Running head: ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

Animal Rights Activists

Sibei Tan
University Of Kentucky

ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

Abstract
Now, animal rights activists are becoming more and more important in the relationship
between humans and animals. They protect animals and struggle with people who damage
animals. This paper mainly introduces animal rights activists, to takes a deep view of why
and how animal rights activists get together to work on animal rights activities. How are they
getting stronger and developing better? What do animal rights activists do on diet, habits,
beliefs, even media, laws, and society for animal rights. What are the problems and
challenges that these animal rights activists meet? This paper also contains series events and
laws in histories about animal rights activists; some examples of communities and
organizations; two interviews to give further explanations about this culture. The purpose of
this paper is to lead readers to understand the formation, reasons, and the development
processes of animal rights activists. Furthermore, what do they do in their lives for animal
rights? What are the problems and stereotypes they meet?

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Animal Rights activists

Now days, the relationship between human beings and animals are getting closer. In
the same time, the problems exist in this relationship is still on the rise. The phenomenon of
abusing animals by humans frequently appears, it makes abundant of animals are homeless,
get ill, even dead. Furthermore, lots of animals are slaughtered for food, or other financial
benefits caused some kinds of animals have been extinct. Thus, some people can not bear
these damages of animals. They want to change these situations, and to against activities that
are harmful to animals. Some of them come from different places, they have different
cultures backgrounds and lives. All of these people called animal rights activists. They get
together for the same target, to protect animal rights. They believe animals are the lives that
are similar to the humans, all the lives are fair. Zhao said: Animal are lives similar to human
beings, there is no reason to hurt them when they are not harmful, just because we are
stronger than them. They need to be treated equally as humans as some way (personal
communication, September 8, 2014). Animal rights activists also believe that animals have
emotions, thoughts and feelings like humans do. You have a pet dog and play with it. It will
wag its tail, run around, bark and lick you. Animals do have brains and they will for sure
think. I would say their thinking process is similar to ours. Kendra said (personal
communication, September 8, 2014). Now that animals are similar to humans, animal rights
activists think that animals have rights same to humans do. Protect their selves from ills and
damages, keep health, happy, lives, and so on. Animals have rights to protect themselves
and to help. They have rights to have euthanasia when they are ill. Zhao said (personal
communication, September 8, 2014). According to these reasons, more and more animal

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rights activists get together. They make many activities that are different from other cultures
include individual activities on habits, diets, beliefs. Society activities even institutions and
communities, like media, laws to protect animals. And the process that they get together,
what problems and stereotypes they meet, how do they make this culture develop stronger
and stronger.
Before looking around animal rights activists activities, there is some information
to help understanding them better. The first known law that protects animals in Europe had
passed in Ireland in 1635 (David, 2008). It prohibits pulling wool off sheep and the attaching
of ploughs to horses' tails because these are cruel activities to animals. In England, The
object the dog was required to perform was pinning and holding, i.e. to seize the bull by the
nose and then not to leave go the hold (Luca, 2003). This description is a scene of bull
baiting, a sport of England during the middle ages. For preventing cruelty to animals and
stopping this sport, the first anti-cruelty bill was introduced in Parliament in 1800. In 1824,
Colonel Richard Martin organized the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(SPCA). These people struggled for animal rights relied on humanitarian that advanced
human rights, then they got together to against the activities that are harmful to animals, even
built communities. Subsequently, a great number of animal rights activists in different
countries started to get together, and to build more and more organizations to protect animals.
During the World War II, David Brower and some young people expanded the advocacy of
the American Humane Association, and it split from the AHA (American Humane
Association) in 1954. In 1980, people for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) emerged
(David, 2008). According to these historical events, we can say that there are three important

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things of the process that people to be an animal rights activist. Firstly, be a beneficent person.
Secondly, do everything in ones power to protect animals. Finally, call together people who
want to be an animal rights activist; it can bring more beneficial results of protecting animals.
Even now, more and more people put into animal rights movements to be a member
of animal rights activists. They work on animal rights activities on many different aspects.
For example, some individual activities relate to habits, diets, and beliefs. The only
difference between our best friends and animals killed for their fur is how we treat them
(Weiner, 2014). Some people have realized the standard of being best friends is to respect
each other. Animal killers will not be animals best friends forever. So, some people change
their shopping habits. They refuse productions made of animal fur. Lots of feminine activists
refuse to buy clothes and shoes made of animal fur, like marten coats. They realize that the
harm to animals will exist if people continue to make trades about animal fur, even these
fur-products are so expensive. Illegal animal hunting is still going on in some parts of the
world because there are a number of people paying thousands of dollars for animal furs. That
makes matters worse Kendra said (personal communication, September 8, 2014).

