In Defense of Animals
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| Formation | 1983 |
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In Defense of Animals (IDA) is an animal rights organization founded in 1983 in San Rafael, California, USA. It has 60,000 members and an annual budget of $650,000. The group's slogan is "working to protect the rights, welfare, and habitats of animals".
IDA has become known, in particular, for its campaigns against animal experiments conducted by the U.S. military, and experiments in which baby monkeys are separated from their mothers. Journalist and author Deborah Blum has described its strategy as "pure pit bull. It picks a target carefully and refuses to let go".
Dr. Elliot M. Katz, a veterinarian, has presided over IDA since founding the organization in 1983. Katz is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Veterinary Medicine. He became involved in animal rights issues when his help was sought by activists wanting to end animal experimentation at the allegedly overcrowded laboratories of the University of California, Berkeley. In response, Katz helped set up Californians for Responsible Research, which campaigned for the university to provide better care for the animals.
Since then, IDA has become an international animal advocacy organization. Headquartered in Northern California, it has offices throughout the United States and branches in India and Africa.
IDA works for the protection of animals used in scientific research, food and clothing production, entertainment and sport, and other areas. Its methods include coordinating protests and nonviolent civil disobedience actions including sit-ins, lock downs and banner hangings.
Ongoing programs include a campaign to end the dog and cat meat industry in South Korea and a campaign aimed at improving conditions for elephants in zoos and circuses. IDA was one of many animal protection organizations that helped shut down the Coulston Foundation, once the largest chimpanzee research center in the world.
The organisation's other achievements include:
IDA believes that zoos lead to the premature deaths of elephants and that "urban zoos simply don’t have enough space for these magnificent, intelligent animals". IDA's campaign against elephants in zoos is also supported by animal rights group PETA and the Humane Society of the United States. IDA publishes an annual list of the "10 worst zoos for elephants".
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