliance.

Stray animals breed quickly, and if the government does not reduce their numbers by neutering them, the situation would continue to worsen, Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals legal specialist Chou Jing-fan (周敬凡) said.

Changhua County councilors Lai Tse-min (賴澤民), Chuang Sheng-han (莊陞漢) and Wu Wei-ta (吳韋達) supported the groups' appeals.

Instead of catching only aggressive dogs that chase after cars and people, officials began seizing any stray dog, so that they could earn more rewards provided by the county government, Lai said.

Admitting that the county's shelter is overcrowded, Changhua Department of Agriculture Director-General Chiu Yi-chih (邱奕志) said the public shelters in nine municipalities, whether they are run by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) or the Democratic Progressive Party commissioners, share the same problem.

Over the past three years, the county government did not effectively carry out the "trap, neuter, vaccination and return" program for stray animals, while the current administration is more effective and has put 431 stray animals through the program, Chiu said.

The county government is looking for location at which to build another shelter, he said.

Only 78 percent of local households have registered their pets' information, meaning that there is room for improvement, he added.

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Groups call on county to tackle stray dog problem - Taipei Times

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Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times Several animal protection groups on Friday demanded that the Changhua County Government tackle the problem of stray dogs, after its animal shelter was discovered housing twice the number of dogs it can handle.

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The world's elephants are currently in crisis.

Tens of thousands are being killed every year for their ivory tusks, which are illegally bought and sold by criminals around the world.

Leaders from across the world have met in Johannesburg in South Africa to discuss the future of the ivory trade, amongst other things.

Many people believe that the ivory trade is largely responsible for the world's declining elephant numbers.

Read Newsround's guide below to find out more about the ivory trade, the devastating impact it has had on the world's elephant populations and what has been decided in South Africa.

Then, take the quiz at the end of this guide and see how much you've managed to remember.

Why should we protect elephants?

Elephants are extremely important to the places where they live.

They help to shape the landscape. When they trample through forests and undergrowth, they create clearings, making space for new plants and trees to grow.

They also help to spread seeds, which may be too big for smaller animals or the wind to carry. Seeds are left on the ground in elephant dung and they can then grow into new plants in new places.

They also bring a lot of money to areas of Africa for tourism, as people come to the continent to see these amazing animals.

Elephants are a vital part of the range of animals and plants that Africa has to offer. It is important to protect this variety of life, known as biodiversity.

However, the ivory trade is causing the number of elephants in the world to decrease, as many elephants are illegally killed by poachers for their ivory tusks.

What is ivory?

Ivory is the hard, white material that some animals' teeth and tusks are made from. It is not only found in elephant tusks, but also in some other animals like hippopotamuses and some whales.

Getty Images, Science Photo Library

For hundreds of years, ivory has been considered a valuable material.

It has been used to make things like jewellery, combs, piano keys and religious ornaments.

Even today, people like to buy ivory products for a number of different reasons.

For example, some may want the items for a religious or decorative purpose, while others consider ivory ornaments as a symbol of importance in society.

What is the ivory trade?

The ivory trade is the name given to the buying and selling of ivory.

Currently, there is an international ban on buying and selling it across borders, but it is allowed inside certain countries.

Some ivory that is bought and sold may be legal, like old ivory from many years ago before the ban. Many see this kind of ivory trade as acceptable.

However, poachers are killing healthy wild elephants in order to steal their tusks too. This is illegal and means the number of elephants in the world is decreasing very quickly.

There are different opinions about whether or not the ivory trade should be allowed.

Some countries believe they should be able to trade legal ivory because they can use the money to pay for elephant conservation projects and other positive things.

Many other countries believe the ivory trade should be banned completely in order to save elephants, as having any ivory trade at all encourages criminals to continue poaching.

Some countries have even burned all their ivory to show how determined they are to stop it being sold.

What effect has the ivory trade had on elephants?

A count of Africa's elephants published in August 2016 found that nearly one in three has disappeared over the past seven years.

Many experts are worried that unless we do something to address the problem of elephants being killed for their ivory, there is a very real danger that elephants could die out completely within our lifetime.

Killing elephants for their tusks like this has now led to them becoming under threat. They are being killed faster than new elephants are being born, meaning numbers are going down.

In 1989, in order to protect these animals from being killed for their ivory, a ban was introduced on buying and selling ivory to different countries. It helped the numbers of elephants in the world to go up again.

But since then, the illegal ivory trade has not stopped. Poachers are still killing elephants for their tusks and the ivory is being sent around the world by networks of criminals. It is often mixed in with legal ivory so that people can't tell the difference between the two.

What is being done to protect elephants from the ivory trade?

There are many things that are being done to try and protect these animals from being killed for their tusks.

Experts follow and monitor elephants, using devices like tracking collars, so they can look after them by watching what they're up to and where they're going. National parks and conservation areas hire rangers to patrol the parks on foot and keep poachers away.

