Everything Under The Sun: On Campus Animal Advocacy

Members of GW Animal Advocates with Animal Defenders Award.

When you love animals and have had many furry friends in your life, you just might start an organization at college/university consistent with your passion. Marissa Price did that when she started GW ANIMAL ADVOCATES in her senior year at George Washington University in 2014. While Marissa was, indeed, a senior and graduating in the organization's founding year, the three other board members were sophomores and freshmen, and quite prepared to continue the organization's mission.

Ms. Price explained what she had in mind for the organization, "GW Animal Advocates seeks to provide educational outreach as well as organize advocacy-based initiatives to relieve the plight of animals and work across sectors to reduce/eradicate cruelty to all living creatures."

This organization doesn't have to reach very far to find issues requiring advocacy. They weighed in on GW Hillel and GW for Israel bringing a camel to campus for the Israel Fest on Kogan Plaza through the words of current President Hannah Moskowitz. While she explained the usual living environment of camels in the desert, she was also able to point out how camels are limited in captivity to a pen, surfaced in concrete, and spending periods of time being transported to events in the back of a truck. Then, once the animal arrived at the venue, visitors would then poke and prod it, all in the name of promoting travel and increased knowledge of another culture. Then the ultimate indignity of being included in visitor selfies to be placed on social media sites. She urged people to respect animals and to provide exploration of cultures without including animals in the event.

On the same day, April 18, Animal Advocates discovered a giveaway, free nondairy Ben and Jerry's ice cream. The tastings giveaway was being held at Square 80 and followers were urged to stop by for a free sample taste.

Toward the end of April, GW was approaching the start of final exams. That is usually a stressful time for University students, since a major portion of a course grade comes from those all-important finals. In order to relieve some of that stress, the GW Program Board and GW Class Council brought in a petting zoo. Now, it's one thing if the animals are domesticated and used to human contact, even to the point of seeking it out and relishing it. But it's another thing when the animals are not domesticated, but are wild baby animals. It's an unnatural situation for the animals, so for them this exercise increases their stress considerably. Not only that, but some of these enterprises that hold these animals, drug and starve the animals so they remain cute, small, and sedated, just for human pleasure. Animal Advocates was urging students to protest by boycotting the event.

Some of the educational literature that the group provides.

Just for a short period of time towards the end of spring semester, GW Animal Advocates remained active and involved, in issues and events no further away than the campus border. Educational, informational, and activist, this group was providing vital information to the student body, as they engaged in campus activities.