What Animal Rights Edmonton is About and Why it Has Been Formed.
Animal Rights Edmonton has been formed to fill a gap in the animal rights movement in Edmonton. Edmonton is attracting a significant number or biotechnology firms who often receive significant tax breaks and other enticements in order to set up their operations in the Edmonton area. While the politicians and the public relations departments of these firms trumpet the jobs that are created and other "benefits" that these corporations bring to the city they don't talk about the danger that these enterprises present as a result of the potentially deadly substances and waste that is created by their operation and, of course, they don't mention that the legions of animals that they torture and kill in their "research" In addition to these firms the University of Alberta maims, tortures and kills vast numbers of animals every year under the guise of "research".
Another animal rights group in Edmonton has chosen to concentrate on different, although worthy, animal rights issues. Consequently the horrors that take place in these facilities goes largely unnoticed by the majority of people and vast numbers of animals suffer and die needlessly. At the University of Alberta, an institution that is so substandard that it's medical school is on the verge of being de-certified and prevented from issuing degrees, the overwhelming majority of the research done is funded by tax dollars yet it refuses to permit any public scrutiny of either its research or facilities. Edmonton Animal Rights has been formed to expose, infiltrate and stop the horrific abuse that takes place daily at labs in the Edmonton area and the University of Alberta in particular. At the present time we have an operative inside a laboratory in Edmonton.
A second issue of great concern to Animal Rights Edmonton is the operation of Edmonton Animal Services, the City department that is responsible for enforcing animal related bylaws and operating Edmonton's pound. Edmonton's pound is, without question, one of the worst, if not the worst facility of it's kind in North America. Unlike most pounds and animal shelters the Edmonton Pound makes absolutely no effort to find home for the animals that unfortunate enough to be brought to the facility. Behind the closed and locked doors of the death house that passes for an animal shelter a veterinarian kills animals that in other facilities would be put up for adoption. Even stray animals that are turned into the pound by citizens who indicate that they want to adopt the animal if it is not claimed are killed instead of giving them a chance at a new life. Unlike other similar facilities the public is not allowed to see the actual animal holding facilities at the pound and Edmonton Animal Services refuses to use volunteers at the facility because they claim it will cost too much to use volunteers. The mental giant who heads up this department is David Leeb, a bureaucrat who had a less than stellar term as head of Edmonton's Valley Zoo and who refuses to meet with or discuss issues with members of the public.
Animal Rights Edmonton has prepared a report on the deficiencies within the Animal Services department and is working with Edmonton City Council to improve conditions and remove David Leeb from his position.
Animal Rights Edmonton's main focus, however, will be on the issue of the horrors of animal experimentation that is occurring unchecked in the Edmonton area. This does not mean that we are not concerned about other animal rights issues such as the fur industry, factory farming, rodeos or the multitude of other ways that animals are abused and exploited but we feel that the two areas we have chosen to concentrate on are not being addressed to any great extent in the Edmonton area.