Animal Rights Organizations Research Articles

‘Stop the Death Transports!’ Holocaust and slavery references in an Israeli campaign against animal live transports

ABSTRACT Animal rights organisations worldwide fight against live shipments of meat animals. The main Israeli NGOs leading the fight are Animals-Now, Israel against Live Shipments, and Let the Animals Live. Their visual rhetoric highlights the cruelty of these shipments. Combined with written messages, photographs of animal suffering appeal to viewers’ emotions and conscience. This article examined ‘Stop the Death Transports!’ – The most extensive campaign led by these NGOs, together with Animals Australia, in 2016. It analysed the campaign poster from the approaches of photography semiotics and visual contextual analysis, informed by theories of visual culture and animal ethics. The campaign represents an intermediate approach between the hardcore and softcore approaches, using visual and verbal references to the Holocaust and slavery. However, though the use of the Holocaust is highly charged for local Jewish viewers thus contributing to the understanding of the immorality of consuming meat, it may in fact assuage their conscience by shifting the moral burden from the meat eaters to the transporters.

Analyzing the rhetoric behind trophy hunting narratives

Analyzing the rhetoric behind trophy hunting narratives Jens Ulrik Hogh and Stephan Wunderlich from the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) discuss public perceptions of trophy hunting. In 2021, the animal rights organization Humane Society International (HIS)— which is officially campaigning for a worldwide ban on ‘trophy hunting’— commissioned and funded a survey (conducted by Savanta) in five different countries (Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain) to understand what the public thinks about trophy hunting and the import of these trophies to Europe.

Pigs and Pathogens: “Swine Flu” as a Boundary Object for Animal Rights and Farming Discourses

Abstract This paper considers the ways in which discourse around the 2009 Swine Flu outbreak reflects differences in framing and symbolic boundary negotiation amongst animal rights organizations, small scale farming advocates and meat industry representatives. Frame analysis shows how “Swine Flu” is treated as a “boundary object” to negotiate its significance and meaning for human and non-animal health writ large. The ambiguity of the virus’ origins, who was responsible, and who should care allowed Swine Flu to emerge as a boundary object for stakeholders to negotiate within public health discourse. Thematic analysis identified six separate frames, revealing patterns of meaning-making by animal rights organizations (AROs), farm-to-table groups, and meat industry networks. Frame use illustrates how Swine Flu was situated by competing stakeholders to reinforce a network of boundaries. Future directions consider the applicability of frames to understand boundary processes during COVID-19.

Legal Personhood for Animals: Has Science Made Its Case?

The use of Latin in identifying an organism's genus and species is likely familiar to scientists and zoological professionals, but a traditional legal doctrine, known as habeas corpus (meaning "you have the body") may not have obvious applicability to nonhumans in the animal kingdom. In recent years, animal rights organizations have utilized the habeas corpus doctrine as a basis to bring legal challenges on behalf of nonhuman animals to expand "legal personhood" to them. These lawsuits, which have focused on species such as nonhuman primates and elephants, seek to challenge the "confinement" of animals in zoological institutions and by private owners, much like a prisoner or other detainee. The small but vocal animal legal personhood movement bases its argument on the fact that elephants and nonhuman primates are highly sentient and have complex cognitive characteristics. Proponents of legal personhood for animals have argued that the common law has progressed and expanded over the years as societal norms and conditions have changed and, much like the law has expanded to afford women and persons of color legal rights and protections, so should the law expand to treat animals the same as humans. Despite these efforts, to date, no court in the United States has accepted this invitation. This article summarizes key legal challenges and decisions to date in the United States, examines how science and societal conditions have influenced the law, and analyzes the reasons why legal personhood for animals so far has been viewed as a "bridge too far" in the American legal system.

Perspective: Social License as a Lens for Improving Ethical and Welfare Standards in Cephalopod Research.

