Elliot Katz

In Defense of Animals

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 valued supporters and a 30-year history of protecting animals, people and the environment through education, campaigns and hands on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi. Our main headquarters are established in San Rafael, California. Our History In early 1983, veterinarian Dr. Elliot Katz was contacted by animal activists and discovered scandalous conditions inside UC Berkeley's animal laboratories — an event that changed animal protection history. Living in cramped and filthy facilities, animals were sick and dying while campus veterinarians were prevented from providing treatment to those in need. Dr. Katz formed Californians for Responsible Research, which filed a lawsuit against USDA, forcing them to issue a cease and desist order against UC Berkeley. Ultimately, Berkeley was fined $12,000 for violating the Animal Welfare Act. Californians for Responsible Research was renamed In Defense of Animals, and for over 33 years it has become a force to reckon with — foremost in animal advocacy. Our Vision Our vision is to transform the world, elevate everyone's innate potential, and teach sacred respect for all life forms. We promote harmony and peaceful relationships between humans, animals, and the environment that sustains all life forms. Our Mission Our mission: to defend animals, humans and the environment from abuses and exploitation, and to foster peace between all life. We educate and expose animal abuse as a root cause, symptom, and early predictor of wider societal violence. We advocate change in laws, human behavior, and enlightenment in the need to protect lives, advance rights, improve welfare, and steward environmental protection. We care for and rehabilitate lost, orphaned, abandoned, and abused animals inside three main sanctuaries. With help like yours, we are making the world a better place for animals, humans and the environment.