Animals Australia facts for kids
Animals Australia logo since 2017
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| Founded | 1980 |
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| Founders | Peter Singer Christine Townend |
| Focus | Animal welfare |
| Location | |
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Area served
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Australia |
| Method | Investigations Public awareness |
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Key people
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Glenys Oogjes, Lyn White |
Animals Australia is an Australian group that works to protect animals. They investigate and show animal cruelty. They also inspire people to be kind to animals. This is often done through public campaigns. Their main focus is on animals raised on farms.
Animals Australia also helps other animal groups. For example, they gave support during the 2019/2020 Australian Black Summer bushfires. They also helped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their main goal is "a world where kindness, compassion and respect extend to all living beings." They want to help create a kinder world for everyone. Animals Australia is a registered charity. People who care about animals fund their work.
Contents
How Animals Australia Started
Animals Australia began in 1980. It was first called the Australian Federation of Animal Societies. Peter Singer and Christine Townend founded the group. In 1986, animal protection groups from New Zealand joined. The name changed to the Australian and New Zealand Federation of Animal Societies.
This partnership with New Zealand ended in 2005. The group then became known only as "Animals Australia." This name was first used in the late 1990s. Since the 1980s, Animals Australia has helped the government. They have worked to improve animal welfare laws. They also serve on important animal welfare committees.
What Campaigns Does Animals Australia Run?
Animals Australia investigates many animal welfare issues. They also run campaigns to make people aware. Some topics they work on include:
- Rodeos
- Horse racing
- The fur trade
- Animal testing
- The dairy industry
- Fishing
- Protecting flying foxes
- Kangaroo shooting
- Circuses with exotic animals
- Sheep shearing practices
- Mulesing (a practice with sheep)
- Duck shooting
- Puppy farms
- Greyhound racing
Their biggest work focuses on ending factory farming. They also work to stop the live export trade. They want to end "legalised cruelty" to farmed animals.
Animals Australia Unleashed is a group for young animal advocates. It is for people aged 13–26. Animals International is their global branch. It started in 2014. This group helps other countries improve animal welfare. They have helped create animal welfare laws in places like Egypt and Jordan.
Ending Live Animal Exports
Animals Australia works to stop the live export of animals. This means animals are shipped alive to other countries.
Improving Slaughter Practices
In 2006, Animals Australia investigated the Middle East. Their findings led to the first stop of live animal exports. A company was also charged for cruelty.
In 2011, they investigated Australian cattle in Indonesia. They found animals being treated badly during slaughter. This included eye-gouging and tail-breaking. This led to a temporary stop of trade to Indonesia. New rules were put in place to protect animals. An ABC TV show called Four Corners showed this story. It won awards for its reporting.
In 2020, Animals Australia again showed videos to the government. These videos showed Australian cattle being slaughtered in Indonesia. The methods did not meet the live export rules.
Stopping Heat Stress on Ships
Animals Australia received videos from a whistleblower. These videos showed Australian sheep suffering from extreme heat. This happened on the Awassi Express ship in 2017. It also happened on other trips to the Middle East. The videos were shown to the Agriculture Minister. He said the footage was "very disturbing."
Because of this evidence, the Australian Government made a rule. Live sheep shipments are now banned during the hottest months. These are May to October. The company responsible for the Awassi Express had its export license taken away. This company was also involved in the deaths of 3000 sheep in 2016.
Fighting Factory Farming
In October 2012, Animals Australia started a big campaign. It was called "Make it Possible." The goal was to end factory farming in Australia. They showed ads on TV and in cinemas. These ads featured animated pigs and chickens. The song Somewhere played in the background. The film won an award for advertising.
Many celebrities supported the campaign. These included Michael Caton and Missy Higgins. After the campaign, Coles supermarkets made a change. They decided to stop selling eggs from battery cages. They also stopped selling pork from farms using sow stalls for their own brand products.
In December 2020, Animals Australia launched a new campaign. It was called 'Somewhere'. This campaign continued the work of "Make it Possible."
Ending Greyhound Racing
In February 2015, Animals Australia worked with Animal Liberation Queensland. They exposed 'live baiting' in the greyhound industry. This means using live animals like possums or rabbits to train greyhounds. This brought back the campaign to end greyhound racing. The campaign also showed that many greyhounds are abused. Thousands of young, healthy dogs are killed every year.
In December 2015, Animals Australia showed that Australian greyhounds were sent to China and Macau. At the Canidrome racetrack in Macau, dogs often get serious injuries. No Australian greyhound is known to have lived there for more than three years.
The greyhound racing industry in Vietnam was set up by Australian groups. Investigations there showed unwanted dogs being killed cruelly.
'Somewhere' — Legalised Cruelty to Farmed Animals
In December 2020, Animals Australia launched 'Somewhere'. This campaign was for farmed animals. It showed how Australian animals raised for food face cruel practices. These practices are allowed by law. They include painful surgeries without pain relief. Examples are de-horning and tail clipping. Animals also suffer from severe confinement. This happens to hens in battery cages and mother pigs in farrowing crates. The campaign encourages Australians to make choices that can help these animals.
The campaign uses the song 'Somewhere' from the musical West Side Story. The song's lyrics talk about finding "a new way of living." They also mention "Peace and quiet and open air." These words are used to show the suffering of pigs and other animals in factory farms. They suggest that animals dream of freedom.
Key People at Animals Australia
Glenys Oogjes — Chief Executive Officer
Glenys Oogjes is one of Australia's longest-serving animal advocates. She grew up on a dairy farm. She has a degree in Behavioural Science. She has helped review many animal welfare laws in Australia.
Glenys also works on various committees. These include the Victorian Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. She was also one of the people who started the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy. She advises the Federal and State Australian Agriculture Ministers on animal welfare.
Lyn White AM — Campaign Director and Investigator
Lyn White used to be a police officer in South Australia. Before joining Animals Australia in 2003, she worked for the Animals Asia Foundation. Since 2003, Lyn has investigated how live exported animals are treated. She has done this in the Middle East and Indonesia.
Her evidence has led to a live export company being charged with cruelty. Her work has also been shown on TV news programs. In January 2006, her investigation in Egypt led to Australia stopping live cattle trade there. In Jordan, Lyn has helped Princess Alia improve animal welfare. She is also a chief advisor to the Princess Alia Foundation. In 2011, Lyn's videos from Indonesian slaughterhouses were shown on ABC's Four Corners. This led to a stop in live exports to Indonesia. It also created strong public pressure to end the trade.
Lyn White was a finalist for the 2012 Australian of the Year awards. She was also named one of Melbourne's most influential people in 2011. She received the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) award in 2014. This was for her "significant service to the community as an animal rights and welfare advocate." Peter Singer, who wrote the book Animal Liberation, called her the most effective animal campaigner of his time.
How Animals Australia is Rated
Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) reviews animal charities. Animals Australia has been a "Standout Charity" since December 2015. ACE gives this title to groups that are very strong. They might not be as strong as their "Top Charities," but they are still excellent.
In their 2015 review, ACE praised Animals Australia. They noted the group's ability to make Australians think more about animals. They also mentioned successes like McDonald's stopping battery eggs. ACE also liked that Animals Australia is self-critical. They have also grown a lot.
However, ACE also noted some weaknesses. Animals Australia spends a lot of money to help smaller groups of animals. For example, those in live export or puppy farming. This is compared to the larger number of animals in farming. Also, their work is mostly in Australia.
In November 2018, Animals Australia chose not to be reviewed. They said they were too busy at the time.
See Also
- Animal welfare and rights in Australia
