Political Advocacy Groups

"Our mission: To create a more humane and compassionate world by ending abuse and neglect of children and animals." (http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/)

"The ASPCA’s mission, as stated by Henry Bergh in 1866, is 'to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.'" (http://www.aspca.org/about-us/about-the-aspca.aspx)

"For more than three decades, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has been fighting to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. Founded in 1979 by attorneys active in shaping the emerging field of animal law, ALDF has blazed the trail for stronger enforcement of anti-cruelty laws and more humane treatment of animals in every corner of American life." (http://www.aldf.org/article.php?list=type&type=3)

"Our mission is to end the suffering of wild animals in captivity, rescue individual animals in need, protect wildlife — including highly endangered species — in their natural habitats, and encourage compassionate conservation globally." (http://www.bornfreeusa.org/d_about.php)

"FARM (Farm Animal Rights Movement) is a national nonprofit organization promoting a vegan lifestyle through public education and grassroots activism to end the use of animals for food. We believe in the inherent self-worth of animals, as well as environmental protection and enhanced public health." (http://www.farmusa.org/about.htm)

"Friends of Animals works to cultivate a respectful view of nonhuman animals, free-living and domestic. Our goal is to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the world." (http://www.friendsofanimals.org/about/index.html)

"We work to reduce suffering and to create meaningful social change for animals by advocating for sensible public policies, investigating cruelty and working to enforce existing laws, educating the public about animal issues, joining with corporations on behalf of animal-friendly policies, and conducting hands-on programs that make ours a more humane world. We are the lead disaster relief agency for animals, and we provide direct care for thousands of animals at our sanctuaries and rescue facilities, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and mobile veterinary clinics..." (http://www.humanesociety.org/about/overview/)

"Our mission is to end animal exploitation, cruelty, and abuse by protecting and advocating for the rights, welfare, and habitats of animals, as well as to raise their status beyond mere property, commodities, or things." (http://www.idausa.org/about.html)

"Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitat for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity." (http://www.audubon.org/nas/)

"National Wildlife Federation® -- Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. Wildlife's ability to survive the challenges of the 21st century is becoming outpaced by the events that are transforming our world. Global warming, the loss of habitat, and people becoming more disconnected from nature than past generations are converging on a dangerous path for our planet. The work of NWF and our affiliates across the country provides answers to these challenges and will help ensure America's wildlife legacy continues for future generations." (http://www.nwf.org/About/Our-Mission.aspx)

"PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds, and other "pests" as well as cruelty to domesticated animals." (http://www.peta.org/about/)

"WWF's mission is the conservation of nature. Using the best available scientific knowledge and advancing that knowledge where we can, we work to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and the health of ecological systems by protecting natural areas and wild populations of plants and animals, including endangered species; promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources; and promoting more efficient use of resources and energy and the maximum reduction of pollution. We are committed to reversing the degradation of our planet's natural environment and to building a future in which human needs are met in harmony with nature. We recognize the critical relevance of human numbers, poverty and consumption patterns to meeting these goals." (http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/index.html)