Ethical Treatment of Animals

As Greens, we replace the traditional western belief that our species is the center of creation, and that other life forms exist only for our use and enjoyment, with an ethic that reveres all life. We don't believe that our species has a right to exploit and inflict violence on other creatures simply because we have the desire and power to do so.

Our ethic upholds not only the value of biological diversity and the integrity and continuity of species, but also the value of individual lives and the interest of individual animals.

 

Throughout history, humanity has exploited other animal species with enormous brutality. We have rationalized this through the belief that the rest of creation has been placed here only for our benefit.
 
Animal experimentation is an unnecessary, ineffective, and inappropriate research method which must be terminated. For too long, our society has accepted the medical establishment's claim that animal experimentation is necessary, but volumes of evidence shows that not only do alternative testing methods exist, but they might, in fact, be safer and more effective in promoting human health.
 
The Green Party advocates humane treatment of animals:
 
Rapidly phase out all animal experimentation.
 
Rechannel the billions of dollars disbursed annually by the National Institutes of Health for animal experiments into direct health care, preventive medicine and biomedical research using non-animal procedures such as clinical, epidemiological and cell culture research.
 
Immediately outlaw the use of animals for consumer product testing, tobacco and alcohol testing, psychological testing, classroom demonstrations and dissections, weapons development and other military programs.
 
Mandate clear labeling of products to tell whether they have been tested on animals and whether they contain any animal products or by-products.
 
Establish procedures to develop greater public scrutiny of all animal research. The areas to be controlled should include the welfare of laboratory animals, and a halt to wasteful public funding of unnecessary research, such as duplicative experiments.
 
Immediately end the abuse of animals, including farm animals, and strengthen our enforcement of existing laws.
 
Immediately outlaw all commercial fur ranching and trapping, and the use of goods produced from exotic or endangered animals.
 
Prohibit large scale commercial breeding facilities, such as "puppy mills," because of the massive suffering, overpopulation and ill health such facilities produce.
 
Subsidize spay and neuter clinics to combat the ever-worsening pet overpopulation problem that results in the killing of millions of animals every year. Where unwanted companion animals are being killed in shelters, we advocate mandatory spay and neuter laws.
 
Ban the exploitation of animals in entertainment and sports, such as dog and horse racing, dog and cock fighting, fox hunting, hare coursing, rodeos, circuses and other such spectacles.