User:Archer7/cok

Compassion Over Killing (COK) is an animal liberationist organisation based in Washington, D.C, currently led by Erica Meier. COK focus on animal welfare in agriculture and promoting a vegetarian diet as a way of building a kinder world. . Compassion Over Killing believe that animal exploitation is a form of 'speciesism', which they associate with racism and sexism.

Activities
Compassion Over Killing was founded in 1995 by Paul Shapiro in order to create more of a 'grassroots' presence against animal exploitation. Since then, COK has worked to promote veganism and animal rights through many methods including:


 * Free vegetarian starter guides.
 * 'Feed-ins' - free vegetarian food and leaflets, mostly given outside fast food restaurants. Video footage of the meat industry is also normally shown.
 * A Faunavision van which is used to advertise veganism on a large screen. This is supported by volunteers distributing literature and free vegetarian starter guides.
 * Writing letters to local newspapers.
 * A 'restaurant outreach' program to encourage restaurants to serve more vegan food.

Also, COK has conducted investigations into animal welfare standards in factory farms and livestock auctions, and have campaigned successfully to have deceptive animal care stamps on [[eggs] changed.

Criticism of COK
As 'animal liberationists', COK believe that all animals should be free from what they view as oppressive establishments, such as factory farms. COK has conducted several open rescues - rescues where the identity of the rescuers is not hidden - and taken many injured chickens and other animals from factory farms. Although some groups may view this as justifiable, to others it is theft.

Animal rights and animal liberation

 * Compassion Over Killing
 * HerbWeb Animal Rights Resources
 * Vegan Society

Anti-animal rights websites

 * Center for Consumer Freedom - group formed to represent food, alcohol and tobacco industries from animal rights campaigners
 * ActivistCash.com