Countries also work together to stop poachers smuggling ivory across their borders.

One of the ways they do this is to try to find this ivory and confiscate it. They do this using sniffer dogs and other detection methods, like scanners.

However, it is difficult to manage, as the ivory trade takes place across many different countries and continents. Criminals are also becoming more crafty so it becomes increasingly difficult to catch them.

There are other factors that are threatening elephant populations too. For example, human beings taking the land where elephants live in order to farm and develop it. However, poaching remains one of the greatest threats facing these animals.

Many believe that the future of the ivory trade may well decide the future for the planet's elephants, which is why the world was watching the discussions in Johannesburg so closely.

What was decided at the meeting?

One of the main issues discussed in South Africa was whether or not it should be made completely illegal in every country to buy and sell ivory.

Some of the suggestions made at the meeting were accepted, but some weren't. It has always been difficult to get everybody to agree on the best way to protect the planet's elephants.

There were proposals put forward by the countries Namibia and Zimbabwe that would have allowed them to continue ivory trading in their countries, but these were rejected. This was seen by many elephant conservationists as a positive step.

However, a proposal put forward by others at the meeting to increase the protection of Southern African elephants was rejected. This would have meant that no trade would have been allowed at all, so conservationists are disappointed that this didn't happen.

Earlier in the conference, calls to close domestic ivory markets that were encouraging poaching and the illegal ivory trade were approved. But countries aren't legally forced to stick to this, so it remains to be seen what effect it will have. For example, Japan said this proposal would not apply to them.

For now, the world - and the world's elephants - will have to wait and see what effect the outcome of the meeting will have.
See how much of this guide you've managed to remember by taking this quiz.

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Elephants and the ivory trade: The crisis in Africa - CBBC Newsround

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The world's elephants are currently in crisis. Tens of thousands are being killed every year for their ivory tusks, which are illegally bought and sold by criminals around the world. Leaders from across the world have met in Johannesburg in South Africa to discuss the future of the ivory trade, amongst other things.

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If you're traveling to somewhere like Thailand or South Africa, it can be tempting to sign up for an elephant-riding excursion. After all, not only will it make for great Instagram photos, but it'll also allow you - if you're an animal lover - to get up close and personal with one of the world's most magnificent creatures.

In reality, though, it's not so glamorous, and activists around the world are warning animal lovers that riding elephants - endangered species in Asia - may actually be dangerous and inhumane. But that doesn't mean it's uncommon. Nick Stewart, the global head of World Animal Protection's "Wildlife. Not Entertainers" campaign, tells Teen Vogue that more than 3,000 elephants are held in captivity for tourism throughout Asia (with Thailand being the "global hotspot for elephant rides"), and the practice is growing in Africa as well. The organization ElephantVoices estimates that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 elephants in captivity around the world.

But what is it really like for those elephants - particularly the ones used for tourist rides? Here's what you should know.

Where do the elephants in tourist attractions come from?
ElephantVoices estimates that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 elephants in captivity around the world. Audrey Delsink, executive director of Humane Society International Africa, tells Teen Vogue that while some are bred in captivity, many are captured from their wild habitats at a young age and taken from their families, with whom they otherwise would have remained their entire lives (in the case of female elephants) or around 12 to 15 years (in the case of male elephants). "Elephants do not breed well in captivity, and thus [tourist camps'] supply comes from the capture of wild elephants," Delsink says. "The horrific practice of capturing young juvenile elephants from the wild is...practiced in many countries. In Africa, African elephant are being captured from the wild and torn from their families for a life of captivity in elephant theme parks, zoos, and elephant-back safari operations, often in countries where they do not even occur naturally."

What kind of conditions do they live in once they get to the camps?
It's a far cry from the wild. Delsink notes that the elephants are often confined to small pens, where they have little space to move around. In fact, Stewart says that 77% of the captive elephants in Asia are kept in "severely inadequate conditions," chained up whenever they're not being used for tourist purposes. "They are fed an inadequate diet with very little variation; have no or very limited access to appropriate veterinary care; and face generally stressful environments, such as loudspeakers, concrete shelters, large visitor groups, or roadside locations," he says.

And Emily McWilliam, cofounder and manager of Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary (BEES), a rescue and retirement center for elephants in Thailand, says that in the worst tourist camps, not only are elephants confined by spiked chains, but they also "stand in the hot sun for the majority of the day and often in their own excrement."

Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (KSES) currently has four elephants in its care that were previously "worked to exhaustion" in tourist camps, Kerri McCrea, KSES's manager and cofounder, tells Teen Vogue. KSES now cares for one young rescued elephant, Gen Thong, whose mother died in a tourist camp after being attacked by a swarm of wasps while chained to a tree. Gen Thong was only two years old at the time and struggled following the loss. "He became very aggressive to all the people and the other elephants, many fearing to go near him," Kerri says. "Now that he has been brought home to the forest [by KSES], he [has] been 'adopted' by his auntie, Mae Doom, who takes amazing care of him, and he has become much more comfortable with the people and elephants around him who care for him."