Interest in cephalopods as comparative models in neuroscience, cognition, behavior, and ecology is surging due to recent advances in culture and experimental techniques. Although cephalopods have a long history in research, their use had remained limited due to the challenges of funding work on comparative models, the lack of modern techniques applicable to them, and the small number of labs with the facilities to keep and house large numbers of healthy animals for long periods. Breakthroughs in each of these areas are now creating new interest in cephalopods from researchers who trained and worked in other models, as well as allowing established cephalopod labs to grow and collaborate more widely. This broadening of the field is essential to its long-term health, but also brings with it new and heightened scrutiny from animal rights organizations, federal regulatory agencies, and members of the public. As a community, it is critical that scientists working with cephalopods engage in discussions, studies, and communication that promote high standards for cephalopod welfare. The concept of "social license to operate," more commonly encountered in industry, recreation, and agriculture, provides a useful lens through which to view proactive steps the cephalopod research community may take to ensure a strong future for our field. In this Perspective, I discuss recent progress in cephalopod ethics and welfare studies, and use the conceptual framework of Social License to Operate to propose a forward-looking, public-facing strategy for the parallel development of welfare-focused best practices and scientific breakthroughs.

The role of natural scientists in navigating the social implications of cellular agriculture: insights from an interdisciplinary workshop

The emerging field of cellular agriculture uses cell culture to create animal products, potentially mitigating climate and health risks associated with conventional animal agriculture. However, cellular agriculture products are poised to enter the food ecosystem without an understanding of the long-term consequences and social implications. While these discussions have begun among social scientists, dialogues are lacking among natural scientists and engineers, perpetuating a disconnect between those progressing new technology and those most directly impacted by it. To begin to bridge this gap, an interdisciplinary workshop was organized by the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley in collaboration with the Arrell Food Institute, New Harvest, and Cellular Agriculture Canada. At his workshop, representatives from cellular agriculture companies, STEM research labs, dairy farms, animal rights organizations, and Indigenous communities convened to discuss the social implications of cellular agriculture. Specific topics of interest were food security, labor, and employment, power relations and governance, and animal ethics. In this commentary, the authors highlight critical learnings from the workshop as natural scientists, namely the relationship between food and identity, the variety of human-animal relationships, and implications for nutrition and health. We believe that for a just transition of our food systems, the development of cellular agriculture needs to include communities as collaborators from the outset. While this work is difficult in the current environment of market capitalism, it has the potential to improve the culture of research and development to benefit the broader society. To this end, we provide resources, examples, and invitations to natural scientists and researchers interested in engaging with this work. As we rapidly approach a food system that includes products created with cellular agriculture, we encourage readers to consider which individuals and populations need to be involved in this growth, and how they can work together to promote a sustainable future for all.

The need of supervision and control over transport of slaughter animals as the part of growing awareness of animal rights and sustainable development

Purpose: The article presents issues related to the transport of slaughter animals in terms of sustainable development and during the time of increased interest in animal rights. The aim of the article is to analyze the functioning of transport companies involved in the transport of animals. The first part of the article presents issues related to animal welfare, which is part of the concept of sustainable development. Particular attention was paid to the issue of welfare during the transport of farm animals to the slaughterhouse. Methodology: The article presents the results of the Supreme Audit Office on the transport of animals, which were carried out in 1998, 2003, 2005 and 2017, and the results of inspections belonging to the tasks of the Veterinary Inspection in the Silesian Voivodeship in 2019 and 2020.Then the author presents her research results. The survey was conducted among the owners of enterprises handling the transport of slaughter animals in the Silesian Voivodeship and among drivers and guards of these enterprises. 94 business owners and 92 drivers transporting animals participated in the study. Chi-square tests were used to show the relationship between the variables Findings: On the basis of the conducted research, it was found that the control system is conducive to the enforcement of the law in the field of transport of animals for slaughter in enterprises. Originality/value: In the context of sustainable development, the subject of animal welfare is being increasingly regarded as essential. Ensuring animal welfare is now the key issue for public opinion, livestock farmers, animal rights organizations, entrepreneurs, transport companies and slaughterhouses. The awareness of people related to publicizing animal abuse is increasing, and we as consumers also have a right to know how animals were treated on farms and during transport.

