Successes from Faunalytics for 2016
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Faunalytics
December 2016

faunalytics logo

It’s been an amazing year for Faunalytics, thanks to you!

In 2016, Faunalytics led several unique, meta projects for animals:

  • We found more than 200 studies and shared them in the world’s biggest library of animal-related social science research to help advocates stay informed.
  • We continued the only longitudinal (and probability-based) study of animal advocacy issues -- the Animal Tracker -- to help advocates make sense of long-term trends.
  • We worked directly with eleven animal advocacy groups to measure the results of their efforts and find innovative ways to increase their impact for animals.

What has all of that meant for animals? Last year, Faunalytics informed and empowered advocates to do their best for animals, whether they’re farmed animals, wildlife, companion animals, or animals used in science, entertainment, or fashion. We are an essential part of the rising tide lifting all animal advocates to a new level of effectiveness.

Faunalytics is also the only charity currently recommended by Animal Charity Evaluators that is 100% focused on meta activities. If you care about supporting work that helps the entire animal protection movement instead of just one organization, please donate to Faunalytics.

Animals Used for Food

More than 68 billion land animals and 1-3 trillion aquatic animals are killed annually for food. So Faunalytics devotes a fair amount of time and energy to studying farmed animal issues. Fortunately, there are lot of wonderful things happening for farmed animals lately. In addition to our partnership with Animal Equality, in 2016 we had the privilege of working on several high-impact projects:

  • We wrapped up our landmark study of lapsed vegetarians and vegans and published the dataset. The results continue to help inform and improve vegan advocacy efforts.

    We addressed the problem of lapsed vegetarians and vegans head-on with a new infographic, How to Make and Keep a Veg*n, which is evidence-based and well-sourced.

    Faunalytics kicked off our new series of research-based “fundamentals” with an in-depth and highly visual look at our use of animals for food and the impact it has.

    We’re talking with the Good Food Institute about a collaborative research study to help grow the nascent field of “clean” and cultured meat products.

Companion Animals

For advocates working to help companion animals, 2016 was an important year. From developments in non-surgical spay/neuter to innovations in helping free-roaming cats to the official launch of Shelter Animals Count, things are clearly moving in the right direction. Here’s how Faunalytics did our part for companion animals this year:

  • We helped the Jackson Galaxy Foundation complete a pilot study of the effectiveness of clicker training to help socialize shelter cats and increase their chances of adoption.
  • So far in 2016 we’ve published nearly 100 research summaries and in-depth blogs about companion animals, such as how to improve enrichment for shelter dogs and cats.
  • We worked with Maddie’s Fund to combine sheltering and demographic data in a collaborative mapping tool that shelters can use to benchmark their efforts for animals.

Animals Used in Science

Someday, all animal research and dissection will be replaced by computer models and other alternatives. Until then, however, hundreds of millions of mice, rats, birds, dogs, primates, and other animals are subjected to cruel experiments. Fortunately, there are some very capable advocates working on their behalf, and Faunalytics is proud to support them:

  • In 2016, we helped the National Anti-Vivisection Society understand teachers’ and students attitudes toward and use of dissection, to find effective ways to end the practice.
  • Working with the American Anti-Vivisection Society, we examined public support for providing students with the choice to opt out of dissection (75% support it!).
  • We collaborate with White Coat Waste Project, a watchdog group seeking to end taxpayer funding of animal research (and founded by a Faunalytics board member).
  • Faunalytics is currently working on a new “fundamental” series of data visualizations about animals used in research. Watch for it in the first quarter of 2017!

Faunalytics also works to help wildlife, animals used in entertainment, and other animals. We believe that the tools of effective advocacy can and should be used to help all animal victims of cruelty and suffering. Faunalytics promotes intelligent, evidence-based activism.

If you support our unique approach to helping advocates save more animals, more quickly, then please become a monthly Faunalytics donor.


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