Figure1. The activists are against the

leather out of the exhibition. Note.
Photo Anonymous/ Wang Yi news

This picture (Figure. 1) shows that in 2012, Herms took 175 anniversary Leather Forever

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exhibition in London, some members of local animal protecting organization against out of
the exhibition (Anonymous, n. d.). They colored their bodies as the muscle of animals to
express the protest about using the animal leathers. Some people show their determinations to
be animal rights activists by being vegans. These people avoid eating meat, and the food that
made by animals, even eggs and milk. The total number of land animals killed and eaten by
Americans decreased by 300 million between 2008 and 2009 and by 600 million between
2006 and 2009 (Peta, 2010). This survey data shows the achievement of vegans, they save
198 animals a year. Some people work on local animal rights companies. They meet other
activists for work requirement, and business to make communication about animal rights.
Sometimes they meet on the Internet. Some activists organized activities regularly. Next
individual activity that I will talk is about beliefs and religions. The earlier Kagyu masters
gave up meat, took up a vegetarian diet, and developed pure love for sentient beings
(Rinpoche, 2007). Animal rights activities in Buddhism relate the pure love for sentient
beings. In another word, the lives are fair. Its similar to vegetarianism. These are some
examples of different types individual activities about animal rights.
Another type Animal rights activity of protecting animals is society like
communities, media, and laws. With the development of animal rights movements, more and
more people have become the members of the animal rights activists, and some of them
organized communities about animal rights. One of the communities in the world called
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). It is currently one of the largest animal
welfare organizations in the world (David, 2008). It was founded in 1969 by a small group
people to stop the media hunt for seal pups in Canada, and the mission is to rescue and

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protect animals around world (Anonymous, n. d.). For example, to rescue the animals that
have stranded. Protect endangered animals. Spread educations about protecting animals to
people by educating activities. There are many communities that are similar to IFAW, such as
Animal Liberation Front (ALF), British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV),
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA), National Operation Anti Vivisection
(NOAV), and so on (Anonymous, n. d.). Of course, there are many different organizations.
They aimed at some special animals such as panda, named Wolong Panda Club. It is an
organization that was founded in Sichuan of China (Anonymous, n. d.). The main assignment
of it is to give helps to panda. To make research for panda, to give educations about panda to
people, and to make people know more about panda. The Wolong Panda Club has received
help from people all over the world including many government departments, companies,
social groups and individuals (Anonymous, n. d.). It is a special organization of animals
because it works for panda, a special type of animals that grew in Sichuan of China. With the
increase of numbers of animal rights activists, a great number of groups, organizations and
communities emerge. Community is one of the most important forms of activities about
animal rights. It can call on many people together to work on protecting animal rights, to
make animals lives better.
After knowing about organizations, there are some media activities need to be
understood. Except for working in organizations, some animal rights activists work on animal
rights in other ways, Such as media publicity. We want to keep defenseless animals out of
the hands of known abusers, Peter said (2012). As people known that magazines, books,
newspapers, videos, music, posters, advertisement, and films are common ways to deliver

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information. So, animal rights activists have used these commercial channels to deliver the
information about animal rights. They can be a writer to write articles and books about
animals. They can be artists, like musicians who create music about animal rights. Here I
stand in Bressanone with the stars up in the sky, Are they shining over Brenner and upon the
other side? You would be a sweet surrender; I must go the other way. And my train will carry
me onward; though my heart would surely stay, Wo, my heart would surely stay (Lien,
1995). It is a part of the lyric of music named Bleeding Wolves. The musician Matthew Lien
made this music for the theme of protecting wild animals because in 1992. The government
of Yukon in Canada made a project of increasing the numbers of reindeer to protect the
numbers of reindeer from decreasing. There are also some films about animal rights; Babe is
a comedy-drama film that filmed in 1995 in America, this film told people a little pig
Babe, who wants to be a sheepdog.

Figure2. In the eyes of a

homeless animal, you

can be a hero. Note.
Photo Anonymous/
DEFENDERS
OF
ANIMAL RIGHTS

Figure 2 is a commercial poster for a website. It put three cats eyes and three dogs eyes
together, to make a big visual impact to people. The purpose of this website is to make people
know that these animals that need help. Some other commercial ways like public good

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advertisements, speeches about animal rights, and actor performances. All of these are kinds
of commercial form for animal rights activists to protect animal rights in the society.
Follow to the animal rights activists efforts on communities and commercials, and
what is about laws? Humans have laws to protect humans rights, are there any effect laws to
protect animals? What kinds of laws are they? In the Swiss Canton of Zurich, a lawyer is
employed by the canton government to represent the interests of animals in animal cruelty
cases (Hickman, 2010). A growing numbers of areas have law committees, include America.
The laws about protecting animals have been taught into many schools. In Australia, One of
the more comprehensive academic works on animal law is authored by Ven. Alex Bruce.
New Yorker Elena Zakharova is suing a pet store. Because the chronic pain that her dog
Umka suffers from as a result of hip and knee problems, which she attributes to the
dogs puppy mill origins (Kretzer, 2012). Its a case of the legal rights of animals because
there are some problems of the dogs health. Elena Zakharova was suing a pet store to
protect the rights of dogs. This case is one of the applications of animal rights laws. Many
people are punished because they damage animals. But are laws can be effective on the
relationship between humans and animals? Mandatory of laws could act as a restriction of
humans inappropriate behavior. People would consider it as a restriction to themselves to
help them make friends with animals Zhao Chengxi said (personal communication,
September 8, 2014). So, we can see that so many kinds of ways that animal rights activists
can use to protect animal rights. Of course, with the increasing of the numbers of animal
rights activists, more and more people join into this culture and create new ways to protect
animal rights.

