ABSTRACT
This chapter starts by arguing that giving nonhuman animals proper moral consideration implies not just refraining from harming them but also helping them when feasible. The chapter then explains some ways in which this is done in the case of animals living in the wild. They include rescues of animals in need of aid, centers for injured or orphaned animals, and initiatives at a wider scale like wild animal vaccination programs. These are important because animals in the wild face many sources of harm. The chapter indicates the differences between giving these animals moral consideration as sentient individuals (as animal advocates do) and considering them only as members of certain species or ecosystems (as environmentalism typically does). Next, the chapter explains some of the ways work in animal advocacy can be done. It considers what changes for animals can be achieved not just individually but at a structural level, including changes in their legal status. It then explains several ways in which people in different positions could contribute to such changes. Finally, it argues that animal advocacy should have a longtermist and effectiveness-focused approach and explains how several cognitive biases impede our effectiveness in defending animals.