What are the physical effects of these conditions and tourist activity on the elephants?
The living conditions in the worst tourist camps can take their toll on the animals. "Captive elephants suffer from a long list of disease and disorders that are not normally seen in their wild counterparts, such as foot and nail diseases, chain-cut wounds, obesity, pressure sores, skin disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, tuberculosis, and increasing incidences of elephant herpesvirus," Delsink says.

And then there are the issues that come from supporting the weight of tourists and mahouts (caretakers) on countless rides. "It is said that although elephants are very large creatures - African elephant bulls can weigh up to six tons, whilst their smaller Asian elephant cousins attain about 4 tons - their backs are not very strong," Delsink says. In many cases, she notes, elephants are outfitted with special saddles to fit two people, in addition to the mahout who sits on the elephant's neck. "The saddles are large and may be heavy and can lead to pressure sores, particularly if no protection is offered between the elephant's hide and the saddle," she says.

Stewart points to a 2007 study of 194 elephants from 18 tourist camps in Thailand, which found "active lesions" on the backs of 64% of the elephants wearing saddles. And according to The Dodo, the saddles and rides can even do serious damage to the elephants' spines.

In the worst-case scenarios, elephants could lose their lives. In fact, Gen Thong's mother isn't the only elephant who died a tragic death in captivity. Over the years, there have been multiple instances of elephants who have died in tourist camps, reportedly from issues such as exhaustion.

How are the elephants trained?
While some experts note that elephants in captivity can be treated and trained humanely, animal activists claim it's not possible. "Captive elephants are often described as domesticated, but it's a myth which makes tourists think activities such as rides and shows are acceptable," Stewart says. "Whether caught from the wild or bred in captivity, elephants have not undergone genetic changes to allow them to adapt to human interactions, which is what would make them truly domesticated." Rather, he notes, wild elephants would never naturally allow humans to ride on their backs; cruel training that instills fear in and establishes dominance over the animals is the only way to make them submit.

Delsink echoes that concern. "In the wild, dominance is determined by age and body size, which is why you often see elephants jostling and wrestling as they size each other up and in so doing, determine the pecking order," she says. "Thus, the only way for a human to maintain dominance over an elephant is either through fear, learned helplessness, or dependence, or in rare cases through respect based on companionship and trust."

To tame the elephants, both Delsink and Stewart say handlers often use sharp bullhooks, poking the animals in areas where their skin is most sensitive, like behind the ears or around the eyes. "With repeated poking and prodding, these areas may become infected and painful, and the handlers and mahouts poke these sensitive areas when the animals are not listening to their commands," Delsink says. She points out that, while elephants in the wild do poke each other with their tusks, it's "not done continuously and repetitively," and when it does happen, they're supported by their family with "reassuring calls or [physical] touch."

In captivity, aside from the bullhooks, Delsink says elephants may also get beaten with sticks and whips, shocked with electric prodders, and starved. "In essence, the elephant's spirit is broken until they respond to the handler's or mahout's commands through fear and for the sake of receiving treats." In Thailand, she says, the process is known as "Phajaan," or "The Crush."

Their spirit?
Yep. Elephants have been found to be smart and sentient creatures, and when they're treated cruelly, they suffer emotionally as well as physically. "Elephants are...intelligent and social animals," Stewart says. "They display behavior associated with grief, compassion, self-awareness, and cooperation."

Dr. Joyce Pool, cofounder and codirector of ElephantVoices, who has a PhD in elephant behavior, has publicly spoken about the "extreme signs of stress" elephants who experience traumatic training may exhibit. And multiple experts have found that elephants separated from their families in the wild can develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

And the confined environments they're kept in can further harm the animals. "In elephant parks, they are prevented from forming natural social relationships with each other," Stewart says. "This is hugely damaging to their physical and psychological well-being."

Is there a humane way to see elephants on vacation?
Yes. Both Asia and Africa are home to elephant sanctuaries, like BEES and KSES, that care for rescued and retired elephants. "We...give them love, care, and freedom and slowly work to gain their trust," McWilliam says of BEES.

Visitors are welcome but shouldn't expect rides or tricks of any sort. Rather, at both BEES and KSES, tourists can help feed the elephants and observe the animals going about their days in the forests. "The elephants have worked for humans for long enough," McWilliam says. "It is now their time to have the ability to be an elephant.... Humans now work for them!"

But if you want to visit a sanctuary, it's important to do your research first. "Sadly, there has been a rise in venues that label themselves as 'retirement place,' 'sanctuary,' or 'refuge' because the industry is aware of the increased animal-welfare consciousness, especially in younger travelers," Stewart says.

