ABSTRACT
The animal rights controversy is about the treatment of animals, but it is also about our definition of ourselves and of a moral society. Animal Liberation quickly became a call to arms for those interested in animal welfare and animal rights, profoundly influencing many and mobilizing some to action. Since the late 1970s, these animal rights groups have increased in size and number and range from fundamentalist and direct action groups, such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), to militant and activist groups, like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to those who work within the legal system to promote animal liberation, such as Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). On November 27, 2006, President Bush signed new Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) into law. The public is generally supportive of the animal welfare and protection aims of the animal rights movement. These poll results demonstrate that once the issue of animal "rights" is raised, public support drops dramatically.
