The Animal Agriculture Alliance released two reports detailing the interconnectedness of animal rights groups and the tactics employed by the groups toward animal agriculture.
The Animal Rights Extremist Web highlights how the groups are interconnected, and the Radical Vegan Activism in 2022 report gives a broad overview of the money raised and the attacks against animal agriculture.
“No matter the animal rights extremist group or the tactics used, they all share the same goal of eliminating animal agriculture and taking meat, dairy, poultry, eggs and seafood off of our grocery store shelves and family tables,” said Abby Kornegay, manager of issues and engagement, Animal Agriculture Alliance. “These reports succinctly detail those true intentions, the strategic efforts of the animal rights movement to further their agenda, and key tactics for the animal agriculture community to be aware of.”
Some of the documented direct actions by animal rights groups in 2022 highlighted in the activism report include 95 vandalism incidents, 70 stolen animals, 60 criminal trespasses, 10 arson cases and nine harassment and intimidation incidents. Nearly one-third of attacks worldwide were primarily to research institutions, farmers and food workers.
The report also gives an overview of the groups’ fundraising, totaling over $800 million in 2022. Groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had revenue of $82.2 million, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) had $259.5 million and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) had $324.8 million.
Several updates were made to the Animal Rights Extremist Web to include the interconnectedness of new groups, including the Organization for Competitive Markets. According to the alliance, the Organization for Competitive Markets was added due to Marty Irby’s involvement as a board member. Irby is a former employee of HSUS with close ties to its former president and CEO, Wayne Pacelle. Also added were Sentient Media, Animal Partisan and Farm Action. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
