Animal Rights Edmonton Beliefs

Animal Rights Edmonton was formed to be fundamentally different from other animal rights groups in Edmonton and Northern Alberta.  The founders of the group have no interest in becoming a "mainstream" animal rights group.  There are already several of these groups in Northern Alberta.  In addition to concentrating on issues that these other groups are not actively concentrating on Edmonton Animal Rights has a different philosophy and is prepared to use different tactics than these other groups.  Below are the fundamental beliefs of Animal Rights Edmonton:

    1.   Animals are sentient beings with inherent value which is not based on their usefulness to humans.

    2.  All human exploitation of animals is wrong and must be stopped.  Human exploitation of animals includes, but is not limited to;
        a.   Confinement livestock and poultry production
        b.   Hunting, trapping and fishing
        c.   Fur Farming
        d.   The use of Animals in cosmetic and product safety testing
        e.   The use of animals and animal products in clothing and domestic products
        f.   The use of animals for any medical research or procedure
        g.   Circuses, rodeos and horse or other animal competitions
        h.    All performing animals.

    3.  We support the "no compromise" philosophy embraced by Dr. Jerry Vlasak and groups such as the Animal Liberation Front.

    4.  We are opposed to PETA and other animal welfare organizations as we believe that animal welfare reforms impede progress toward animal rights as they serve only to improve the conditions under which animal exploitation occurs making it more difficult to galvanize public opposition.

    5.  We support the use of all forms of direct action against those individuals, corporations and institutions that exploit and abuse animals.

    6.  We unconditionally reject pacifism and support the use of any and all tactics in the fight for animal rights including the use of violence.  While violence should always be a last resort it must be an option.  Those who abuse and exploit animals are, by definition, violent people and they have demonstrated their willingness to use violence against those who oppose them.  They are also, however, cowards akin to a schoolyard bully who only stops abusing others when someone finally stands up to them.  Those who abuse and exploit animals do so because they know that the animals cannot fight back.  It is up to us to stand up and not just speak for the animals who cannot speak for themselves but to fight for them as well.  Cowardice is not a virtue and has no place in the animal rights movement.

    7.  We believe that those who exploit and abuse animals must be exposed and publicly identified regardless of their age.

    8.  Organizations, institutions and Corporations that exploit and abuse animals must not receive any public funding under any circumstances whether in the form of grants, other types of government funding or tax breaks or benefits.