So how can you be sure you're supporting a legitimately humane operation? As a general rule of thumb, both Stewart and Delsink advise travelers to stay away from camps where elephants are used for rides, tricks, or other physical interactions.

"Tourists should only support true sanctuaries that strive to replicate conditions in the wild," Delsink says. She points to the Elemotion Foundation's three basic principles for happy and healthy elephants: forest, friends, and freedom. By this philosophy, elephants should be able to move about on "varied terrain," forage for food, and bathe, drink, and dust themselves in water and mud. They should be among other elephants and free to "express more natural behaviors."

And, Stewart says, true sanctuaries "will not take animals from the wild unless they are injured and it is in the best interest of the animals to be moved to the sanctuary."

Of course, it can be difficult to discern all of that from afar - but fortunately, multiple organizations have already done some of the legwork for you. On page 48 of its report "Taken for a Ride," World Animal Protection lists 13 options throughout Asia with the "best welfare conditions" and shares tips for spotting "elephant-friendly" destinations on its website. Other organizations and sites like, Elemotion and One Green Planet, offer suggestions as well.

Want even more assurance? Check to see if a sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which Stewart says developed its standards with the help of World Animal Protection.

"Cruelty and exploitation of elephants can only thrive if tourists demand it, and the parks and camps striving to provide best possible conditions for captive elephants will only succeed if people spend their money and time visiting them," Stewart says. "While still few in number, they give us a cause for hope and a glimpse at what an elephant-friendly future can look like.... If [you] want to see elephants close up, our message is avoid rides, avoid shows, and choose somewhere that provides observational-only experiences. What could be better than the magic of watching elephants just being elephants?"

Related: Why You Shouldn't Buy Pets in Pet Stores
Check this out:

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Why "Inhumane" Elephant Rides Aren't worth the Instagram Photo Opp

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If you're traveling to somewhere like Thailand or South Africa, it can be tempting to sign up for an elephant-riding excursion. After all, not only will it make for great Instagram photos, but it'll also allow you - if you're an animal lover - to get up close and personal with one of the world's most magnificent creatures.

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Teen activist calls on Yao Ming to help her save tuskers

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A local teenage activist is planning to rope celebrity basketball star Yao Ming into her campaign to save elephants from poachers. Fourteen-year-old Celia Ho Yen-kei's campaign began with a letter to the South China Morning Post last year in which she pleaded with countries worldwide to stop killing the endangered species for their tusks.

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zimbabwe activists bid to stop export of 35 baby elephants - cnn

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Zimbabwe activists bid to stop alleged plan to export 35 baby elephants

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Wildlife activists in Zimbabwe are pushing to halt an alleged plan to sell 35 baby elephants to China and Pakistan as part of an ongoing row over wildlife exports.

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Cambodia to ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat

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In June 2019, following pressure from animal activist groups, Apsara -- the official Cambodian government body that manages Angkor Wat -- announced that it would end elephant rides at the popular site as of 2020. And the process has already begun.

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These are some of the groups that work tirelessly to help elephants - to rescue those that have been wounded, hurt, or orphaned; to strengthen anti-poaching measures; to work with local communities in finding solutions to live with elephants in mutually beneficial ways; to help improve the conditions of elephants in captivity and stop cruel and abusive treatment; to spread awareness through campaigns, education, and social media; and to lobby for stronger wildlife laws and political commitment to end the ivory trade.

These organisations need your help:

If it weren't for these groups, elephants would have no one fighting for their survival, protection, and humane treatment. Anything you can give, no matter how little, will help these groups in the essential work they do.

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These are some of the groups that work tirelessly to help elephants - to rescue those that have been wounded, hurt, or orphaned; to strengthen anti-poaching measures; to work with local communities in finding solutions to live with elephants in mutually beneficial ways; to help improve the conditions of elephants in captivity and stop cruel and abusive treatment; to spread awareness through campaigns, education, and social media; and to lobby for stronger wildlife laws and political commitment to end the ivory trade.

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Habitat Loss

Elephants are increasingly being crowded out of their habitats. Humans are encroaching these lands for farming and infrastructural development, which leaves elephants with small patches of disconnected land.

i) Loss of Habitat

Africa's human population is surging and pushing ever more into elephant rangelands. When farms are established where elephants are used to roaming they become a target for crop-raiding by hungry elephants. A year's crop can be wiped out in a single night, creating understandable resentment. Both farmers and elephants can be wounded or killed in the conflict that ensues. Pressure from livestock grazing in elephant rangeland is also mounting, impacting the amount of food available for elephants and increasing the chances of herders being attacked by nervous elephants.

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Help save elephants by shopping on Amazon Smile!

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You shop and Amazon donates at no cost to you. Save The Elephants has partnered with Amazon and is now eligible to receive donations generated by Smile.Amazon.co.uk shoppers! Amazon Smile is a program that donates 0.5% of your eligible purchase to a charity of your choice.