Presidential Address: The 1890s Debate over the Democratic Control of Hospitals in Britain and New Zealand

AbstractAnna Clark's presidential plenary to the 2018 North American Conference on British Studies in Vancouver, British Columbia, compares scandals over the mistreatment of patients and nurses that led to demands for popular control of hospitals in both Britain and New Zealand in the 1890s. A high death rate at the Chelsea Hospital for Women in London, located near a Pasteur Institute for animal research on vaccination, incited fears of human vivisection. The high death rate of nurses at the London Hospital provoked newspaper exposés and parliamentary investigations and calls for the municipalization of voluntary hospitals. In Christchurch, New Zealand, a debate over the rudeness of doctors and nurses enraged citizens. The flames of these scandals were sparked by newspaper agitation but fanned by feminists, socialists, trade unionists, and animal-rights organizations. In response to fears around experimentation, Fabian socialists Havelock Ellis, Harry Roberts, and Honnor Morten proposed democratic control of hospitals. These demands, focusing on patients’ rights and nurses’ health, differed from the hospital reform movement that urged hospitals to become more economical by forcing patients to pay. They also diverged from Beatrice and Sidney Webb's admonitions that the state must oversee citizens’ health for the nation to function efficiently. Although the calls for the democratic control of hospitals did not succeed, they might be seen as germs of a patient-centered approach to hospital care.

Keel Bone Damage in Laying Hens

The use of alternative housing systems is increasing in response to the press of animal rights organisations and animal welfare-sensitive consumers. Pursuant to animal welfare legislation, it has become compulsory in the European Union member states to house laying hens in enriched cages or aviaries. However, one of the main problems associated with these housing systems is the frequent occurrence of skeletal damage, as a result of the reflexive movements of freely roaming animals. Owing to its protrusive anatomical structure, one of the most easily damaged skeletal parts is the sternum. Damage to the sternum is also referred to as keel bone damage. The term “keel bone damage” is used to describe bone deformities or fractures, which have long been named as bone anomalies in laying hens. Keel bone damage is a chronic disorder, which adversely affects the profitability of egg farms. Being a multifactorial disorder, it is difficult to identify the primary cause of keel bone damage, as many underlying reasons could be involved in its aetiology. Skilled and experienced practitioners can readily diagnose keel bone damage by palpating the sternal region. This study reviews the significance of keel bone damage for the egg sector and the welfare of laying hens.

Where the Heart Functions Best: Reactive–Affective Conflict and the Disruptive Work of Animal Rights Organizations

We study the emotive aspect of institutional work performed by U.S. animal rights organizations (AROs) attempting to disrupt industrial practices in modern factory farming operations perceived to b...

Ethical Aspects of Sustainable Development in Polish Enterprises Transporting Animals for Slaughter

The issue of sustainable development is currently the subject of interest of researchers from many scientific fields. The idea of sustainable development includes the economy, the society and the environment. In the context of sustainable development, the subject of animal welfare is being increasingly regarded as essential. Ensuring animal welfare is now the key issue for public opinion, livestock farmers, animal rights organizations, entrepreneurs, transport companies and slaughterhouses. Animal welfare should be applied according to Five Freedoms, which are: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from pain and injury, freedom from physical discomfort, freedom to express normal behavior, freedom from stress and fear. The purpose of this article is to present the current state of awareness about ensuring animal welfare as an element of sustainable development on the example of Polish companies which transport animals to slaughterhouses. As a research method the authors used the survey method. The questionnaire was addressed to the owners of enterprises transporting slaughter animals and to drivers of these enterprises. The results found out that there is a serious need to change the operation of the transport system due to ethical aspects.Keywords: Sustainable development, animal welfare, animal transport, transport management

Earth Wars: PETA, Sea Shepherds, Greenpeace and Ethics

This paper discusses ethics theories employed by environmental and animal rights organizations such as PETA, The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and Greenpeace, in recruiting supporters. These organizations must gain support based on ethics, but what philosophy do they follow in gaining supporters? By examining the ethics theories used by these environmentalists, the research is enhanced concerning how environmental organizations gain support through moral and ethical appeals. Discussing these practices might allow researchers and organizations to examine closer the ethical practices of environmental organizations to gain more understanding of how they attract supporters. It may also provide insight concerning how they could gain more support for their causes through a better understanding of cultural moral values beyond Western moral philosophies.

