Animals Now (Hebrew: אנימלס, formerly Anonymous for Animal Rights) is an animal rights group based in Israel and founded in 1994. It focuses on exposing cruelty in factory farms, promoting legislation to protect animals, and raising public awareness.[1][2]
| אנימלס | |
 Anonymous For Animal Rights activists march in Tel Aviv, 2011 | |
| Formation | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Tel aviv, Israel |
| Website | https://animals-now.org/en/ |
Notable achievements
edit- One of the organization's first major campaigns, against force feeding of geese and ducks, have led to court ruling effectively outlawing force feeding in Israel in 2003.[3] The ban took effect in 2006. After that, the organization continued to pursue legal action against farmers that continued illegally to force feed geese.
- The organization campaigned against keeping calves isolated in individual crates, which do not allow them to move, and against withholding water from calves – both considered standard practices in the veal industry. The campaign led to court ruling outlawing these practices in Israel in 2005.[4]
- In 2014, the organization launched "Challenge 22", a program to introduce people to a vegan lifestyle with support from nutritionists and counselors. Among the program participants were MK Tamar Zandberg and MK Sharren Haskel,[5] both of which became vegans following their participation. After the program's initial launch in Israel, it was also launched internationally.[6][7]
- Several covert investigations conducted by the organization were broadcast on prime time television, exposing animal abuse in Israel's major meat producing companies, such as Tnuva, Soglowek, Dabah Salah & Sons, and Haifa Slaughterhouse. In some cases, the investigations have led to criminal charges and indictment against workers who were caught abusing animals and to temporary shutdowns of slaughterhouses.[8][9]
- The organization led a campaign against the use of animals in circuses, which resulted in a nation-wide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses in Israel.[10] Some cities (Tel Aviv,[11] Beersheba[12] and Herzliya[13]) have instituted a ban on the use of domesticated animals as well.
- The organization campaign against live exports has led to a bill to outlaw live exports to Israel.[14]
- A covert investigation that was conducted by the organization in cooperation with PETA India exposed animal abuse in India's egg and poultry industries.[15]
- The organization cooperated with PETA to expose animal abuse on South American slaughterhouses that export meat to Israel. The investigation led rabbinical authorities to instruct kosher slaughterhouses to stop using the shackle and hoist method.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "About Us | Animals Now". אנימלס.
- ^ "The fighter for Animal Rights – an interview with Animals director, Reut Horn" (in Hebrew). 3 August 2006. Archived from the original on 24 January 2007.
- ^ "Israel court cans foie gras farms". BBC. 13 August 2003. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ Cohen, Amiram (19 September 2005). "New Rules Ban Farmers From Denying Water to Veal Calves". Haaretz. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "12 politicians you didn't know were vegetarians". Walla! News (in Hebrew). 27 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Zieve, Tamara (26 December 2017). "Veganism set to top culinary trends of 2018, with Israel at the helm". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ Chiorando, Maria (9 September 2019). "'Raring To Go Vegan': Challenge 22' Officially Launches In The UK". Plant Based News. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Haifa slaughterhouse shut down after report on animal abuse". The Times of Israel. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ^ Bloch, Avraham (17 June 2020). "Six months imprisonment for a slaughter line manager and his assistant who abused animals". Srugim News. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Kahana, Eli (21 April 2003). "Do the animals in Europe Circus really suffer?". Walla! News (in Hebrew). Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Karni, Yuval (1 March 2005). "Huldai decided: No circuses in Tel Aviv". ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Beersheba said no to animal circuses". nrg Maariv (in Hebrew). 30 January 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Ferber, Hadar (3 July 2005). "Herzliya will also not allow animal circus to perform in the city". News1 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Surkes, Sue (15 November 2018). "Knesset votes to stop live animal transports within three years". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ Saju, Sagin (21 February 2017). "Animal rights group's probe reveals cruelty to chicks by Indian poultry companies". The Indian Express. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Udasin, Sharon (17 May 2017). "Israel instructs kosher slaughterhouses to stop 'shackle, hoist' practice". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 September 2020.