There are so many wonderful animal rights groups out there today, but one of our favorites is Animal Legal Defense Fund or ALDF.
Who Are They?
For over 30 years, ALDF has been fighting to protect the rights of animals through the legal system. They are the leaders in creating stronger anti-cruelty laws to end the suffering and abuse of animals everywhere in the United States.
ALDF is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity and has also been awarded the Independent Charity Seal of Excellence which means that it meets the highest level of accountability.
What They Do
One of the most wonderful things about this non-profit organization is that, because they are a group of dedicated attorneys, they can move cases from an initial complaint into the legal system quickly.
They offer free legal assistance to prosecutors on their handling of abuse cases, they nurture and support future animal rights lawyers through their student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapters and their Animal Law Program and they educate the public through seminars, workshops and at reach.
Sample Campaigns
There are many ALDF campaigns ongoing but here are just two of what they’re working on now.
Baby Monkeys: In October 2014, ALDF went to court against the University of Wisconsin over maternal deprivation experiments on baby monkeys. This research has been closeted in the past and ALDF has sued to bring this research to light to see whether the federal Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee improperly green-lighted the research that inflicts suffering on animals for human health gains.
A Dogs Value: In early fall 2014, Animal Legal Defense Fund brought a friend of the court brief in front of the Georgia Court of Appeals in Atlanta in support of the value of a dog’s life to a family. The family was suing a kennel for improper medication of their dachsund who died from those injuries. The kennel argued that, as a mixed breed, the dog’s life was monetarily worthless and that they shouldn’t be forced to pay the family’s vet expenses.
How You Can Participate
You can see all of the cases and campaigns at their website: http://aldf.org and you can participate by signing campaign petition or by donating.
ALDF also has chapters in most large cities in the U.S. and they encourage you to get involved locally especially if you see instances of animal abuse, cruelty and neglect.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
