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For the Prevention of Cruelty
Diane L. Beers
The History and Legacy of Animal Rights Activism in the United States
Swallow Press
July 2006
On Sale: July 1, 2006
368 pages ISBN: 0804010870 EAN: 9780804010870 Trade Size
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Non-Fiction
Animal rights. Those two words conjure diverse but powerful
images and reactions. Some nod in agreement, while others
roll their eyes in contempt. Most people fall somewhat
uncomfortably in the middle, between endorsement and
rejection, as they struggle with the profound moral,
philosophical, and legal questions provoked by the debate.
Today, thousands of organizations lobby, agitate, and
educate the public on issues concerning the rights and
treatment of nonhumans. For the Prevention of Cruelty is the
first history of organized advocacy on behalf of animals in
the United States to appear in nearly a half century. Diane
Beers demonstrates how the cause has shaped and reshaped
itself as it has evolved within the broader social context
of the shift from an industrial to a postindustrial society.
Until now, the legacy of the movement in the United States
has not been examined. Few Americans today perceive either
the companionship or the consumption of animals in the same
manner as did earlier generations. Moreover, powerful and
lingering bonds connect the seemingly disparate American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of the
nineteenth century and the People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals of today. For the Prevention of Cruelty tells an
intriguing and important story that reveals society�s often
changing relationship with animals through the lens of those
who struggled to shepherd the public toward a greater
compassion.
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