Lorri Houston (aka Lorri Bauston) is a pioneer for the farm animal sanctuary movement. Houston has been an animal rights researcher, activist, and a vegan for most of her life. She co-founded the Farm Sanctuary in 1986 and founded Animal Acres in 2005. Houston has played a crucial role in the animal rights and activism movement over the past 20 years, and has made significant contributions to legislation and legal terminology regarding animal cruelty against farm animals subject to factory faming. Houston's work with animal rights is strongly tied to feminist theory because of its deep-rooted connections between the oppression of women and the oppression of animals in society.
Houston was born May 11 in Madison, Wisconsin and still resides there today. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she obtained a Master of Public Policy & Administration (MPA) and a Master of Social Work, Public Administration and Social Service Professions. Houston graduated 1983, and quickly became involved in animal rights research and activism. While working at Greenpeace in Chicago, Houston met her now ex-husband, Gene Baur. When they married, Lorri and Gene merged their last names to become Lorri and Gene Bauston (after their divorce, they went back to their original names). Soon later, they rescued a sheep named Hilda and co-founded Farm Sanctuary in 1986.
Houston is a practicing vegan and a practicing Buddhist in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is currently the Senior Marketing Specialist at Center for Healthy Minds and a leader of Dharma Voices for Animals-Madison. She's a board member of Heartland Farm Sanctuary. Her hobbies include yoga, hiking, and listening to Dharma talks. [1]
The Farm Sanctuary [2] was the first shelter for farm animals; created to protect and advocate for the rights of farm animals against the horrors of factory farming and mistreatment of animals. While doing research and observation at a stockyard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Houston came across a living sheep on a pile of dead carcasses. [3] She is now known as Hilda, and was immediately rescued by Houston and was taken to a veterinarian. It turned out that Hilda was perfectly healthy, but was discarded as a “downer” because she was unable to stand after enduring the brutal conditions of transportation from farm to factory. Unable to keep a sheep in her backyard forever, Houston started Farm Sanctuary with then-husband Gene Baur, and Hilda was their first rescued farm animal. Today, Farm Sanctuary houses over 400 rescued farm animals in three locations in the United States. [4] Houston left Farm Sanctuary in 2004 to begin the establishment of Animal Acres in 2005.
Animal Acres [5] was founded in May 2005 as an extension of Houston’s work with the Farm Sanctuary. It provides a home for farm animals that have been abused, neglected, and/or mistreated and gives them the proper care they need. Located in Los Angeles County, California, Animal Acres also provides tours to educate the public about factory farming, vegetarianism/veganism, and animal rights. [6] The shelter currently houses over 150 rescued farm animals. [7] Houston left Animal acres in April 2011.
At fifteen years old, Lorri Houston asked herself, "Hmmm…If I love animals, why am I eating them?" [8] It was in that moment that her vegan lifestyle and pursuits in animal welfare began. Ever since,she has been heavily involved with vegan promotional organizations such as PETA and The Humane Society of the United States, and with events such as Taking Action For Animals, [9] Mad City Vegan Fest, [10] and Vegan Earth Day. [11]
Karen Davis was an American animal rights advocate, and president of United Poultry Concerns, a non-profit organization founded in 1990 to address the treatment of domestic fowl—including chickens, turkeys, and ducks—in factory farming. Davis also maintained a sanctuary.
The Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) is an American grassroots animal rights organization, founded in 2003, based in California's San Diego and Orange Counties.
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the continuing hazards that menace everybody". In addition, sanctuaries are an experimental staging ground for transformative human–animal relations. There are five types of animal sanctuaries reflective of the species-belonging of the residents: 1) companion animal sanctuaries; 2) wildlife sanctuaries; 3) exotic animal sanctuaries; 4) farmed animal sanctuaries; and 5) cetacean sanctuaries.
Farm Sanctuary is an American animal protection organization, founded in 1986 as an advocate for farmed animals. It was America's first shelter for farmed animals. It promotes laws and policies that support animal welfare, animal protection, and veganism through rescue, education, and advocacy. Farm Sanctuary houses over 800 cows, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigs, sheep, and goats at a 300+ acre animal sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, and more than 100 animals at its location in Acton, California, near Los Angeles.
Hillside Animal Sanctuary, based in Frettenham, Norwich, and with a site at West Runton, North Norfolk, is the United Kingdom's largest home for different kinds of farm animals and horses. The vegan-run sanctuary is funded entirely on public donations. The sanctuary was established by Wendy Valentine and its patron is actor Martin Shaw.
