An Attitude Survey of Animal Rights Activists

Abstract

Animal rights activism is increasing rapidly, yet no empirical research has sought to determine who the animal rights activists are, what they believe, and what they hold as their agenda. An attitude survey was therefore conducted of 402 animal rights activists who attended a recent rally in Washington. Results indicated that nearly half of these activists felt that animal research should not be the primary focus of the animal rights movement. There was also considerable disagreement surrounding the issue of laboratory break-ins. These and other findings from the survey suggest that animal rights activists hold diverse objectives and viewpoints.