IDA Campaigns, ''They are not our property, we are not their owners"

AVAR Interview

An Interview with Elliot M. Katz, DVM.
Elliot M. Katz, D.V.M., a graduate of Cornell University, is the founder and president of In Defense Of Animals (IDA), a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending the institutionalized exploitation and abuse of nonhuman animals by working for, and defending the rights, welfare, and habitat of these individuals. Now 15 years old, IDA has made ending the property status of animals one of its primary goals. The AVAR interviewed Dr. Katz about these efforts.

AVAR: What prompted you to work to change the status of nonhuman animals as property?
Katz: Some 17 years ago, my ministering to animals took a dramatic turn when I was witness to the most egregious and irresponsible spectacle I had ever faced as a veterinarian. I am referring to the almost unreal negligence and animal suffering that was occurring in the laboratories of the University of California at Berkeley campus. In the process of exposing and ultimately ending some of the negligence and cruelty, I became aware of the larger picture…that the injustice, callousness, and arrogance toward animals and animal advocates was an integral part of society’s mindset, our laws, and our legal system. Over the years, I came to realize that many of IDA’s campaigns and victories on behalf of animals were only superficial, quick-fix efforts. It became all to clear that the underlying beliefs that allow the unconscionable enslavement, exploitation, and torture of animals by our nation’s institutions and industries had to be addressed and corrected if these abuses were ever to end. Professor Gary Francione’s Animals, Property and the Law and Marjorie Spiegel’s The Dreaded Comparison, together with my own personal experiences, dramatically brought me face to face with the root cause for the exploitation and abuse of animals, and the major obstacle to ending it. I am referring to the fact that nonhuman animals, in the eyes of the majority of people and our legal system, are seen as and treated as mere property…unfeeling things to be bought and sold, harmed, or killed at an "owner’s" discretion.

AVAR: Could you describe the impact on nonhuman animals because of their status as property?
Katz: As in the dark days of human slavery, nonhuman animals today are used and abused at an "owner’s" whim. Because animals are treated as property, their value, unfortunately, is determined primarily by their benefit to society or to their "owners". As a result, it is deemed acceptable to enslave and abuse them in research laboratories, fur farms, circuses, factory farms, roadside zoos, and puppy mills. Untold others suffer at the hand of abusive and irresponsible "pet owners." While puppy mills and cat breeders purposely breed dogs and cats for profit, millions of other unwanted animals are put to death in our nation’s shelters. It is clear that these injustices will not end until animals achieve a status and value beyond that which is accorded them as human property. Once a significant segment of society rejects the belief that animals are property to be owned, bought, or sold, the status of animals will be elevated and their interests and need will be increasingly acknowledged and respected. As a result, the legal horrors that we see daily will eventually become a thing of the past.

As it is now, property rights – the rights of the "owner" – invariably win out over the needs and interests of the animals. We saw that in the days of human slavery, and we see that today in our relationship to animals. We have seen the injustice and cruelty of human slavery…it is time we recognize and end the injustice and cruelty of other animals’ slavery.

AVAR: How do you plan to change their legal status?
Katz: Our legal system, though slow to change, ultimately follows the needs and beliefs of society. Changing society’s actions and perceptions of animals is where our efforts must begin. IDA’s "They Are Not Our Property, We Are Not Their Owners" campaign was created to accomplish this goal. Our first steps have been to convince our own colleagues, fellow activists, and animal protection organizations of the importance and critical nature of this effort. If we ourselves do not fight the concept of animal ownership, do not rid ourselves of the language and actions of "animal slavery," how can we expect to change the minds and actions of the broader segment of society?

Our goal is to show people how we dishonor and harm animals with our language and actions. That each time we refer to ourselves as an animal's "owner" or "master" instead of as a "guardian," "advocate," "caregiver," or "friend," we buy into the institutionalized exploitation of animals.

Just as society moved beyond "owning" human beings after the Civil War, we are now working to move people beyond "owning" nonhuman beings. Our goal: to convince people to rescue and adopt instead of buying or selling animals, to disavow the language and concept of animal ownership. Our short-term goal is to have one million people sign the following pledge:

Whereas, I believe that nonhuman animals deserve to be treated as individuals with needs and interests of their own, and because I believe that animals should never be considered property or slaves to be bought and sold, disposed of or killed, at an "owner’s" convenience or whim, I hereby pledge: to always represent myself as a guardian, caregiver, companion, or friend of animals, never as a master or owner; to adopt and rescue animals, never to buy or sell them; and, to strive at all times to make the world a more just and compassionate place for all beings, human and nonhuman alike.

I am convinced that the renunciation of the concept of animal ownership by the membership and supporters of animal protection organizations will result in a groundswell of people demanding new status for themselves and their animal companions. Legal test cases are being sought. Legislation, and ultimately the courts, will follow suit.

AVAR: What can veterinarians do to help with your efforts?
Katz: Several things come to mind. Checking their own clinic forms and literature to see if the word "owner" or "ownership" is being used is a first step. If the terms are present, they can replace them with "client" or "guardian." Responsible "pet ownership" can be replaced with "responsible animal care." If the opportunity arises, they can encourage their colleagues to do the same.

It would be of great value if veterinarians would contact companies that distribute literature that refers to animal "ownership," asking them to eliminate or replace those words and phrases. Encouraging clients to adopt companion animals as opposed to buying them is an additional crucial element of this campaign.

Editor's note: IDA is interested in receiving additional ideas and suggestions on how to make this campaign as successful as possible. For additional information, literature, brochures or pledge forms, contact:

In Defense of Animals
131 Camino Alto, Suite E
Mill Valley, CA 94941
415-388-9641
ida@idausa.org

Overview