Animal Rights Advocates Inc. (ARA) is a volunteer-run not for profit animal rights organisation based in Perth, Western Australia that campaigns for the abolition of animal exploitation. ARA recognises that other animals are sentient individuals who possess inherent value regardless of their usefulness to humans and who therefore are entitled to certain basic rights. ARA seeks to expose cruelty, promote the rights of other animals and abolish their institutionalised exploitation by humans. This is achieved through public education focussed primarily on the promotion of veganism.

ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES

WHAT IS ANIMAL RIGHTS?The concept of animal rights is simple. Like us, animals are sentient. They experience a range of sensations and emotions, and perceive the world around them. The most basic right of a sentient being, whether they are human or any other animal, is the right to be free, that is, not to be someone else’s property. Being the property of another means someone is treated as a resource; their only value is that which their owner places on them. The animals we use for food, clothing and entertainment are considered property, nothing more. Being property means that animals are tortured and killed in the name of profit – imprisoned and mutilated on farms, exploited in zoos, circuses and rodeos or poisoned for a new detergent or mascara. The economic interests of the property owner always outweighs the interests of the property, even when this interest is to avoid suffering, to be free from exploitation or even, simply, to live. As long as other animals are considered property both in law and mainstream opinion, they will never be free from exploitation. Just as we oppose the exploitation of humans, ARA opposes the exploitation of other animals.

WHAT DOES ARA DO?ARA educates people about animal rights and helps them to put animal rights into practise by adopting a vegan lifestyle. ARA offers workshops on vegan nutrition, and the links between animal exploitation and other social justice or environmental issues. ARA’s ‘Guide to Being Vegan in Perth’ www.veganperth.org.au contains a list of places to eat, shop, socialise and promote animals rights in Perth, as well as reasons for going vegan and tips for the transition to becoming vegan.

ARA’s Vegan Mentoring Program is designed to make life easier for vegans and aspiring vegans. Email mentor@ara.org.au for advice on going vegan. It supports different areas of vegan life, including health information, details of vegan-friendly restaurants, products and shops, and contacts for vegan-friendly social groups. ARA also has a range of vegan recipe cards available to get you started in the kitchen. ARA regularly conducts outreach at community events to provide public education and opportunities to engage with animal rights issues. ARA has made an impact at universities with the establishment of the Curtin Animal Rights Advocates club at Curtin University and stalls and other activities at Murdoch University. ARA also hosts the annual Sentience Art Exhibition www.sentience.org.au and Cruelty Free Festival www.crueltyfreefestivalwa.org.au, which promote animal rights and social justice to a broad audience.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP ANIMALS RIGHT NOW?

1. GO VEGAN The most important step anyone can take to end animal exploitation is to stop participating in it by choosing a vegan lifestyle. Refusing to support industries that exploit animals is a way to apply your anti-cruelty principles to your life’s practices. It helps to reduce the demand for the animal exploitation involved in food, clothing and other products. Veganism also sends the important message to others that animal exploitation is unacceptable and unnecessary for a full and healthy life. You can find information on being vegan in Western Australia at www.veganperth.org.au. There are a number of other actions below that help animals and are consistent with a vegan lifestyle.

2. SUPPORT CRUELTY FREE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS Purchase products that have not been tested on animals and do not use animal ingredients. Experiments to test household products and cosmetics on animals and the use of animal ingredients in these products is cruel and unnecessary. Many companies have stopped testing products on animals. Cruelty-free products are widely available. See www.veganperth.org.au for a list of some of the many cruelty- free household products available in Perth.

3. ADOPT RATHER THAN SUPPORT BREEDING While the very notion of breeding other animals to be entirely dependent on humans should be challenged, we have a responsibility to take care of animals we have already brought into existence. If you’re able to have animals as companions, adopt from a shelter rather than supporting pet shops or breeders. Buying animals from pet shops or breeders or breeding companion animals yourself contributes to the 130 000 homeless dogs and 60 000 homeless cats that die annually in Australian pounds. Adopting potentially saves someone from death or life spent in a shelter.

4. CHOOSE NON-EXPLOITATIVE ENTERTAINMENT Keeping animals for human entertainment places our comparatively trivial entertainment interests above fundamental animal interests. While their natural environment might offer them entire jungles or oceans, captive animals are kept in cages, in tanks, in pens or in chains. Boycott zoos, circuses, and other forms of animal-based entertainment. There are many other non-exploitative forms of entertainment, and more meaningful and educational ways to interact with and learn about other animals.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT ARAARA relies on public donations and the hard work of our volunteers. As we have no paid staff you can be assured that any donation no matter how big or small will go entirely into campaigns and actions, rather than to staff salaries and other administrative costs. ARA is the only non-profit organisation in Perth that consistently promotes animal rights and veganism and as such it is vital that we continue to educate, inform and create positive change for animals. The great thing about becoming a supporter is that you don’t simply need to send money and then hope it is doing some good. We want you to get involved and help put your money to good use through volunteering in any capacity that you can. For volunteer opportunities or further information about ARA, please contact info@ara.org.au. To become an ARA supporter fill out the enclosed form or sign up online.

WWW.ARA.ORG.AUvisit us online at