What it means to be an animal rights activist and how to join the cause

The vast amount of animal rights petitions with millions of signatures across the world on Change.org suggests how big and passionate the animal rights movement is. Animal cruelty and threats to animal welfare are pervasive issues emboldening everyone from organizations to everyday citizens to take action. 

Learn about the work that animal activists do and how you can support animal protection in this guide.

What do animal activists fight for?

Caring about the humane treatment of non-human animals unites many people across the world, regardless of background or political or religious ideology. Yet, animal abuse and exploitation are still significant and common problems. 

Animal activists work to raise awareness about animal rights violations and reduce or eliminate animal suffering. Some advocates work full-time at animal protection organizations or take action and volunteer in their free time. These are the major areas they focus on:

Ending animal cruelty and animal exploitation

Animal activists strive to protect animals from harm caused by people abusing animals and any organizations or businesses that impose harsh and poor conditions on animals. Some examples of animal cruelty include:

• Neglect: When individuals or organizations deprive animals of basic needs like food, water, shelter, and medical care. Examples include leaving pets without food or water, or keeping animals in unsanitary or overcrowded conditions.

• Physical Abuse: Anytime someone intentionally causes physical harm to animals, such as hitting, kicking, burning, or any other forms of injury or torture. 

• Abandonment: Leaving animals alone without proper care or in a situation where they can’t fend for themselves. This includes dumping pets on the street or in remote areas.

• Wildlife poaching: Illegally hunting or capturing wild animals for their fur, tusks, or other body parts, leading to suffering and often death.

Animal cruelty and exploitation can happen in many different contexts and situations, but it’s considered especially prevalent in these settings:

• Factory farms where chickens, cattle, pigs, and other farm animals endure confinement to cages, force feeding, starvation, malnutrition, overcrowding, and other unhealthy conditions

• Sports like dog racing and fighting, horse racing, cockfighting, hunting, bullfighting, and equestrian sports — which recently prompted a petition to ban horses from Olympic competitions

• Puppy mills and irresponsible animal breeders that practice overbreeding and in-breeding, overcrowding, and insufficient living conditions

• Animals used for entertainment like mule and horse-drawn carriages, animals used in film and television without the proper care, circus animals, zoos and aquariums that don’t provide safe and healthy conditions

• Product testing and experiments on animals involving makeup and cosmetics, food additives, household items, and other potentially toxic materials

How to be an animal rights activist

Animal suffering is a widespread issue, but fortunately, there are many people and organizations advocating for the ethical treatment of animals. Likewise, there are plenty of ways you can help animal rights causes and become an activist yourself. The level of commitment and participation is up to you, and the opportunities range from light to heavy involvement.

Research and understand pressing animal rights issues

Before committing to a cause, it’s important to be informed about the general and specific issues surrounding it. Having this knowledge will ensure the issues you’re supporting align with your values, passions, and interests. It also enables you to communicate about it effectively so you can have meaningful discussions and bring awareness to the cause.

Do your research to learn about animal rights issues that matter to you, starting with this guide! It might be an issue that’s impacting your local community or in a particular area of animal welfare that you feel connected to. Some ways to research include:

• Read the latest news and resources on animal rights 

• Research recent animal rights petitions 

• Find other activists in online groups and communities you can follow and interact with

• Research what animal rights organizations are currently doing, like PETA, the Humane Society, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund

Get involved with a nonprofit organization

There are many local, national, and international nonprofit organizations committed to protecting animal rights and welfare. You can support larger organizations that have a broad scope or research smaller ones that focus on specific types of animals, locations, or communities. Some valuable ways to help these organizations include:

• Participate in grassroots lobbying to support legislative initiatives backed by organizations

• Donate to support the work of nonprofit organizations

• Volunteer to work for animal shelters and animal rescue organizations

• Become an animal foster for particular organizations

• Start a career in animal rights advocacy and work for a nonprofit organization

Start or support a petition and its wider movement

There are many recent and active animal welfare petitions that need support. Find petitions that you want to add your name to. Be sure to follow the updates from the petition starters to find out about additional actions you can take, like participating in protests, demonstrations, and making calls or writing letters to decision makers.

