from The Animals' Agenda Magazine: Web Edition
The philosophy of animal rights maintains that nonhuman animals are
"subjects of a life," [see The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Regan] and
as such have an intrinsic right to live free from human exploitation.
This means that all forms of institutionalized exploitation of animals
for human use, such as food, clothing, experimentation or recreation,
should be abolished.
The Animal Rights Network Inc.
The Animals' Agenda is published by the Animal Rights Network Inc., an
IRS 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization founded in
Animal welfare advocates believe in the "humane use" of animals for
human gain, providing that the overall benefits to humans outweigh the
harms animals endure. They support laws prohibiting "unnecessary
suffering" caused to animals.
Animals in Agriculture
Billions of animals are slaughtered for food each year by the meat and
dairy industries. Even a cautious estimate indicates that 35.7 million
steers, heifers, and calves are killed every year, along with 5.2
million sheep and lambs; 95.9 million pigs; and 8.25 billion chickens
and turkeys. The term factory farming refers to the modern practice of
raising livestock in crowded indoor warehouses designed to produce the
highest number of animals in the least amount of space (to maximize
profits). In addition to being extremely cruel and greatly raising the
incidence of disease, factory farming is also responsible for the
pollution of soil, rivers, and groundwater because of its high output of
manure and other waste.
Animals in Entertainment
Countless numbers of animals -- both exotic and domestic -- are forced
to live their lives in cages, on chains, or in other forms of
confinement or restraint in order to perform in circuses, rodeos,
aquatic shows, movies, television shows, nightclub acts, and other
arenas. These animals are deprived of their natural behaviors, forced to
endure cruel and inhumane training methods, and are often "dumped" into
roadside zoos, hunting ranches, or other unacceptable situations when
their performing days are over.
Animals in Research and Education
The exact number of animals used in science and education in the United
States is not known because no accurate reporting methods currently
exist. It is conservatively estimated that at least 20 million animals
-- including apes, monkeys, dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, rabbits,
rats, and mice -- are used each year for experimentation alone. This
research includes tests of household and personal care products;
industrial toxicity testing; military research; research on the effects
of alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs; transplant research;
research on traumas, including head injuries and burns; and
psychological and behavioral research. Live animals are also used
extensively in secondary schools, colleges, science and engineering
fairs, and other "educational" forums. Animals are also bred and/or
collected and then killed for use as dissection specimens.
The Animals' Agenda
The Animals' Agenda is a bimonthly news magazine dedicated to informing
people about animal rights and cruelty-free living for the purpose of
inspiring action for animals. The Animals' Agenda is committed to
serving -- and fostering cooperation among -- a combined audience of
animal advocates, interested individuals, and the entire animal rights
There are approximately 57 million cats, 52.5 million dogs, 45 million
fish, and 12 million caged birds in the United States. Some of these
animals are deliberately bred, while others are allowed to breed because
they have not been spayed or neutered. These domesticated animals are
kept by humans as companions, but at least 12 million unwanted cats and
dogs are killed annually primarily because of overpopulation.
A cruelty-free lifestyle involves boycotting products and services --
those obtained from animal sources or related to animal exploitation --
and either abstaining from their use or replacing them with non-animal
(vegan) alternatives. This means not eating meat, fish, eggs, or dairy
products; buying personal care and household cleaning products not
tested on animals and not containing animal ingredients; and avoiding
other animal products, including leather, honey, silk, pearls, etc. A
cruelty-free lifestyle also involves boycotting places where live
animals are used, including zoos, aquariums, circuses, roadside
Supporters of ecofeminism (male and female alike) are concerned about
animal exploitation and its relationship to the oppression of women,
people of color, and the rest of the natural world. This philosophy
maintains that various forms of human and nonhuman oppression are
related to the power structure of white male-dominated cultures.
Misothery means a hatred and contempt for animals and animal-like
aspects of nature. Misothery manifests itself in the form of animal
exploitation, environmental degradation, etc.
Speciesism is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as
"discrimination against or exploitation of certain animal species by
human beings, based on an assumption of mankind's superiority." Its
implications are similar to those of racism and sexism, in that
established societal prejudices have profound effects on the treatment
of entire species or populations.
Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude (as far as possible
and practical) all forms of animal cruelty and exploitation, whether
related to food, clothing, or any other purpose. Those who practice this
lifestyle are called vegans (VEE-guns).
A vegetarian is someone who does not eat flesh from mammals, birds, or
fish, but who may consume eggs and/or dairy products. Those who eat eggs
are called ovo vegetarians; those who eat dairy products are called
lacto vegetarians; and those who consume both are called lacto-ovo
Vivisection literally means the cutting into or cutting up of live
animals. It is primarily used in conjunction with the fields of animal
research and testing. Those who engage in this practice are called
vivisectors; those who oppose it are called anti-vivisectionists.
Hunters in the United States kill about 200 million animals annually for
"sport," including 50 million mourning doves and 4 million deer. The
number of animals maimed or crippled by hunters is several times that of
those actually killed and recovered.
Another 2.5 million animals -- including raccoons,
beavers, foxes, otters, opossums, and coyotes -- are trapped for their
fur each year. In addition, there are approximately 3,000 fox farms,
1,000 mink farms, and 750 chinchilla farms in the United States. These
ranches keep fur-bearing animals in extreme confinement, deprivation,
squalor, and disease until their fur is at maximum value. The animals
are then slaughtered for their pelts by such crude (but cheap) methods
as strangulation, neck-breaking, suffocation, electrocution, or
The Wildlife Services division of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (formerly known as Animal Damage Control) is responsible for
killing millions of free-roaming animals (primarily predators such as
cougars, bears, wolves, coyotes, and foxes) at taxpayer expense,
ostensibly to protect livestock ranching interests. Killing methods
include poisoning, trapping, burning, shooting, clubbing, and denning
(the killing of animals trapped in their dens).
Sources include Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal
Welfare, edited by Marc Bekoff (Greenwood, 1998); The Vegan Society.
“Reprinted with permission from The Animals’ Agenda,
P.O. Box 25881,
Baltimore, MD 21224; (410) 675-4566;
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