The animal welfare battle: the production of affected ignorance in the Swedish meat industry debate

ABSTRACTThe Swedish animal welfare debate has for years focused on the meat industry, which sees animals not as sentient creatures but as production factors and commodities to be economically exploited. Although animal rights organizations have tried to change the meat industry and consumer behaviour, meat consumption is increasing. This could be explained as ‘affected ignorance’ generated by what one already knows but does not want to hear about. This paper discusses how various actors, such as meat industry companies, food retailers, and social movement organizations, frame animal welfare in the media debate with the use of discourses, which are important for producing or discouraging affected ignorance. The paper examines a discursive battle in which actors draw on various discourses over time but also hijack opponents’ discourses. This use of discourses seems to blur the debate and confuse people and they will continue to eat meat from factory-farmed animals.

The Influence of Hidden Traps on the Decisions Made By Animal Rights Organisations and Sustainable Use Advocates

In this paper I explore the relevance of The Hidden Traps in Decision Making to decisions made in wildlife conservation and management by Animal Rightists and advocates of Sustainable Use, treating the two diametrically opposed groups as persona. I argue that the Animal Rights groups have a great deal in common with political socialism insofaras they advocate strong government intervention in the (wildlife) economy. I liken them to ‘Big Men’ as described by Beinhocker and use his distinction between Big Man economies and market economies... in a Big Man economy, a business lives or dies by political favour: in a market-based economy, a business lives or dies by whether its customers like and are willing to pay for its products and services. The Animal Rightists lobby for CITES trade bans and this affects the viability of business and human livelihoods for those practising sustainable use. In examining the extent to which the two groups are vulnerable to the eight Hidden Traps, the Animal Rights groups are guilty of falling into most of them. Their flawed decisions have huge ramifications for devaluing the wildlife economy. Conservation is about land use and will not be successful if it ignores land use values: the pernicious influence of AR Big Men is to prevent society at large from developing an economy based on sustainable use of natural resources and to force people to adopt land use systems which are of lower economic value. Needless to say, conservation is the loser in such a process.

PETA targets early-career wildlife researcher

Critics say animal rights organization is trying to intimidate vulnerable scientists.

Litigating Nonhuman Animal Legal Personhood

In 2017 a New York appellate court issued a landmark ruling rejecting an animal rights organization’s efforts to assign legal personhood status to chimpanzees in Matter of Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc. v. Lavery. This paper provides context for the ruling, and includes an amicus curiae brief the author filed in the case. The court discussed the amicus curiae brief in explaining its ruling, and a prominent animal law blog described the court’s decision as “citing to and relying on” the brief. The brief asserts and the court ruled that rights are broadly connected to humans’ norm of capacity for legal duties, and that because chimpanzees cannot bear legal duties they cannot be legal persons. Animal personhood litigation is in its infancy. The 2017 Lavery decision will be debated and cited for many years because the court directly embraced legal personhood’s foundational connection to the human community rather than dismissing the case on narrow grounds. This paper illuminates the reasoning behind the court’s decision and the argument that society should focus on evolving norms of human responsibility toward animals’ welfare rather than on the pretense of animal legal personhood.