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10

Finally, what are problems and stereotypes they meet? First, some animal rights
activists who have extreme enthusiasms on animal rights will make some extreme activities.
They want to express loves to animals. Even they want to hurt other people for releasing the
anger of the animal damages that are caused by humans. During the past two decades,
radical environmental and animal rights groups have claimed responsibility for hundreds of
crimes and acts of terrorism. Including arson, bombings, vandalism and harassment, causing
more than $100 million in damage(Anonymous, 2011). This case shows that sometimes, to
protect the animal rights for some activists who fevered easily will become terrorism
activities. Thought they show a strong idea of loving animals; they hurt other people, and
even make huge damage of society and money. Its a stereotype of animal rights activists.
Second, some people think that animal activists only pay attention to protect the little, or cute
animals, like baby dogs, baby cats. Especially girls that are more emotional, when they see
some little size animals, they are interested in, and they have more sympathies about these
little, cute animals. So, there is a stereotype that people think animal activists only pay
attention to protect the little or cute animals. In fact, activists are often ridiculed for
championing fish, flies, chickens or other "non-cute" animals. Cute and non-cute are in
quotes because cuteness is highly subjective (Lin, n. d.). Third, many people think that
Veganism is not healthy. They think that if they refuse to eat meat, and other foods that made
by animals, there will be not nutrition enough to support their bodies. The American Dietetic
Association supports vegan diets because they think vegan diets are healthful. It provides
health benefits in the prevention and treatment of diseases (Lin, n. d.).
In sum, animal rights activists get together at first is to protect animals from

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11

damaging by humans. Then, they start to make some individual activities to protect animal rights. After
that, more and more people begin to pay attention to animal rights, and more and more people join this
culture. They are writers, actors, artists, government members. Different people in different situations take
different activities to protect animals. So, these animal rights activists built up many groups and
communities, and many large-scale communities emerge. They combine a large number of animal rights
activists come from different areas and countries to protect animals together. It is a strong culture with
huge human resources. Although there are many challenges and stereotypes of this work, the groups of
animal rights activists are larger, and with the efforts by animal rights activists, this culture is developing
stronger and stronger.

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References.
Anonymous (2011). Introduction: Animal rights extremists target the University of California.
ADL. Retrieved from:
http://archive.adl.org/main_extremism/university_of_california_animal_rights_extr
emism.html#.VFcae_QYB_Z
Anonymous (n. d.). Intro. Wolong panda club. Retrieved from:
http://www.pandaclub.cn/english/index.html
David, w. (2008). Animal rights movement. Retrieved from:
http://www.sonoma.edu/users/w/wallsd/animal-rights-movement.shtml
Hickman, L. (2010). The lawyer who defends animals. Animal Welfare. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/05/lawyer-who-defends-animals
Kretzer (2012). Lawsuit: Dogs are people too. PETA. Retrieved from:
http://www.peta.org/blog/lawsuit-dogs-people/
Luca, C. M. (2003). Bull baiting. Retrieved from:
http://www.bulldoginformation.com/bull-baiting.html
Lin, D. (n. d.). Top 12 animal rights myths and facts. About News. Retrieved from:
http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalrights101/tp/AnimalRightsFactsMyths.htm
Lien, M. (1995). Bleeding wolves. Retrieved from:
http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=s5OMEjNY_c9N73aL6UJ967XZCF0JTPR3u
-xPlhr8RZhcAHG0aF5u1bHBJjQneo3BQR9yP-lRQ9t0OOGOhTiyw_
Peta (2010). Vegans save 198 animals a year. Retrieved from:
http://www.peta.org/blog/vegans-save-185-animals-year

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Peter, F. V. (2012). For the recorder. The animals advocate. 31(3), 2. Retrieved from:
http://aldf.org/downloads/ALDFWinter12.pdf
Rinpoche (2007). Gyalwang karmapa's advice on vegetarianism. Retrieved from:
http://www.kagyumonlam.org/English/Lectures/20071224_HHK_Advice_Veget
arianism.htm
Weiner, J. (2014). Keltie knight says, if you wouldnt wear your dog, please dont wear any
fur. Retrieved from:
http://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/keltie-knight-says-wouldnt-wear-dog-pl
ease-dont-wear-fur/