Animal welfare organizations are often at odds with big industries, which make a lot of money using animals for food, entertainment and clothing. Animal rights organizations object to all use of animals for human pleasure, but other organizations work to limit cruelty and abuse in some industries and to abolish others entirely.
All big industries, including the food industry, focus on maximum output for minimum input. This focus doesn’t take into account humane treatment of animals. This is true both regarding the animals we eat and the foods they produce. The same problem exists in the clothing industry, where wool and leather are mass-produced.
The entertainment industry, especially the sports industry, often focuses on amusing people at the expense of animals. Some animal sports are inherently cruel, while others could be made more humane through increased regulation. Zoos, circuses and films all have the potential to harm animals as well.
The pet industry itself can be inhumane. While most people would agree that domesticated animals such as cats, dogs and chickens should be cared for by humans, other types of animals are not necessarily suited to a life of captivity. Some animals are captured from the wild, transported inhumanely and then sold as pets. Additionally, animals that are bred as pets may be mistreated prior to their placement in a home. And strays often face euthanasia simply because no one wants them.
Animal lovers should be aware of how these industries treat animals so they can use their consumer power to fight against mistreatment of animals.
Articles on industries which abuse animals:
- ASPCA-Ban Racehorse Drugging
- ASPCA Urges Support of Humane Egg Bill
- Animal Cruelty and Fur
- Animal Rights and Your Food
- Burger King Supports Animal Welfare
- Captive-bred vs.Wild Caught Pets
- Catalonia, Spain Bans Bullfighting
- Change in Animal Testing – Botox
- Classroom Dissection
- Cockfighting – A Blood Sport
- Dog Breeding
- Dumping Gestation Crates
- Entertainment
- Fish in Captivity: The Moral Issues
- FoA-Ban on NYC Horse-Drawn Carriages
- Greyhounds and Dog Racing
- HSUS-Force-feeding Ducks for Foie Gras
- HSUS-McDonald’s Statement
- HSUS Investigation of Horse Soring
- Horror of Dogfighting
- Horse-Drawn Carriages
- Horse Diving Shows
- Horse Meat Controversy in Canada
- Horse Racing
- Horse Racing Endings
- Hunting Dogs
- Illegal Animal Fighting
- L’Oreal Helps End Animal Testing
- Olympic Equestrian Sports
- Rodeos
- Second Careers for Racehorses
- Sled Dogs
- The Fishing Industry
- The Odd Couple – Pacelle and Vick
- The Truth Behind Australia’s Live Sheep Export
- The Wool Industry
- To Buy or Not – Free Range
- Treatment of Animals in Entertainment
- Truth in Fur Labeling Act
- Vegetarian Pets
- What is a Puppy Mill?
