As a social scientist [Che Green], I’m often in the position of providing fellow animal advocates with what I call a “reality check.” An objective description of public opinion can seem harsh, because public opinion itself can be harsh. The same is true of the current state of animal use and abuse, both institutional (e.g., factory farming) and episodic (e.g., an individual cruel act). But I think we can all agree that to get where you want to go, you must first know where you’re starting from. Unfortunately, in the case of animal advocacy – the impulsive teenager of social justice movements – where we’re at is not far from where we began.
Consider these reality checks:
• Companion Animals: Despite significant declines in U.S. shelter euthanasia from 1970 to the mid 1990s, progress over the past decade appears to have slowed. In 2005, on average more than eight shelter animals were euthanized every minute.
• Farmed Animals: In 1970, an estimated 3.2 billion animals were raised for food in the U.S. In 2007 that number was 9.5 billion. Additionally, a much larger proportion of farmed animals today are raised in closely confined environments.
• Research Animals: Since the law was created in 1966, the Animal Welfare Act has excluded rats, mice, and birds, thus leaving out about 95% of the animals currently used in research. Not even basic legal protections are mandated for these animals.
• Furbearing Animals: Fur is back in fashion thanks to the admittedly brilliant work of the industry to convince consumers that fur trim is less audacious and more ethical. A majority of U.S. adults still believes that buying clothes made of animal fur is “morally acceptable.”
• Vegetarianism: Actual vegetarians and vegans in the U.S. are a roughly 2-3% minority among adults, and this percentage has remained essentially unchanged for 20 or more years despite an active vegetarian advocacy community.So isn’t it time for animal advocates to think beyond the same old tactics and the tired messages that we’ve been using for the past 30 years? Isn’t it time to be more thoughtful in our approach and more demanding of ourselves to achieve tangible results? Of course, there is some excellent work happening right now that’s producing solid results for animals. But much of what I see in the animal protection movement involves rehashing old campaigns and relying on the same core messages of opposing cruelty and appealing to compassion. Sadly, it isn’t working, and animal advocates must break out of their existing paradigms if they intend to achieve significant results.
The first part in a five-part of serialization of The Death of Animal Rights published by the Humane Research Council.
