By Gerri L Elder in Animals & Habitats, Art & Design, Science & Research

Animal rights’ activists fight the abuse, neglect, mistreatment and torture of animals on many fronts.  The monumental battles to stop the senseless killing of animals by the fur and skin trade, the use of animals in medical and cosmetic experimentation, and the mistreatment and abuse of animals bred for human consumption have made many headlines over the years.  Some progress has been made in recent decades in the battle to protect animal rights, primarily through the use of shocking advertisements that make the public aware of the truth.

Three Rings of Torture

(images via: PETA, coloribus)

While there are those who enjoy the circus, many do not understand the dire circumstances and living conditions of animals involved in the show.  Animals that were never meant to be confined are tightly packed into cages, carted around the country and forced to perform.  They are often driven mad, become physically disabled – either purposefully or through neglect – and many die while in this hellish captivity.  The reality of the circus is far removed from the image P.T. Barnum created.

The Tragic Feast

(images via: Adverbox)

Foie gras, or “fatty liver,” is a popular holiday dish in Belgium.  Many who enjoy the feast do not know that these fatty livers are the product of animal torture.   The grotesquely enlarged livers of ducks and geese used to make foie gras are harvested from the animals after they are force fed and slaughtered.  These ads, which were created to make the public aware of the atrocity,  were to run in 40 major Belgian railway stations, but were refused because of their provocative nature.

The Fight Against Fur

(images via: animals-in-the-news, myspace, PETA)

PETA has largely led the anti-fur movement.  The group has produced graphic, stomach-turning ads to raise public awareness about the fur and skin trade.  The group has raised the stakes in recent years by not only speaking out about the atrocities against animals, but by releasing horrific videos of animal suffering and having celebrity spokespersons actually display what appear to be animal carcasses that have been skinned.

KFC and Poultry Farming

(images via: openrescue, partnersforanimalwelfare)

A PETA campaign was also launched against KFC because of the poor conditions and abuse of chickens farmed for the restaurant chain.  The chickens are raised in filth and forced to grow too big, too quickly.  They suffer many ailments before going to slaughter, including heart and lung disease, tumors and dementia.  To prevent the demented chickens from causing further harm to themselves or others, their beaks are often cut off.

PETA sued KFC and parent company Yum! Brands in 2003, accusing the company of “lying to the public about their animal welfare policies.”  KFC agreed to stop making the allegedly “false claims,” such as stating that chickens raised for KFC suffer no pain or injuries and are treated humanely.