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Dolphin Project is a non-profit charitable organization, dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide. Founded by Richard (Ric) O'Barry on Earth Day, April 22, 1970, the organization aims to educate the public about captivity and, where feasible, retire and/or release captive dolphins.

The mission of Dolphin Project is to end dolphin exploitation and slaughter, as dolphins are routinely captured, harassed, slaughtered and sold into captivity around the world - all in the name of profit. Dolphin Project works not only to halt these slaughters, but also to rehabilitate captive dolphins for retirement and/or release, investigate and advocate for economic alternatives to dolphin slaughter, and to put a permanent end to dolphin captivity.

Dolphin Project has achieved many important victories for dolphins over the years. We brought the world's attention to the brutal drive hunts taking place along the coast of Taiji, Japan, as seen in the 2009 Academy Award-winning feature documentary "The Cove," we successfully negotiated for an end to the dolphin slaughter in the Solomon Islands and we continue to raise awareness that captivity is a cruel and outdated practice.

Ric O'Barry has been working towards these goals for over 48 years, and continues his quest to put an end to dolphin suffering. Since 1970, when Ric attempted to free a captive dolphin in Bimini, he has since readapted and/or released over 20 dolphins back into the wild.

Dolphin Project is the longest-running anti-captivity dolphin welfare organization in the world. Our mission today remains the same as it did in 1970: Let's protect dolphins together!

Check Out Our Interactive Timeline

1960-1962 Ric O"Barry works as a dolphin trainer at the Miami Seaquarium.

1964 Ric is hired to captured and train the Flipper dolphins,

1969 Ric"s favorite Flipper Dolphin dies in his arms.

Earthday April 22nd 1970 Ric founds the Dolphin Project w/ a donation from Fred Neil & Steven Stills

1975 Liberty & Florida releasedLiberty and florida were flown by seplane to the bahamas and released back into the wild.

1994 / Joe and Rosie Released

1995 Ric Releases Dolphin From Haiti Short video description

1997 Ric rehabs and release "Flipper", the last captive dolphin in brazil, back into the wild.

2001 Guatemala Ariel and Turbo - They were scooped from the clear waters of the Caribbean, put to work in a traveling dolphin show. Released in 2001

2003 Ric visits The Cove in Taiji for the first time.

2010 The Cove wins the Oscar

2014 Dolphin Project files a lawsuit against the Taiji Whale Museum

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Dolphin Project is a non-profit charitable organization, dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide. Founded by Richard (Ric) O'Barry on Earth Day, April 22, 1970, the organization aims to educate the public about captivity and, where feasible, retire and/or release captive dolphins.

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Animal lovers offer comfort to pigs about to be slaughtered for food

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Animal lovers offer comfort to pigs about to be slaughtered for food

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Aquariums and marine mammal theme parks like SeaWorld, the Miami Seaquarium, and Canada's Marineland are part of a billion-dollar industry built on the suffering of intelligent social beings who are denied everything that's natural and important to them.

Wild orcas and other dolphins live in large, complex social groups and swim vast distances every day in the open ocean. In captivity, they can only swim in endless circles inside tanks that, to them, are the equivalent of bathtubs and they're denied the opportunity to engage in almost any natural behavior. They are forced to perform meaningless tricks and are often torn away from family members when they're shuffled between parks. Many die far short of their species' natural life expectancy.

Families Torn Apart

Countless marine animals (even the original Shamu) were taken from their rightful ocean homes and placed in tanks. Tilikum, the orca who lashed out and killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau and two other people, died in a concrete prison 33 years after he was taken away from his Icelandic family. Lolita, torn away from her family when she was just a baby, has spent half a century in the same tank at the Miami Seaquarium. Some countries continue to capture wild dolphins and whales.

Captivity's Tragic Consequences

Frequently housed with incompatible tankmates, dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals are often drugged in order to manage stress-induced aggressive behavior and relieve the endless monotony of swimming in circles. They break their teeth chewing on the metal bars and concrete sides of their tanks and are forced to perform tricks for tourists in exchange for food-all in the name of entertainment.

While wild female orcas can live to be more than 100 years old, orcas at SeaWorld often die by the time they reach their teens and rarely approach even the average life expectancy of wild orcas. More than 40 orcas have died at SeaWorld from causes such as bacterial infections and fractured skulls. More than 300 other dolphins and whales along with approximately 400 pinnipeds have also died at the parks.

While Marineland can no longer breed whales and dolphins or confine new ones-thanks to Canada's recent ban on their captivity-it's still imprisoning the animals currently languishing there. Dozens of dolphins, whales, and walruses have died there-including a walrus named Apollo who recently suffered a heart attack. An orca named Kiska-who was abducted from her family in the ocean as a baby 40 years ago-is confined in isolation and can do nothing but swim in endless circles inside her cramped tank.

