What does Animal Liberation stand for?

As author Alice Walker has said: “The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans anymore than black people were made for whites or women for men.”

The mission statement of Animal Liberation SA is to speak up for all animals and to eliminate their harmful exploitation by humans. Animals are individuals with feelings and lives of their own, who deserve our respect. As the slogan says: “Animals are not ours to eat, wear or experiment on”.

Certainly we can interact with animals and even benefit from them, as long as it is not harmful to them. There is no reason why we can't have guide dogs, for example, if they are well looked after for their entire life.

• Some people call themselves animal lovers, but are only really concerned about cats and dogs.
• Some people call themselves conservationists, and are only concerned about endangered species.
• Animal Liberation, on the other hand, is concerned about all animals. We are just as concerned about fish as about dolphins, and just as concerned about pigs as about dogs and cats. They all have feelings, and they all deserve respect and consideration.

Photo: This foster piglet enjoys the comfort and warmth of a loving mother just as much as the puppies. They all have feelings. Why do we pat one and eat the other?

When people think of cruelty, they often think of a person starving or beating an animal. In other words, they think of actions that are against the law. They may also think of things done by other nations, such as whale hunting, bear farming, bull fighting, or clubbing seal pups.

Photos: Korean dogs are kept in small cages and killed for food. We think this is barbaric. In Australia, pigs and hens are kept in cages for food. Why doesn't this cause the same outrage? They all suffer, and should be treated with kindness and respect.

Mostly people don't think about everyday suffering in Australia, for example, animals killed for food, battery hens, laboratory animals, animals that are trapped, poisoned, or hunted for sport. These actions aren't illegal, but they cause suffering to more individuals than people who starve or beat their animals.

So what is cruelty? In what ways do animals suffer?

Pain

All animals with backbones (vertebrates), and probably others, feel pain like we do. Hooking fish, fire branding cattle, catching animals in steel-jaw traps, cutting tails off lambs and beaks off hens, all cause pain. Mulesing of lambs is certainly painful.

Stress and Fear

Vertebrate animals feel anxiety like we do. Transport is very stressful for animals, especially live export overseas. Being pulled out of the water and left to suffocate causes great stress to fish. It is a frightening experience for dairy calves to be taken from their mother soon after birth to be trucked to slaughter at 5 days of age. Being hung upside down is stressful for chickens about to be slaughtered.

Frustration
Animals need more than food and water for their well-being - they also need to have the space and a suitable environment to carry out the behaviour that is natural to their species. Otherwise they become frustrated and may develop abnormal behaviour, just like a mentally disturbed person. Signs of frustration can be seen in battery hens, pigs in tiny stalls, rabbits in laboratory cages, foxes and mink on fur farms, and some zoo and circus animals.

Animal Liberation aims to stop actions which cause animals to suffer and healthy animals to be killed. We aim to change people's attitude to one of respect and compassion rather than exploitation.

What has Animal Liberation done?

Animal Liberation (SA) uses non-violent methods to change attitudes and behaviour of the public, laws affecting animals and the policies of companies. Over the years we have campaigned on many issues. Click on Animal Liberation Campaigns for more information about actions on:

• Fur
• Animal circuses
• Farm animals
• Cruelty-free living
• Jump racing
• Duck shooting
• Rodeos

How did Animal Liberation start?

Animal Liberation is based on Professor Peter Singer's book Animal Liberation, which was first published in 1975. He introduces the book as follows:

“This book is about the tyranny of human over non-human animals. This tyranny has caused, and today is still causing, an amount of pain and suffering that can only be compared with that which resulted from the centuries of tyranny by white humans over black humans. The struggle against this tyranny is a struggle as important as any of the moral and social issues that have been fought over in recent years.”

The struggle against this tyranny over non-human animals is what Animal Liberation is about. In 1976 the first Animal Liberation group was started in Sydney by Christine Townend, and soon after that a group was formed in Melbourne. The group in South Australia began around 1980. Each state, including the ACT, now has at least one animal rights group. However, there is no national group - each state AL organisation is separate and makes its own decisions.

There is no typical Animal Liberation member. Men and women of all ages, from teenagers to senior citizens, join our group. The majority live in Adelaide, although we have quite a few country members. Members have a variety of jobs and interests. What we have in common is a deep concern for animals, a desire to stop their suffering, and to follow a cruelty-free lifestyle.

All members are welcome to attend monthly meetings. A newsletter is sent out every 3 months to let members know what we are doing and how they can become involved.

Animal Liberation (SA) doesn't receive government grants or subsidies of any kind. Money is raised through membership fees, donations, garage stalls, raffles, quiz nights, and AL merchandise such as badges, stickers and T-shirts. Sometimes we receive bequests.