Gene Baur, formerly known as Gene Bauston, is an American author and activist in the animal rights and food movement. He’s been called the "conscience of the food movement" by Time magazine, and opposes factory farming and advocates for what he believes would be a more just and respectful food system. Baur is president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization. He is vegan and has been involved with animal rights since he co-founded Farm Sanctuary in 1986. Baur has authored two books and various articles.
Animal Liberation Victoria Inc. (ALV) are an independent not-for-profit animal rights organisation incorporated in the state of Victoria, Australia, and are a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNA). ALV were founded in 1978 by Patty Mark, with the mission of saving lives and ending animal exploitation. Their mission is to abolish the property status of animals, change speciesist attitudes and practices, educate the public about animal rights and veganism, and embrace the principles of non-violence and compassion. ALV is managed by an elected committee in accordance with the Victorian Incorporated Associations Act.
Women have played a central role in animal advocacy since the 19th century. The animal advocacy movement – embracing animal rights, animal welfare, and anti-vivisectionism – has been disproportionately initiated and led by women, particularly in the United Kingdom. Women are more likely to support animal rights than men. A 1996 study of adolescents by Linda Pifer suggested that factors that may partially explain this discrepancy include attitudes towards feminism and science, scientific literacy, and the presence of a greater emphasis on "nurturance or compassion" amongst women. Although vegetarianism does not necessarily imply animal advocacy, a 1992 market research study conducted by the Yankelovich research organization concluded that "of the 12.4 million people [in the US] who call themselves vegetarian, 68% are female, while only 32% are male".
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary is a medium-sized animal rescue and welfare charity, located in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It is an animal sanctuary and shelter, providing temporary shelter and permanent care for pets and farm animals, adhering to a non-destruction policy.
Karen Dawn is an American animal rights and welfare advocate and writer.
Matthew Michael Ball is an American animal activist. He is co-founder and President of One Step for Animals.
Woodstock Farm Sanctuary is a farm animal rights and protection organization, founded in 2004. It provides information related to the production and consumption of animal products through rescue, education, and advocacy.
Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) is an international nonprofit organization working to promote a vegan lifestyle and animal rights through public education and grass roots outreach. It operates ten national and international programs from its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. FARM has the abolitionist vision of a world where animals are free from all forms of human exploitation, including, food and clothing, research and testing, entertainment and hunting. FARM's mission is to spare the largest number of animals from being bred, abused, and slaughtered for food, as this accounts for 98% of all animal abuse and slaughter.
The Gentle Barn is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal sanctuary organization located in Santa Clarita, California; Dittmer, Missouri; and Christiana, Tennessee. Founded by Ellie Laks in 1999, The Gentle Barn's mission is to provide sanctuary for abused animals who would not otherwise be able to find homes.
Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is an international grassroots network of animal rights activists founded in 2013 in the San Francisco Bay Area. DxE uses disruptive protests and non-violent direct action tactics, such as open rescue of animals from factory farms. Their intent is to build a movement that can eventually shift culture and change social and political institutions. DxE activists work to "put an end to the commodity status of animals."
Erica Meier is an animal rights advocate and was the president and executive director of Animal Outlook from 2005 to 2021.
pattrice jones is an American ecofeminist writer, educator, and activist. She is the co-founder of VINE Sanctuary in Springfield, Vermont, an LGBTQ-run farmed-animal sanctuary.
Wayne Hsiung is an American activist and attorney. Hsiung is a co-founder of The Simple Heart Initiative and previously led the animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), which he also co-founded. During his time as a lawyer, he worked with the law firms DLA Piper and Steptoe & Johnson, was a Searle Fellow and visiting assistant professor at the Northwestern University School of Law, and a National Science Foundation-funded graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Hsiung ran for mayor of Berkeley, California, in 2020, largely focused on the issue of animal rights, and earned 24% of the vote, defeated by incumbent Jesse Arreguin.
Isabell Carmella Leshko is an American fine art photographer best known for her Elderly Animals series which focuses on animal rights, aging and mortality.
Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal protection organization located in Gainesville, Florida. It is America's largest shelter for farmed bovines, with 98 cows as of October 2020. The sanctuary was founded by Dr. Erin Amerman and her husband Dr. Chris Amerman in 2016. Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary's mission is to promote compassion for farmed animals through rescue and education.