The Trouble With 'Interactive' Programs

Touch tanks as well as "swim with dolphins" and "paint with dolphins" programs allow the public to pet, kiss, paint with, or even ride these animals. Such programs invade their already diminished worlds and are intrusive, stressful, and even dangerous for them, as well as being risky for human participants.

Animals in "petting pools" are frequently exposed to foreign bacteria and other pathogens, and they can become anxious, frustrated, aggressive, and even neurotic as a result of being confined to shallow tanks and exposed to constant interaction with humans. Members of the public have been injured at SeaWorld's dolphin-petting pools.

Even programs that enable people to swim with dolphins in nature can be invasive. Boats and swimmers may chase, harass, and scare them, interfering with their natural feeding, resting, migrating, and playing behavior.

Poor Government Regulations

Captive marine mammals have some federal protections in the U.S., but enforcement is lax. There are simply too many animal exhibitors for the limited number of U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors-as of February 2020, there were 104 inspectors for 12,851 facilities. Even when exhibitors are cited for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act, they're rarely assessed fines or meaningful penalties.

Keeping Dolphins Free

In nature, orcas work cooperatively in search of food. They share complex relationships in a matrilineal society and-in some populations-rarely leave their mother's pod. They have group-specific food preferences and behavior. These attributes, along with their pods' unique dialects, are considered a form of culture that is unrivaled by any species other than humans.

Other dolphins, too, maintain dynamic relationships within a large social network. They live with up to a few dozen others in a pod and can swim as many as 60 miles each day and dive to depths of nearly 1,500 feet in nature.

The world is moving away from keeping intelligent, sensitive cetaceans in captivity. In the U.S., the National Aquarium is building the dolphins in its care a seaside sanctuary-a safe ocean cove in which captive marine mammals can be released into a protected area of the sea to dive deep, feel the ocean currents, and finally live like they should, all while still receiving care, food, and veterinary support. Two whales have been moved from a marine park in China to a seaside sanctuary in Iceland, and The Whale Sanctuary Project just announced plans for a seaside sanctuary for rescued orcas and belugas in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Governments around the world are also recognizing that dolphins (including orcas) and other cetaceans do not belong in tanks. Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, and Croatia have all banned the practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity. In 2013, India's Ministry of Environment & Forests banned the practice of keeping dolphins captive for public entertainment. Other countries, including Brazil, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, and Norway, have highly restrictive standards that make it nearly impossible to keep cetaceans in captivity. The last dolphinarium in the U.K. closed more than 20 years ago.

What You Can Do

Please don't visit marine parks, and never buy tickets to roadside zoos or aquariums that keep ocean animals in captivity. Encourage your local aquarium to create more space for rehabilitating (and releasing) injured wildlife by refusing to breed more animals.

You can also leaflet at local roadside aquariums or marine parks, pressure officials to avoid subsidizing these facilities with taxpayer money, write letters to the editor of local publications, and support legislation that prohibits the capture or restricts the display of marine mammals.
Please join PETA in urging SeaWorld and other marine parks to stop using animals and to relocate the orcas, bottlenose dolphins, and other animals to seaside sanctuaries, where they can thrive in the enrichment and diversity of the sea while still receiving the care that they require.

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Aquariums and Marine Parks are no safe havens for marine mammals like dolphins and whales. Learn more on how you can help animals and not support these facilities.

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In 2022-2023, the RSPCA cared for 18,778 dogs, 33,747 cats, 388 horses, 1,453 livestock, 6,424 small animals (such as mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, fish and ferrets) and 26,675 native and introduced wild animals.

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The RSPCA is an independent, community-based charity providing animal care and protection services across the country. The RSPCA federation works collaboratively to make animals' lives better. The RSPCA's member Societies in each state and territory run animal rehoming shelters, investigate and prosecute animal cruelty complaints, educate the community on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, and advocate for changes in policy and practice that improve the welfare of animals.

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Help Kids Protecting Our Animals | SPCA Kids Education

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Are you a kid who cares deeply about keeping animals safe, healthy and happy? Find everything you need to help you in your mission to make a difference!

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A list of famous animal rights activists.

Jane Goodall (1934- ) British Conservationist who has helped to conserve Chimpanzees in the wild. She is also a spokesperson for conservation and animal welfare

Brigitte Bardot (1934 - ) French Actress, singer and fashion model. Bardot later turned to animal rights activism. In 1986 she founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals. She has been an outspoken critic of animal rights abuses around the world.

Anita Roddick (1942 - 2007) Roddick was a British entrepreneur who founded the Body Shop, a cosmetic firm, with strong ethical principles. Roddick showed entrepreneurs could succeed in business and maintain an ethical profile.

Peter Singer (1946 - ) Australian philosopher. Singer wrote an influential work Animal Liberation (1975) which argues for a biocentric view of giving intrinsic value to all living organisms and not a human-centric view of the world.

