Last Chance for Animals (LCA) is an international

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that advocates for

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...

. It is known for its documentary, '' Dealing Dogs'', and for its investigations against the use of animals for testing purposes.

Formation

The organization was founded in 1984 by Hollywood actor

Chris DeRose Chris DeRose (born June 28, 1948) is an American animal rights activist,"Chris DeRose: The Warrior", Sue Russell Writes, Brntwd Magazine, USA, 2001 and recipient of the 1997 ‘Courage of Conscience’ International Peace Award and a former acto ...

as a group to oppose

vivisection Vivisection () is surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure. The word is, more broadly, used as a pejorative catch-all term for experiment ...

. In the organization's early years, DeRose led teams of activists employing non-violent strategies modeled after social movements led by such leaders as

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

and

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Mission

Last Chance for Animals seeks to eliminate animal exploitation through

direct action Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...

, education, investigations, legislation, and media attention. LCA opposes the use of animals in food and clothing production, scientific experimentation, and entertainment. LCA also promotes a cruelty-free lifestyle and the ascription of rights to non-human beings. They support

veganism Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

and oppose

animal testing Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and ''in vivo'' testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments that seek to control the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study. This ...

. As their budget and staff increased from 2000 and on, LCA has expanded its focus beyond vivisection. LCA also now focuses on pet theft, the fur trade, and circuses, and it has also focused on animal use in other forms of entertainment, as well as on large-scale "factory" farming issues. The organization also provides money and support for the animal rescue mission occurring in areas heavily affected by the 2011 tsunami in Japan.

Investigations

Their special investigations unit performs stings, investigations, and under-cover camera work. In 2012, in an effort to lure alleged kitten torturer (and convicted murderer of Lin Jun)

Luka Magnotta In May 2012, Jun Lin (December 30, 1978 – May 24/25, 2012), a university student, was fatally stabbed and dismembered in Montreal, Canada, by Luka Rocco Magnotta, who then mailed Lin's hands and feet to elementary schools and federal political ...

into contacting them, they posted a "fan video" of Magnotta online.. At the time, Magnotta was in hiding in Europe with law enforcement in Canada and Europe searching for him. According to LCA, they were in contact "with several individuals who may have been Luka, or close associates of Luka" and "that information was turned over to Law Enforcement."

Legal rulings

In 2004, due to increased pressure from LCA supporters, the

Supreme Court of New Jersey The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases ...

canceled the bear-hunting season before it started in December. In 2007, their investigation into

cockfight A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...

ing in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

led to the nation's biggest cockfighting ring bust.

References

External links