Ten Key Moments of 2013 from Animal Defenders International
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Animal Defenders International (ADI)
December 2013

Season’s greetings and thank you so much for all you have done to support our campaigns to help animals during 2013.

It has been another action-packed year and as it draws to a close, it is a good time to count down our top ten key achievements after another dramatic year for ADI.

10. Plans for beagle farm defeated

We had defeated them once, but Yorkshire Evergreen were back, resubmitting plans for a laboratory beagle factory farm in the UK. They were defeated again!

9. Baby elephant Lily saved from a life of misery

We hit the media nationally across the US, when we learned that notorious trainer Have Trunk Will Travel – exposed by an ADI investigation – had a claim on newborn elephant Lily at Oregon Zoo. As a result the zoo purchased both Lily and her father (owned by HTWT) and tore up the agreement.

8. British circus ban moves forward

The legislation for the long promised ban on wild animals in British circuses was finally tabled. But there was another battle as a committee tried to radically reduce the scope of the new law. We fought off the attempt and the full ban on wild animals will be put before Parliament. We’re not there yet, but certainly a step closer.

7. 1000s of owl monkeys saved from experiments

This month it was formally announced that the capture of owl monkeys in the Amazon would no longer be permitted. ADI undercover investigators exposed the night-time trapping of the terrified monkeys as they were torn from the trees.

6. Lion Ark lifts off!

In October, our feature length film documenting the rescue of 25 lions from Bolivian circuses by ADI hit the film festival circuit, winning awards, critical acclaim, and the hearts of people who have had their eyes opened to the hidden suffering of circus animals. A great new tool to raise awareness of the issue. Watch out for Lion Ark in 2014!

5. “No Fun for Elephants” victories

We hit the road with our new campaign video narrated by Bob Barker, which quickly clocked up victories, as five fairs said no to the cruel elephant rides offered by HTWT and Trunks & Humps.

4. Circus ban in El Salvador

El Salvador has become the latest Latin American country to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, with ADI working with local groups to secure success.

3. ADI invited to rescue Peru’s circus animals

After successfully securing a ban on wild animals in circuses in Peru, the Government has asked ADI to return and help rescue the animals. Preparations are underway and we are presently conducting a census of the country’s circus animals. This will be our greatest challenge in 2014 and we will need your help.

2. Europe bans cosmetics tests on animals

After 30 years of campaigning, the European Union (EU) introduced the final stage of the cosmetics ban, prohibiting the sale of new animal-tested products starting March 11, 2013. Right to the end it had been a battle to keep the ban on track, now it is in place and with the vital marketing ban at last other parts of the world will be under pressure to follow suit.

1. Colombia bans wild animals in circuses

In June, some six years after we launched our damning undercover investigation of the Latin American circus industry, Colombia followed Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay with a ban. This was a really hard fought campaign, with vigorous opposition from Colombia’s powerful circus industry – an important win for animals.

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