William Wilberforce (1759 - 1833) Wilberforce is best remembered for his campaigned against slavery, but he was also one of the founding members of the RSPCA - which was a new organisation dedicated to preventing cruelty to animals

Richard Martin MP (1754-1834) Irish member of Westminster. He introduced one of the first Acts of Parliament protecting rights of animals. The - 'Ill-Treatment of Cattle' (1822). He was also actively campaigning against dog fighting and was present at the formation of the RSPCA.

Ingrid Newkirk (1949 - ) Newkirk is a British / American animal rights activist. With Alex Pacheco, she founded 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) She serves as President and is the author of several books on animal welfare.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. "Animal Rights Activists", Oxford, UK www.biographyonline.net, 11th April 2012.

Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement

Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement at Amazon
Related pages

People who fought for human rights - People who campaigned for equality, civil rights and civil justice.

Vegetarians - Including Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks

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A list of famous animal rights activists. Jane Goodall (1934- ) British Conservationist who has helped to conserve Chimpanzees in the wild. She is also a spokesperson for conservation and animal welfare Brigitte Bardot (1934 - ) French Actress, singer and fashion model. Bardot later turned to animal rights activism.

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Young people have the power to shape a more compassionate future and it is crucial that animals are included in their realm of social concern. Thankfully, many famous kids and teens are leading the way for animal rights-promoting a message of compassion to their thousands of fans and followers. These seven allstar activists are using their talent and fame to create a better world for animals.
Noah Cyrus
Noah Cyrus is an actress and singer who uses her fame to spread awareness about animal exploitation. Following her vegan older sister Miley's example, Noah started advocating for animals at an early age and began utelizing her recognition to speak out against dissection in schools, marine animal captivity, and the cruelty of horse-drawn carriages. The 17-year old star frequently urges her fans to consider the unecessary suffering of animals. Speaking about the plight of captive orcas at Seaworld Noah said:
"To think that any animal would be trapped would be so sad. It would be like living in your bedroom your entire life and never being able to go outside." Aidan Gallagher
Aidan Gallagher rose to fame through Disney Channel show Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn. He uses his celebrity status to speak up for animals and promote animal advocacy through social media. An ambassador for numerous animal protection issues, including the preservation of marinelife and the plight of animals raised for food, 14-year old Gallagher is an effective activist who never fails to take a bold stance for animal rights.
Just do the best you can. Be vegan once a week to start. Pick one day, like Meatless Monday, and then go to Tuesdays as well, but just decide you're strong enough to never eat meat on those days again. Any start is a start. Do it for your future, if not for the animals." Sadie Sink
Sadie Sink is the newest star of the Netflix sensation, Stranger Things. The 15-year old recently started following a vegan diet, inspired by actor Woody Harrelson. After educating herself through viewing Blackfish and several other documentaries, Sink became a passionate animal activist. She regards going vegan as one of the best decisions she ever made and promotes the ease and convenience of finding animal-free replacements for all of her favorite meals.
"I'm a passionate vegan. I actually was a vegetarian for about a year and when I was working with Woody Harrelson, he and his family inspired me to become vegan." Alabama Barker
Rising musician and daughter of Blink-182 bandmember Travis Barker, Alabama Barker not only takes after her father's musical inclinations, she also shares the vegan drummer's love for animals. For most of her life, 11-year old Alabama has been a vegetarian, and as her fame grows she increasingly uses her popularity to promote respect for animals. She has participated in animal rights campaigns with her father to encourage people to live a compassionate lifestyle, and cares for multiple companion animals, including an adorable pig named Chad.
"It's not fair; farm animals need the same help that your animals do. It wouldn't be nice if you lost your family, it doesn't make it right that they lose theirs." Thomas Ponce
Founder of Lobby for Animals, which advocates for the protection of animals and animal activists, 16-year old Thomas Ponce has been passionate about animal rights since the age of four. He has received multiple awards, including the Young Animal Activist Award and a $1,000 grant from The Pollination Project. His group, Lobby for Animals, provides tools and resources to assist animal advocates in lobbying efforts and taking action for animal rights issues.
"We have to remember, we are speaking up for those who can't speak up for themselves; we are the voice of the voiceless and we need to be heard!" Genesis Butler
Genesis Butler went vegan at just six years old and has been a passionate animal advocate ever since. She promotes compassion for all animals through her popular social media accounts under the title, A Vegan Childs Journey. Ten-year old Butler frequently speaks at VegFests and even delivered a TEDx speech about the environmental impact of meat consumption.
"It's time people stop eating meat made from animals! It's killing animals, the planet and people. We can survive without eating animals, so why not make the switch? Please think about going vegan! The animals and mother earth will thank you for it!" Kat Graham
Kat Graham is a 14-year old artist from California who uses her talent to help stop the use of beagles in animal research. After Kat's family rescued a beagle, she became aware of the cruelty that many beagles are subjected to in laboratories around the world. Now, she sells her paintings to benefit organizations committed to saving beagles from cruel experimentation.

"I love to paint and it's fun to paint beagles. Most importantly, it's nice to know I'm helping end laboratory testing on these wonderful dogs."

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7 Young Stars Leading the Way for Animal Rights

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Young people have the power to shape a more compassionate future and it is crucial that animals are included in their realm of social concern. Thankfully, many famous kids and teens are leading the way for animal rights-promoting a message of compassion to their thousands of fans and followers.

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You've probably heard that Albert Einstein was a vegetarian, and it's common knowledge that Steve-O, Ellen Degeneres, and Emily Deschanel love to share how their love of animals has lead them to adopt a plant-based diet.

While these famous animal activists are influential in their own right, it's equally inspiring to learn about what young people in our own communities are doing to speak up for animals. They might be young, but they are driven, passionate, and successfully normalizing this ideology that was once considered radical. And unlike our friend Albert, these individuals are part of a young generation, setting a more compassionate and determined precedent for generations to come. These young activists demonstrate that age is but a number: their own commitment to animals will inspire you to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

1. Phoebe Goldstein

When she learned that her school was organizing a trip to SeaWorld, this eighth grader came out strongly opposed to the annual event. Goldstein took to the school administration, explaining the suffering and isolation inherent in whale and dolphin captivity, and successfully convinced her school to cancel the trip. Given the recent exposés surrounding SeaWorld's treatment of its animals, Goldstein will no doubt be at the forefront of this movement in years to come.

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2. Thomas Ponce

This 12-year-old activist is making a name for himself within the animal rights community and beyond. Founder of Lobby for Animals, a lobbyist organization that advocates for protection of animals and activists, Ponce received the Young Animal Activist Award at last year's animal rights national conference, and has been recognized by PETA. With a smart and motivated leader like Ponce, new generations will surely have a new reverence for our animal friends.

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3. Elora West

After watching films such as Sharkwater and The Cove when she was 15, West's perspective was forever altered. She began learning to scuba dive, and soon after moved to Taiji, Japan with her father to more directly help the dolphins there. There, she started the Cove Guardian campaign with Sea Shepherd. Her work has inspired many supporters and has earned celebrity and diplomatic support throughout the world.

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4. Tayler Jensen

Tayler Jensen has wasted no time spreading the message of animal rights. At 14-years-old, she has distributed leaflets at her school, encouraged her friends and family to make the transition to a plant-based diet, is petitioning to add a veggie burger to her school's cafeteria menu, and has started her own vegan club at school with more than 70 members and 30 sponsors!

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5. Jasmine Polsinelli

At 11-years-old, Jasmine Polsinelli knows more about the fur industry than most adults learn in their whole lives. Last year, along with 40 other protesters, Polsinelli stood in front of the Canadian Goose headquarters 5,000 signed postcards objecting to the use of real coyote fur in the clothing company's jackets and hats.

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6. Kat Graham

Kat Graham's mission in life is to end the use of beagles in laboratory research and testing. This inspiring 11-year-old has teamed up with the Beagle Freedom Project (BFP) to create her own website, Kids Against Lab Beagles. The website serves as a fundraising platform for BFP selling her paintings that depict these friendly dogs.

Kids Against Lab Beagles

7. Genesis Butler

When she was just three, Butler became a vegetarian, she switched to a plant-based diet just a year later. Now seven-years-old, Butler is a strong advocate for a vegan lifestyle, even maintaining a Facebook page aptly titled, A Vegan Child's Journey. Last year this young activist won the Young Vegan of the Year Award from Vegansarecool.com. With these early successes under her belt, Butler's future looks promising.

A Vegan Child's Journey/Facebook

8. Kevin Storm

Not only is Kevin Storm a vegan and advocate for homeless animals, but he also happens to be New Jersey's youngest radio host! Storm and his mother saw a posting for radio DJ at a local station and in no time at all, this young teen was set up with his very own show. You can hear his broadcasts on TuneIn, a radio app for smartphones, or by listening to WNJC 1360AM Philly between 12-12:30 PM EST.

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Green Monsters! Do you know some awesome young activists? We'd love to hear about them!

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8 Young Rockstar Activists Leading the Way for Animal Rights

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You've probably heard that Albert Einstein was a vegetarian, and it's common knowledge that Steve-O, Ellen Degeneres, and Emily Deschanel love to share how their love of animals has lead them to adopt a plant-based diet.

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Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Protecting Marine Wildlife Worldwide

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Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's sole mission is to protect and conserve the world's oceans and marine wildlife.

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All About Animals

It's super-easy to help animals, no matter how old you are. Learn all about why you should help animals used for food, clothing, entertainment, and experimentation, plus how to protect companion animals and wildlife!

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PETA Kids: Help Animals With Fun Games, Get Animal Facts, & More!

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It's super-easy to help animals, no matter how old you are. Play animal games, get free stickers, print coloring sheets, and find out all about helping animals!