Christine
Stevens, known as the Mother of the Animal Protection Movement, founded the Animal Welfare Institute in
the year 1951. Its main goal is to alleviate the fear and pain caused by humans
to animals. They started their campaign with tending to the needs of those
animals used for experimentation. Later on, they expanded their works to
include other areas of animal suffering that the foundation can address.
With the help of
the Society for Animal Protective Legislation, their legislative division, they
are able to push for laws that will further their campaign. This is the first
organization in the United States that is focused solely on animal protection.
This is the solution Stevens created after they are faced with the challenge of
losing their tax-exempt status.
Through the
years, the group has been fighting the battle of presenting alternatives in
animal experimentation. They have called for humane slaughter of animals that
are raised for food and the obliteration of the use of steel-jaw leghold traps
and other means of brutally capturing and killing of wildlife. The group and
its fellows have been receiving the Schweitzer Award year after year for their
contributions to animal welfare.