This flyer discusses animal rights, how we can put animal rights into practice in our daily lives, and becoming a member of Animal Rights Advocates. The flyer is produced by Animal Rights Advocates, who you can find online at: www.ara.org.au

1. Animal Rights Advocates Inc. (ARA) is a volunteer-run not for profit animal rights organisation
based in Perth, Western Australia that campaigns for the abolition of animal exploitation. ARA
recognises that other animals are sentient individuals who possess inherent value regardless of
their usefulness to humans and who therefore are entitled to certain basic rights. ARA seeks to
expose cruelty, promote the rights of other animals and abolish their institutionalised
exploitation by humans. This is achieved through public education focussed primarily on the
promotion of veganism.
ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES

2. WHAT IS ANIMAL RIGHTS?
The concept of animal rights is simple. Like us, animals are sentient. They
experience a range of sensations and emotions, and perceive the world around
them. The most basic right of a sentient being, whether they are human or any other
animal, is the right to be free, that is, not to be someone else’s property. Being the
property of another means someone is treated as a resource; their only value is that
which their owner places on them. The animals we use for food, clothing and
entertainment are considered property, nothing more.
Being property means that animals are tortured and killed in the name of profit –
imprisoned and mutilated on farms, exploited in zoos, circuses and rodeos or
poisoned for a new detergent or mascara. The economic interests of the property
owner always outweighs the interests of the property, even when this interest is to
avoid suffering, to be free from exploitation or even, simply, to live. As long as other
animals are considered property both in law and mainstream opinion, they will never
be free from exploitation. Just as we oppose the exploitation of humans, ARA
opposes the exploitation of other animals.
WHAT DOES ARA DO?
ARA educates people about animal rights and helps them to put animal rights into
practise by adopting a vegan lifestyle. ARA offers workshops on vegan nutrition,
and the links between animal exploitation and other social justice or environmental
issues. ARA’s‘Guide to Being Vegan in Perth’www.veganperth.org.au contains a list of
places to eat, shop, socialise and promote animals rights in Perth, as well as reasons
for going vegan and tips for the transition to becoming vegan.
ARA’s Vegan Mentoring Program is designed to make life easier for vegans and
aspiring vegans. Email mentor@ara.org.au for advice on going vegan. It supports
different areas of vegan life, including health information, details of vegan-friendly
restaurants, products and shops, and contacts for vegan-friendly social groups. ARA
also has a range of vegan recipe cards available to get you started in the kitchen.
ARA regularly conducts outreach at community events to provide public education
and opportunities to engage with animal rights issues. ARA has made an impact at
universities with the establishment of the Curtin Animal Rights Advocates club at
Curtin University and stalls and other activities at Murdoch University. ARA also hosts
the annual Sentience Art Exhibition www.sentience.org.au and Cruelty Free Festival
www.crueltyfreefestivalwa.org.au, which promote animal rights and social justice to a
broad audience.

3. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP ANIMALS RIGHT NOW?
1. GO VEGAN
The most important step anyone can take to end animal exploitation is to stop
participating in it by choosing a vegan lifestyle. Refusing to support industries
that exploit animals is a way to apply your anti-cruelty principles to your life’s
practices. It helps to reduce the demand for the animal exploitation involved in
food, clothing and other products. Veganism also sends the important message
to others that animal exploitation is unacceptable and unnecessary for a full
and healthy life. You can find information on being vegan in Western Australia
at www.veganperth.org.au. There are a number of other actions below that
help animals and are consistent with a vegan lifestyle.
2. SUPPORT CRUELTY FREE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS
Purchase products that have not been tested on animals and do not use animal
ingredients. Experiments to test household products and cosmetics on animals
and the use of animal ingredients in these products is cruel and unnecessary.
Many companies have stopped testing products on animals. Cruelty-free
products are widely available. See www.veganperth.org.au for a list of some of
the many cruelty- free household products available in Perth.
3. ADOPT RATHER THAN SUPPORT BREEDING
While the very notion of breeding other animals to be entirely dependent on
humans should be challenged, we have a responsibility to take care of
animals we have already brought into existence. If you’re able to have animals
as companions, adopt from a shelter rather than supporting pet shops or
breeders. Buying animals from pet shops or breeders or breeding companion
animals yourself contributes to the 130 000 homeless dogs and 60 000
homeless cats that die annually in Australian pounds. Adopting potentially
saves someone from death or life spent in a shelter.
4. CHOOSE NON-EXPLOITATIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Keeping animals for human entertainment places our comparatively trivial
entertainment interests above fundamental animal interests. While their
natural environment might offer them entire jungles or oceans, captive animals
are kept in cages, in tanks, in pens or in chains. Boycott zoos, circuses, and other
forms of animal-based entertainment. There are many other non-exploitative
forms of entertainment, and more meaningful and educational ways to interact
with and learn about other animals.

4. HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT ARA
ARA relies on public donations and the
hard work of our volunteers. As we have
no paid staff you can be assured that any
donation no matter how big or small will
go entirely into campaigns and actions,
rather than to staff salaries and other
administrative costs. ARA is the only
non-profit organisation in Perth that
consistently promotes animal rights and
veganism and as such it is vital that we
continue to educate, inform and
create positive change for animals.
The great thing about becoming a
supporter is that you don’t simply need
to send money and then hope it is doing
some good. We want you to get involved
and help put your money to good use
through volunteering in any capacity that
you can. For volunteer opportunities or
further information about ARA, please
contact info@ara.org.au.
To become an ARA supporter fill out the
enclosed form or sign up online.
WWW.ARA.ORG.AU
visit us online at