How to Be an Animal Rights Activist

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 19, 2023 References Approved

Activism simply means taking action to back a cause. If you're interested in animal protection, welfare, and autonomy, why not start acting on your beliefs? There are so many specific causes and concerns related to animal rights that it might feel overwhelming or daunting to get involved. However, if you take time to learn about the issues, cultivate a cruelty-free lifestyle, and take action when and where you can, animal rights activism can give you the opportunity to do rewarding work that makes a difference.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Educating Yourself about the Issues

1
Understand what animal rights means. Many people confuse animal welfare with animal rights. While there may be some overlap in their causes and campaigns, the underlying philosophies of each are significantly different. Animal welfare poses humans as the protectors of animals and argues for their ethical treatment. Animal rights are based on the principle that all species are equal and deserving of the same rights.
- For example, animal welfare advocates might argue for the humane treatment of farm animals or pets, but animal rights activists believe that it's wrong for humans to breed, keep, or eat animals at all.
2
Familiarize yourself with the key issues. Since animals are found practically everywhere on Earth and touch so many elements of our daily lives, animal rights include myriad causes. Understand the breadth of issues by recognizing the main global contexts in which animals are exploited or harmed.^{[1]
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- Some of the major areas of concern for animal rights activists include wildlife protection, domestication of animals, lab animals, and animals used in food, clothing, and other industries.
- Take time to understand the dimensions of each area of concern by doing an online search for related articles, videos, and websites.
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3
Read an authoritative book on the subject. The best way to get a solid introduction to animal rights is to get a book written by an animal rights expert, researcher, or scholar. Purchase a book or check one out from a library that provides a general overview of the theoretical concerns and practical issues involved in the animal rights movement.
- Some authoritative introductions to animal rights include Peter Singer's Animal Liberation, Paul Waldau's Animal Rights: What Everyone Needs to Know, Clifford Sherry's Animal Rights: A Reference Handbook, Julian Franklin's Animal Rights and Moral Philosophy, and Paola Cavalieri and Catherine Woodllard's The Animal Question.^{[2]
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4
Subscribe to related journals, magazines, and/or newsletters. Getting periodicals related to animal rights is a great way to keep up to date on the current events and debates related to the cause. It also helps support the research and education initiatives of the animal rights groups who publish them.
- If you're looking for a print publication, try magazines and journals put out by related organizations, such as Animal Times (PETA), The UFAW Journal, The Animals' Voice, or Friends of Animals.
- Many animal rights and welfare groups, like PETA, ASPCA, the International Society for Animal Rights, Animal Welfare Approved, and many more, also issue weekly or monthly email updates. If you'd rather read online, subscribe to related organizations' e-newsletters by signing up on their websites with your email address.
5
Attend a lecture, seminar, or conference. Sometimes the best way to learn about animal rights is to hear from the experts in person. That way, you can ask questions and meet other people (in the attendees) who are interested in the subject.
- If there are no lectures or seminars near you, try searching the internet for videos and documentaries related to animal rights instead. Be sure that you check the credentials of the authors and producers to make sure they are animal rights experts, researchers, and/or scholars.
- Consider enrolling in a course or MOOC to get a substantial foundation.
- Attending conferences can be pricey and time-consuming, but there's no better way to get access to a huge variety of animal rights experts and activists in so short a period of time. Besides hearing panels and talks by vetted presenters, you'll also have the opportunity to meet and have conversations with a bunch of like-minded, active people who could be potential collaborators in the future.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Lifestyle Changes

