Every day, animals lose their habitats, are killed when human activity harms an ecosystem, are verbally and physically abused by humans, and are taken from their natural habitats in the wild to be raised domestically and treated cruelly and eventually killed for fur coats, organ trafficking, or food or other commercial services. According to the Oxford Dictionary, an animal is “a living organism that feeds on organic matter.”
Various animals include cats, dogs, humans, bacteria, horses, whales, crabs, and roughly anything else that eats food, respirates, and reproduces. But take humans away, and although humans fit the meaning of ‘taken from their natural habitats’ through human trafficking, they are the dominant species on Earth, and although humans deserve exactly the same rights, the main focus in this article is highlighting ten organizations that advocate for the rights of animals (aside from humans), because it is necessary for humans to be able to co-exist peacefully with animals to improve our society.
There are over 10 million non-profit charities in the world (and that number doesn’t even count things like high school charities). A good number of those charities advocate for animal rights, climate change, humane treatment of domestic animals, and rights of nature and the environment in general. But these issues are often overshadowed by issues that have to do with human rights, like racism, gender equality, domestic workers’ rights, voting rights, or criminal justice.
Some do not realize the cruelty many domesticated animals endure every day, how much wildlife lose their habitats to deforestation and human activity, how animals are abused endlessly in places like circuses and entertainment, and how many farm animals are treated in an inhumane way before being eventually killed for food or fur. Some of the charities that will be mentioned in this article have been tirelessly raising awareness about animal rights, partnering with companies around the world to rescue animals, doing scientific research, and preserving wild habitats and protecting endangered species.
Some are recognized internationally for their efforts to change policies and laws in several countries and for exposing harsh truths about companies and industries in different countries, such as exposing the cruel treatment of horses in Spain’s horse meat industry by Animal Equality. This is only one small example of the work done by the ten organizations that will be recognized in this article.
Top Non-Profits
Friends of Animals
Founded in 1957, the Friends of Animals organization ‘has been working to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation’ according to their website. They are headquartered in various places all over America, and work internationally to educate and advocate for the rights of all animals, whether wild or domestic, free and protect animals from exploitation, and also address the biggest contributors to climate change – deforestation, fossil fuels, and agriculture. Throughout the course of their work, they have started legal initiatives as well as policy and legislative outreach to ban fur sales, and have rescued and cared for more than 300 animals in San Antonio who were exploited for commercial reasons. They have lately been fighting the Bureau of Land Management for the rights of wild horses.
The Humane League
Founded in 2005 in Philadelphia, the Humane League is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the rights of animals abused on factory farms and raised for food. They have since then grown as an organization to operate globally, running campaigns, confronting companies across the entire food industry, freeing more than 10M chickens, and even getting companies like Pepsi, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and more to enact welfare policies that protect animals.
In 2016, the Humane League founded the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a global partnership to end the abuse of chickens, and they have also distributed more than $8M to OWA partners worldwide. Today they are one of the biggest non-profits in America.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Founded in 1977, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society operates worldwide from Washington State, USA, and Melbourne, Australia, with a mission to protect and conserve the world’s oceans from human activity such as illegal fishing and whaling. Their main tactics are direct service, such as intercepting illegal fishing or whaling expeditions. Although they have been criticized by those encouraging whaling operations or illegal fishing as ‘attacking,’ they strive to protect all wildlife from illegal human activity at sea with no exceptions.
Compassion in World Farming
Founded in 1967, Compassion in World Farming has a mission to use campaigns to end all factory farming practices worldwide. Unlike some other organizations using campaigns, Compassion in World Farming uses research and public awareness initiatives to advocate for farm animals to be treated with respect before they are killed. Some of their advocacy initiatives have exposed cruelty to hens, pigs, sheep, and many other farm animals on certain farms.
Their active campaigning has led to celebrity endorsements and recognition by BBC Radio 4, where they won the BBC 4 Food and Farming Award for the best campaigner. Since 95% of all chickens in factories are treated inhumanely, the organization started one of their most notable campaigns called the Better Chicken Initiative, in 2014. Compassion in World Farming operates in the UK and envision a world where all animals on farms are treated with respect.
Born Free Foundation
Founded in 1984, the Born Free Foundation serves worldwide with a headquarters in Sussex, England, with a mission to rescue wild animals from exploitation, protect those in their natural habitats, and conserve endangered species and ecosystems. They campaign for a future where animals and humans coexist peacefully and animals do not feel threatened or face extinction. They are a leading wildlife charity in the UK that promotes their initiative Compassionate Conservation to protect natural habitats and ensure the survival of endangered animals. The Born Free Foundation either supports or operates a number of conservation projects worldwide, such as the Orangutan Foundation International in Indonesia and the Arcturos Bears Foundation in Greece. They have influenced many British wildlife policies and assisted in the modifying of several legislative measures. They work with many corporate sponsors and partners across the world.
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was founded in 1961 and is currently headquartered in Switzerland. It was founded by a group of people who were passionate about protecting wildlife and natural habitats threatened by human development. Since then, they have been recognized by Prince Philip, helped operate the British National Appeal, started the College of African Wildlife Management, and way more. Their mission is to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, and their goal is to conserve and restore biodiversity, reduce carbon footprints, and ensure that sustainable natural resources are used ethically. Their values include courage, integrity, respect, and collaboration, and these values are shared throughout the whole organization and all their partnerships. They operate in over 100 countries through advocacy, education, research, and direct service.
Humane Society International
The Humane Society International (HSI) was founded in 1991 and currently operates in Washington, DC. They are dedicated to advancing the welfare of animals around the world, improve the bond between humans and animals, and raise awareness about animal cruelty in all forms. They focus on issues such as abusive conditions for farm animals, illegal trading, illegal fishing and poaching of marine animals, fur trades, and animals as science experiences. HSI operates in more than 50 countries and strives to ethically find long-term solutions to animal cruelty. One way they have done this is when they have assisted in changing government policies, international treaties, and trade agreements that affect animals. HSI supports NGO and governmental efforts in the protection of wildlife. They are active participants in international organizations such as the International Whaling Commision, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and more.
Animal Equality
Animal Equality operates in 8 countries from an international headquarters in Los Angeles, California. The organization was founded in 2006, and their mission is to reduce animal cruelty and change people’s perceptions on exploited animals through education and advocacy. They also conduct investigations, legal support, and spread awareness through public campaigns to promote veganism and more humane treatment of animals, specifically exploited animals or animals living on farms. Some notable achievements include exposing secret factory farms using 360 degree cameras called iAnimal, which has been recognized by many top US universities and celebrities, organizing a public hearing at the Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly that talks about the killing of male chicks and calves in the dairy industry, and exposing the cruel treatment and killing of horses in Spain’s horse meat industry. These are just a few of the many internationally recognized achievements and milestones Animal Equality has accomplished.
International Fund for Animal Welfare
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was founded in 1969 with a goal to stop commercial marine life hunting. It is one of the largest animal rights advocacy organizations in the world, operating and having projects in more than 40 countries from a headquarters in New Brunswick, Canada. Their mission is to spread awareness about commercial hunting for seal pups and make the oceans healthier and safer. Alongside their main mission of conserving sea life, IFAW’s other projects include reducing ocean noise, saving animal lives in natural disasters, rescuing and protecting wild animals from exploitation, and habitat conservation. They do this through direct service, advocacy, and education.
Four Paws International
Founded in 1988, Four Paws International envisions a world where humans treat animals with respect and kindness. They have rescued many animals living in cruel conditions and protecting others in their natural habitats. Aside from their global headquarters in Vienna, Austria, Four Paws operates in 15 other countries as well as various sanctuaries around the world for rescued animals in 11 other countries. Their mission is “to achieve and establish changes in politics, society, and the economy that will benefit animals,” according to their website. They do this through direct service, research, and international lobbying and advocacy in order to change consumer behaviour, laws and policies, and form partnerships worldwide.
Conclusion
The work done by these non-profit organizations addresses the many issues that must be solved to achieve animal rights, such as cruel treatment of domestic animals, killing for commercial use, illegal marine activity, and destroying biodiversity. These organizations operate worldwide, and each one has individual focuses and skills used to solve these various issues. As stated in the descriptions, all of these organizations have worldwide partnerships in order to spread their missions and advocacy around the world.
