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animal rights
April 2008 
Thinking Critically About Animal Rights: Part 4
Posted on Jan 3rd, 2008
by 
fire
fire
Perhaps the trickiest part of wanting to spread the animal rights message is regarding charitable donations of cash and time.
There are thousands of organizations created to help animals. If you want to help animals directly, there are rescue groups, sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitation centers, no-kill shelters and TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) efforts.
When it comes to more general “advocacy” organizations that don’t deal directly with animals much of the time, finding an organization to support may not be as easy as it seems. For example, the mission statements of some groups sound a lot like animal rights, yet the groups routinely kill healthy animals, don’t denounce breeding, endorse animal products, such as cage-free eggs, and work with animal exploiters to find ways they can both “win” by using animals. Tens of millions of dollars flow to such organizations each year, and many donors blindly give, without ever questioning where their money is going.
If you would like to help animals by donating to a group, you need to be clear on what your intention is first, so you recognize a good match for you when you see it.
Compose a mission statement: Do you want your money to go directly to helping animals? Do have a passion for a specific issue, such as eliminating dissection in schools or reducing the feral cat population? Do you have a specific geographical focus?
Research organizations that may be a good fit for your mission: It’s your responsibility to go to the websites of organizations you might give to (or visit them) and make sure that their mission is a good match for yours. Before you write a check or sign up to volunteer, you should be able to answer the following questions: What kinds of campaigns do they have? (What are they trying to accomplish and how are they going about it?) What are their outcomes, which are often called “victories”? Is their definition of “victory” the same as yours? And most important, what do they do with donations? Where does the money go? How exactly is it helping animals?
It’s important to closely examine organizations that supposedly exist to advocate for animal rights, and make sure what they say is consistent with what they do. Animal rights organizations should not be promoting any kind of animal product or working with animal exploiters to find a win-win-win for all (animals included). Why? Because there’s no such thing as a win for animals when their lives, their bodies, and their freedom are the bargaining chips.
Finally . . .
Eddie, the main character in the documentary film “The Witness” (go to www.tribeofheart.org for more info an to watch a clip) reminds us that a miracle can be defined as a change in perception. Most Americans were raised to think about animals as things--as resources--to be created, used and managed by humans to suit our palate, our sense of fashion, or our definition of entertainment. It’s time to think critically about how we use animals, and it’s time to think critically about organizations that claim to have an animal rights mission.
It’s time for a miracle.
There are thousands of organizations created to help animals. If you want to help animals directly, there are rescue groups, sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitation centers, no-kill shelters and TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) efforts.
When it comes to more general “advocacy” organizations that don’t deal directly with animals much of the time, finding an organization to support may not be as easy as it seems. For example, the mission statements of some groups sound a lot like animal rights, yet the groups routinely kill healthy animals, don’t denounce breeding, endorse animal products, such as cage-free eggs, and work with animal exploiters to find ways they can both “win” by using animals. Tens of millions of dollars flow to such organizations each year, and many donors blindly give, without ever questioning where their money is going.
If you would like to help animals by donating to a group, you need to be clear on what your intention is first, so you recognize a good match for you when you see it.
Compose a mission statement: Do you want your money to go directly to helping animals? Do have a passion for a specific issue, such as eliminating dissection in schools or reducing the feral cat population? Do you have a specific geographical focus?
Research organizations that may be a good fit for your mission: It’s your responsibility to go to the websites of organizations you might give to (or visit them) and make sure that their mission is a good match for yours. Before you write a check or sign up to volunteer, you should be able to answer the following questions: What kinds of campaigns do they have? (What are they trying to accomplish and how are they going about it?) What are their outcomes, which are often called “victories”? Is their definition of “victory” the same as yours? And most important, what do they do with donations? Where does the money go? How exactly is it helping animals?
It’s important to closely examine organizations that supposedly exist to advocate for animal rights, and make sure what they say is consistent with what they do. Animal rights organizations should not be promoting any kind of animal product or working with animal exploiters to find a win-win-win for all (animals included). Why? Because there’s no such thing as a win for animals when their lives, their bodies, and their freedom are the bargaining chips.
Finally . . .
Eddie, the main character in the documentary film “The Witness” (go to www.tribeofheart.org for more info an to watch a clip) reminds us that a miracle can be defined as a change in perception. Most Americans were raised to think about animals as things--as resources--to be created, used and managed by humans to suit our palate, our sense of fashion, or our definition of entertainment. It’s time to think critically about how we use animals, and it’s time to think critically about organizations that claim to have an animal rights mission.
It’s time for a miracle.
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