1
Become a vegan or vegetarian. If you believe in animal rights, start acting on that principle in your daily life by taking animal products off your plate. This means learning to eat a mostly or entirely plant-based diet. Doing so puts your belief into practice while refusing to support industries that exploit animals.^{[4]
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- There are many variations of plant-based diets. The most basic distinction is between vegetarians and vegans. Vegetarians generally don't eat meat or products that come from the body of an animal. Vegans avoid all animal-derived products, including eggs and dairy.
- Many products, like gelatin or artificial food colorings, contain animal byproducts that you wouldn't think. Take time to educate yourself about which surprising foods and ingredients you should be avoiding with the help of the Vegetarian Resource Group: http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/.
2
Practice cruelty-free consumerism. Don't purchase products that contain animal byproducts or patronize companies that perform animal testing.^{[5]
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- PETA publishes a list of companies that employ animal testing available here: http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/PDF/companiesdotest.pdf. Avoid these brands when you're shopping and instead opt for ones that explicitly advertise that they're vegan or cruelty-free.
- Be especially wary when it comes to your clothing and fashion. Many materials, like leather, silk, down, and wool, are animal-derived and their production processes involve high levels of animal cruelty. Instead, look for alternatives like cotton, hemp, faux fur, pleather, and other synthetic materials.^{[6]
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Make animal-friendly investments. Don't invest in companies that create animal-based products or use animal testing. Instead, put your money where your mouth is by investing in companies that are certified as cruelty-free. That way, you will have a direct impact on changing industries to observe animal rights.^{[7]
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- PETA also publishes a helpful list of animal-friendly companies that are worth buying from and investing in.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Taking Public Action

1
Weigh in on the issues. Now that you've learned about the issues and committed yourself to tackling them, it's time to make yourself heard. Start by stating your beliefs about animal rights in influential public forums.^{[8]
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- For example, sign on to petitions, write letters to decision-makers, and send editorials to newspapers. If there is a hearing about a particular issue, such as the development of wetlands, sign up to give testimony.
2
Donate to an animal-rights-related organization or cause. Animal rights groups need monetary backing to support their good work. Pick an organization that is running campaigns that you believe in and that are garnering measurable results.^{[9]
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- Most organizations make it easy to donate by having secure, online tools for making one-time or monthly contributions.
- If you choose a registered nonprofit, your donations are tax-deductible.
3
Get involved in an animal rights organization. Join and/or volunteer with a group that's dedicated to animal rights. Membership usually involves paying dues, attending meetings, being on their contact list, and participating in sponsored events and campaigns. ^{[10]
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- Check locally to see if there are organizations that are active in your area.
- If you'd like to get involved with a major player in the cause, here is a helpful online list of the biggest animal rights groups internationally with links to each: https://speakingofresearch.com/extremism-undone/animal-rights-activists-organizations/.
4
Participate in an animal rights campaign. If there's a specific issue, such as factory farming or cosmetics testing, that speaks to you, get involved. There are plenty of ways, large and small, to lend a hand.
- Some informal ways to get involved include signing a petition, sharing information on social media, or attending a demonstration.
- Some more formal ways of participating include attending organizing meetings related to the campaign, volunteering your time to a related event or effort, or taking on a leadership role.
5
Use your skills and talents to make a difference. The best activism takes advantage of the knowledge and experience that you already have. Ask yourself how you can use your education, career, and/or hobbies to help the cause of animal rights.
- For instance, if you are an artist, do a show or exhibition that engages the public in the cause. If you're a businessperson, set up a seminar to inform people in the industry about why investing in cruelty-free companies is good business.

Community Q&A

Question

How can people at a young age make a difference?

Community Answer

It's important to remember that today's youth are tomorrow's adults. The lifestyle you choose now will be carried out along your life, and the earlier you start, the bigger difference you make. Even talking to one person can change their mind, and lead them to change other people's minds. That's the beauty of it, and just simple changes in your own life, such as reducing waste, eating a plant-based diet, etc, truly have a ripple effect around you, even if you don't see it, which can be discouraging sometimes. Keep on inspiring!
Question

Can I still eat meat while being a protector of animals of all sorts?

Community Answer

You can say you are, but truly, you cannot be. The meat industry is one of the most cruel industries in the world, and therefore, this would be very hypocritical.
Question

There are no local groups here, so how do I do it?

Community Answer

You can always look online for charities to donate to. You can even create your own group or have a fundraiser to raise money in your area.

Warnings

Don't be surprised if people think you're crazy for loving animals as much as people. While many people agree with the ethical treatment of animals, animal rights are not yet mainstream.

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Don't do anything illegal. Animal rights activists are often maligned as terrorists because of highly publicized acts of civil disobedience. It's best to avoid forms of activism that will land you in jail.

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Be aware that animal testing is a must in areas other than beauty products; it is a morally grey area.

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Don't force your views on to others. If they don't want to go vegan, that is their right.

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