'In Sight, Insane': Animal Agency, Captivity and the Frozen Wilderness in the Late-Twentieth Century

Abstract In 1979 Bristol Zoo acquired a male polar bear named Misha. Although he was one in a long line of popular attractions, he behaved in ways that the public and, to a lesser degree, the zoological society increasingly judged to be disturbing. He endlessly paced back and forth in his enclosure, swaying his head repetitively from side to side. Following media attention from animal rights organisations and the media between 1985 and the early 1990s, Misha's 'psychotic' appearance in a captive environment repeatedly evoked images of the prisons and asylums of the past, where surveillance, spectacle and suffering collided to alter the natures of the 'beasts' within. Apart from this, Misha's unsettling behaviour also contributed to swelling concerns about the state of the natural world and the bear's 'wild' kin in the advancing shadow of ozone depletion and the retreat of the continental ice shelf in the ecologically fragile frozen North. The combination of Misha's evocative behaviour, and the conceptual links it forged with the world's wild creatures and places changed the complexion of Bristol Zoo as a captive and increasingly conservation-minded environment. Furthermore, it not only contributed to transformations within institutions far beyond the walls of this singular captive space but also affected individual mentalities. Thus, this essay's aims are two-fold: primarily, it considers the nature of the historical influence of animal life, centring on Misha as an individual animal of substantial influence. In so doing, it examines shifting and conflicting values with regard to a range of broader animal and environment-related issues in a world increasingly concerned by global warming and an astonishing decline in the Earth's biodiversity.

Meat Your Enemy

Radical change can be conceived in terms of the reconceiving of ontological distinctions, such as those separating humans from animals. In building on insights from French pragmatism, we suggest that, while no doubt very difficult, radical change can potentially be achieved by creating “alignment” between multiple “economies of worth” or “common worlds” (e.g., the market world of money, the industrial world of efficiency). Using recent campaigns by animal rights organizations as our case, we show how the design of “tests” (e.g., tests of profitability, tests of efficiency) can help align multiple common worlds in support for radical change. Our analysis contributes to the broader management and organization studies literatures by conceiving radical change in terms of changing ontological categorizations (e.g., human/animals vs. sentient/ non-sentient), and by proposing that radical social change agents can be helpfully conceived as opportunistically using events to cumulatively justify the change they desire overtime.

An ‘excess of the normal’: Luxury and difference in Polish fur critique

This article calls upon fieldwork carried out in Kraków in order to analyse charges of ‘luxury’ in Polish fur critique. It draws from commentary both from ‘card-carrying’ members of Polish animal rights organizations and comparatively off-the-cuff remarks of those reflecting on fur’s provocativeness, without participating in the animal rights movement. In Central and Eastern European socialist and postsocialist contexts alike, luxury has often held a dialectical relationship with ‘normality’. The article argues that the meaning of luxury that emerges in Polish fur critique can be aptly described as ‘an excess of the normal’. Power, with which fur is frequently associated, is conceptualized not only as residing in the hands of elites but in the ‘normal’ and normalizing material culture that fur embodies. The ‘visibility’ of fur as outdoor clothing is critical in this regard. In discussing fur’s luxuriousness, themes of gendered and generational power and of the shortcomings of ethical consumption as a mode of political resistance come to the fore.

Behind a veil of secrecy: animal abuse, factory farms, and Ag-Gag legislation

For years, animal rights organizations have sought to expose animal cruelty on America’s factory farms. With the meat and dairy industry inaccessible to the public, animal advocates rely on undercover investigators who gain access to farms by becoming employees. Working from the inside, these investigators become whistleblowers when they reveal animal cruelty unrelated to the already inhumane conditions of animal husbandry. An effective strategy that has exposed animal abuse as well as conditions threatening to public health, in recent years the agriculture industry has pressured legislatures to enact laws that criminalize photography at factory farms. Dubbed ‘Ag-Gag’ laws by critics, the emergence of legislation targeting animal rights advocates raises important questions relevant to animal welfare, animal rights activism, and freedom of speech. This paper exposes the failure of government institutions to protect animals on factory farms while simultaneously silencing what is currently the only available mechanism for Americans to learn about abuse on factory farms. It also explores the Constitutional implications of Ag-Gag laws. Not only are Ag-Gag laws presumptively unconstitutional, but with their enactment – animal welfare remains unchanged, the American consumer remains uninformed, and America’s factory farms are free to abuse animals behind a legal veil of secrecy.