Brian Davies - About Network for Animals
From All-Creatures.org Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies Articles Archive

FROM Brian Davies, NetworkForAnimals.org
December 2019

Network for Animals is a leading force against animal cruelty, representing nearly one million supporters and activists in the United Kingdom and around the world.

Brian Davies with an adult Harp Seal

When I retired after 29 years leading the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), an organisation I created as a worldwide crusade against cruelty, I did not retire from the battle to stop animals from suffering. Instead I formed an organisation called the Political Animal Lobby.

Political Animal Lobby was unique in its ability to generate political change for animals. Indeed, one of our core achievements was the donation of £1,000,000 to the British Labour Party in 1997. This donation helped win Labour the election, and go onto create the Hunting Act, which they had pledged to animal lovers across the UK. I am immensely proud of this achievement, which has saved thousands of foxes, hare and deer from a terrible, vicious death at the hands of a catastrophically outdated horseback bloodsport.

In the late 1990s I formed Network For Animals, an organisation able to take on grassroots activism such as seizing dogs from the Philippine Dog Meat Trade and supporting small animal rescues, but one of the core beliefs of Political Animal Lobby remained strong: Decisive change for animals must ultimately involve political change.

To be able to operate and speak freely in politics within the UK, Network For Animals are registered and operate from the UK primarily as a not-for-profit company rather than a charity. For you as a UK supporter, this means that you cannot write off your gift to us as a tax benefit, and we as an organisation cannot claim Gift Aid back on top of your donation. As committed animal lovers, our supporters are generally not swayed by these small financial incentives, and as an organisation we work this way by choice.

We do also operate a charity for solely non-political purposes, Network For Animals Charitable Trust. This is generally used for legacy giving rather than day to day donations, and where the tax benefits to the donor can be understandably overbearing.

Network for Animals is a leading force against animal cruelty, representing nearly one million supporters and activists in the United Kingdom and around the world. From the dogs of the Philippines, to the rhino of Africa and the badgers of Britain, with your help we will make this world a better place for both the animals, and humans who share it.

Return to: Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies