Ethos: The Practical Ethics Blog

Please join me in welcoming Abby Garner and Jared Milrad as new members of the Practical Ethics family, and contributing authors to this blog!

Abby and Jared were two of my best students in the Masters of Animals and Public Policy program at Tufts, and they have since become good colleagues and friends. I’m especially pleased to have their voices on Practical Ethics, as they contribute new ideas and perspectives on the well-being of people, animals and nature.

Their first blog is on the non-profit organization they now work for, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA USA). While well established elsewhere, the WSPA USA is an emerging player in North American animal politics.

I will post more detailed bios for Abby and Jared as they become available.

cheers, Bill

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If practical ethics means simply “living how we ought to live”, then we believe this great international organization is leading the way. Here’s some more about what we do:

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is an international animal welfare organization. For more than twenty-five years, WSPA has assisted animals in need throughout the world, and has built a solid reputation as one of the world’s leading animal welfare organizations. It was created through a merger of two other organizations (World Federation for the Protection of Animals and International Society for the Protection of Animals) who have experience dating back fifty years. Headquartered in the UK, WSPA has 13 regional offices (we work in the US one) and hundreds of thousands of supporters worldwide.

WSPA’s programs include a mix of direct fieldwork, campaigning, education and disaster management. The majority of WSPA’s work takes place in developing nations, many where the words “animal welfare” are seldom, if ever, heard. A unique way in which WSPA helps animals in need is by working with local organizations that are already familiar with the language, culture, and history of the region. Currently, WSPA connects over 850 independent animal welfare organizations (known as “Member Societies”) in 150 countries, making it the world’s largest alliance of animal welfare groups. WSPA believes that empowering local animal welfare groups (through funding, training, or general capacity building) is one of the most effective and efficient ways to make lasting change for animals across the globe.

WSPA’s member society network is unique to the organization. Much of our work is carried out by our valued member societies, with support of WSPA expertise and funding. However, WSPA also invests a lot of its resources into international animal welfare campaigns. WSPA USA’s campaigns primarily fall within the following subject areas: wildlife, marine mammals, and farm animals.

Our wildlife work focuses on the inhumane treatment of bears around the world, from the bear bile trade that supplies the Traditional Asian Medicine industry to the cruel practices of bear baiting and dancing in South Asia. Most recently, WSPA USA is urging Congress to pass the Bear Protection Act (H.R. 3029), which would ban the international and interstate trade in bear viscera.

For marine mammals, WSPA USA seeks to end captive dolphin parks in the Caribbean. Recently, we hailed the Dominican Republic’s decision to prosecute two parks for illegally importing four dolphins from Cuba. We have also opposed Japan’s decision to hunt humpback whales for “research” purposes and have supported the efforts of U.S. Senators and others in condemning this practice.

WSPA USA envisions a world without factory farming. We encourage American consumers to choose humane food choices and to realize the resonances between factory farms, human health, the environment, and poverty. Several WSPA reports, some of which are listed here (http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/2163_resources.cfm), reveal the intersection of these issues. Our recent victories for farm animal welfare include encouraging the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to adopt new welfare standards and facilitating Israel’s decision to ban foie gras.

Collectively, our animal welfare campaigns are international in nature, and seek to make a better world for people, animals, and the environment. We work collaboratively and cooperatively with governments, corporations, and private individuals to achieve these ends. Our “Animals Matter To Me” Coalition is one such joint effort to pass the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW), which if enacted by the United Nations would become the first international agreement of its kind on animal welfare. Join our effort at http://www.animalsmatterusa.org and help us reach 10 million signatures.

Through our global campaigns, member society development, and disaster relief, WSPA has become one of the leading forces in the global animal welfare movement. In case you haven’t heard of us before, please take the time to visit our website at to learn more about this remarkable organization.

About the Authors

Abby Garner spent her childhood in Fort Madison, IA. In 2006, she graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Biology. Abby then went on to complete a Master of Science in Animals and Policy (MAPP) at Tufts University in 2007, during which time she completed an internship in the U.S. office of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA USA), an international animal welfare NGO. Originally hired to help Dena Jones and Danielle Bays (both 1996 graduates of the MAPP program) in the Programs Department, Abby’s internship soon developed into an interim position and eventually a permanent position. She now serves as the Member Society Liaison for WSPA USA.

Jared Milrad spent his childhood in New York City, NY, and South Brunswick NJ. In 2006, he graduated with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from North Carolina State University. Jared then went on to complete the MAPP program at Tufts University in 2007, during which time he completed an internship in the Office of Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick. In December 2007, Jared joined the staff of WSPA USA as a Program Associate under the leadership of WSPA’s Program Manager, Dena Jones.

William Lynn :: Jan.09.2008 :: Human-Animal Studies :: No Comments »

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