HIGHER GROUND – ANIMAL ADVOCACY POSITION STATEMENTS

SPAY-NEUTER

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports spay-neuter as the most effective deterrent

to the national crisis of companion animal overpopulation.   

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports ‘pediatric spay-neuter’ [also known as ‘early

spay-neuter’] which may occur as early as eight weeks of age.

COMPASSIONATE LIVING

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports a compassionate lifestyle, which includes food choices

and clothing choices. A compassionate lifestyle benefits human health, the earth’s ecosystems,

and animals’ right to live free from cruelty and premature death.  

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports vegetarian / vegan, as well as animal-free organic, food choices.  

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports animal-free clothing choices.

Fur [fox, mink, dog, cat, rabbit, wool, and others] used in clothing represents captivity, cruelty,

and premature death.

NON-VIOLENT ANIMAL ADVOCACY

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports non-violent assertive advocacy for animals. 

Non-violent social activism and education are the cornerstones of Higher Ground-Animal

 Advocacy’s mission to create a more just society for animals. 

Raising the populations’ level of compassion toward animals,  

and raising power-holder’s level of accountability are the key combination 

to success for the animals.

WILDLIFE

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports the right of free-living animals 

to live in their home ranges, free from capture, free from death by poachers, 

and free from death by sport-hunters.

CIRCUSES

Higher Ground-Animal Advocacy supports animal-free circuses such as Cirque du Soleil,

Earth Circus, and Neil Goldberg’s Cirque. There are approximately twenty animal-free

circuses in the United States.  

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Humane myth. An idea being propagated by the animal-using industry, 

and some animal protection organizations, 

that it is possible to use and kill animals in a manner 

that can be fairly described as respectful or compassionate or humane.

Humane Declaration    

The public deserves to be told the full truth of who animals are and what is being done to them behind closed doors, as well as the catastrophic impact that the continuing consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products will have on human health, wildlife and the environment. We will do all we can to uphold this public trust.

As animal advocates committed to compassion and justice, we will refuse to take part in the exploitation of others or to collaborate with those caught up in such injustice. We will do our best to present a clear and uncompromised message to the public, a sincere and respectful message that is free of cynicism and manipulation.

Recognizing that progress toward social justice is gradual and depends on more and more people becoming aware of the truth, we will do all we can to insure that each of the steps our culture takes is toward an accurate understanding of the ways animals are being harmed, and away from the false and misleading idea that the production of meat, eggs, and dairy products can be carried out without cruelty, violence, or injustice.

Recognizing that fostering cultural transformation requires a variety of creative approaches, we will support a broad range of nonviolent programs and initiatives that eliminate or reduce the use and killing of animals, as well as measures that reduce the level of abuse and agony experienced by animals being exploited for human purposes, provided such measures involve NONE of the following:

1. Offering a misleading or incomplete portrait of the confinement, social deprivation, mutilation, reproductive manipulation, indignity and premature death endured by animals being exploited for profit.

2. Minimizing or failing to reveal the full impact on human health, wildlife and our environment from the continuing production and consumption of animal-based foods.

3. Developing, endorsing, certifying and/or promoting any animal products, including those that are labeled as being "humane," "cruelty-free," "cage-free," "free range," "organic," "compassionate," etc.

4. Developing, endorsing, praising, applauding or promoting "new and improved" methods for using and killing animals.

5. Providing individuals or corporations with promotional or public relations benefits that have the effect of making the use and killing animals or the sale of any animal product more profitable or more socially acceptable. 

RESOURCE: HumaneMyth.org