World Farm Animals Day, October 2
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

World Farm Animals Day
October 2012

World Farm Animals Day (WFAD), founded in 1983, is dedicated to exposing and memorializing the needless suffering and death of cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and other innocent, sentient animals raised and slaughtered for food. World Farm Animals Day will continue until animals are no longer seen as commodities are raised for their flesh and by-products.

A Day Just for Farm Animals?

Yes: Each year, approximately 65 billion animals are killed in the world’s animal farms and slaughterhouses to produce meat, eggs, and dairy. Most of these animal are raised onfactory farms, where they are confined, mutilated, and raised to grow so large, so quickly, that many of them literally suffer to death.

Even animal raised on small family farms endure many of these abuses, and all animals raised for food face a gruesome slaughter. Learn more about animal farming.

What Can I Do?

If you haven't yet - move away from eating meat, dairy, and eggs. If you already eat an animal-free diet, there's lots you can do!

Activities traditionally include vigils, marches, leafleting, tabling, and exhibiting. This year, we have a special new video for activists in the US and Canada to showcase. The 10 Billion Lives video challenges viewers to see for themselves the abuses inherent to animal farming. It concludes with an opportunity to pledge to eat more vegan foods.

Share the video on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks, or show it on tabletops in your community. We will even help you fund a "pay-per-view" event, where passerby are given $1 each to watch the 4-minute video.

Why October 2nd?

WFAD takes place on or around October 2nd to honor the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, an outspoken advocate of non-violence towards animals.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.

Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), the Mahatma, is revered throughout the world for his advocacy of nonviolence and justice. Gandhi's philosophy and compassion extended to all people and actively included animals. A champion of moral vegetarianism, Gandhi believed that speaking out on behalf of animals is both a necessity and an obligation.

By celebrating World Farm Animals Day on October 2nd, we turn Gandhi's ideals into action by making visible the cruel and unnecessary tragedy of factory farms and slaughterhouses.

"Progress does demand at some stage that we should cease to kill our fellow creatures for the satisfaction of our bodily wants."

For more information about Gandhi's compassion and active nonviolence towards animals, please visit the International Vegetarian Union.

Who Organizes WFAD?

Launched in 1983, World Farm Animals Day is an international campaign of Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based just outside of Washington, D.C. FARM pursues animal liberation through vegan education and animal advocacy campaigns and works with local volunteers to host activities and events, and serves as a resource by providing information, guidance, materials, media outreach, and an online Events Directory to animal rights activists.

WFAD observances are hosted by volunteers in communities in all 50 U.S. states and 2 dozen other countries. Participants include animal advocacy groups and individual activists- anyone and everyone who cares about animals is encouraged to join us in this global outcry.

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