Practice a plant-based diet

Eating a plant-based diet challenges industries that exploit animals for food. By not consuming meat, dairy, eggs, or other animal products, vegans take a stand against the inhumane treatment of animals in factory farms, slaughterhouses, and other areas of the food industry. A plant-based diet promotes animal health and wellbeing as well as environmental conservation and sustainability. 

Boycott factory farming

Boycotting food products and brands that use factory farming is an important way to support the cause. Make conscious choices about the food you consume that don’t involve cruel factory farming practices, including: 

• Opting for plant-based alternatives when possible

• Support local farmers by purchasing food at farmers’ markets or ordering directly from them

• Choose products labeled as organic, free-range, or pasture-raised

Support cruelty-free products and brands

Supporting cruelty-free products and brands reduces the demand for animal testing and exploitation in the beauty, household, and personal care industries. By choosing products that are certified cruelty-free, consumers send a clear message that they reject the unnecessary suffering of animals. This shift in purchasing habits encourages companies to adopt humane testing methods, invest in alternative technologies, and prioritize ethical practices. 

Successful and ongoing animal rights campaigns

Learn about some of the animal cruelty and exploitation petitions that ended in victory and recent campaigns that are gaining momentum on Change.org. These are examples of prominent animal rights movements with a strong supporter base.

Victory: Stop North UT Valley Animal Shelter from killing animals

This petition to end the killing of animals in gas chambers at a Utah animal shelter gained the support of over 108,000 petition signers. With help from the Utah Animal Rights Coalition, pressure from the petition resulted in the animal shelter getting rid of the gas chamber to kill animals.

Victory: Chicago French Bulldog Rescue demands custody of neglected dogs

This petition demanded that the CDC allow 15 French Bulldogs to remain in the United States under the care of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. These dogs were neglected at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport after being transported by Royal Jordanian Airlines from their original location where they were mistreated. The dogs endured dangerous conditions at the airport and the petition successfully resulted in surrendering the dogs to the care of the animal rescue.

Stop Crumbl Cookies from using battery cages for hens

This ongoing petition urges Crumbl Cookies to commit to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs, citing the company’s current use of battery cages, which are cruel and inhumane for hens. The petition argues that transitioning to cage-free sourcing would improve animal welfare, enhance Crumbl’s public image, align with sustainable practices, and position the company as an industry leader in ethical standards. Supporters are encouraged to sign the petition to push Crumbl to make this positive change and set a timeline for its implementation.

Successful and ongoing factory farming petitions

Many animal advocates have turned to Change.org to combat factory farming. There have been many victories resulting from past petitions and many which are still active and need support.

Demands to ban carriage rides 

Animal activists from U.S. cities like NYC, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, For Worth, Birmingham and others, as well as from other countries are calling upon tourist companies to stop mule and horse-drawn carriage rides.

Implement Poppy’s Law

This petition from Oldham Cats Rescue calls for stronger legal protections for cats in the UK, noting inequalities under current laws compared to other animals. The petition was inspired by the brutal killing of a cat named Poppy, whose case was poorly handled by the police. The petition’s demands include mandatory reporting of cats involved in road traffic accidents and prioritization of investigations into intentional cruelty. 

Stop mass cull of desert elephants and other wildlife in Namibia

This petition opposes the Namibian government’s plan to conduct a massive culling of desert elephants, giraffes, hippos, and other wildlife, the largest in the country’s history. The culling is part of a drought alleviation program, which allows some animals to be sold as trophy hunting opportunities, including the last mature desert elephant bull. The petition calls for the immediate halt of the culling and the exploration of alternative solutions that benefit both wildlife and local communities.

Call for King Charles to denounce hunting in the U.K.

This petition urges King Charles to publicly denounce hunting and shooting practices on lands under his control, as a patron of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). If he can’t commit to this stance, the petition states that he should resign from his position as RSPCA patron to not contradict the principles of animal welfare. It emphasizes the importance of his influence in setting a precedent for respecting all forms of life.

Use Change.org as a tool for animal liberation

Get started on your animal activism journey by researching petitions related to animal rights issues. Learn about current animal welfare concerns and movements that you can support and get involved in. If you want to start a movement about an animal issue that’s not currently being represented, start a petition. It’s everyday actions like this that create long lasting change.