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Photos from the exhibition In Defense of Animals
Dr. Elliot Katz, DVM, Founder In defense of animals, one of the leading national animal rights organizations, has passed away March 24, 2021 aged 86. He was a pioneer and monumental force at the forefront of the animal rights movement.
As a child, he began his life-saving work, rescuing abandoned or lost dogs with his father on the beaches of Long Island, New York. He also rescued starfish and other beached creatures by returning them to the ocean after the hurricane. Dr. Katz graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he refused to perform “hands-on” surgery on live dogs. He stuck to his beliefs with the support of his mother, even when he was nearly thrown out of school. While Dr. Katz advocated for inferior animals, he himself faced discrimination. Cornell set a quota for Jewish students and forbade them from joining fraternities.
After working for several years in veterinary medicine, Dr. Katz left his practice in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Big Sur, then to San Francisco, where he founded a non-profit organization. City holiday in 1978. The aim was to “coordinate and produce musical events without any discrimination” in parks and squares. The organization has brought pleasure to thousands, if not millions, with free dance and music events. Dr. Katz has created a summer musical series for seniors. He worked with Centers for Seniors and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI) to ensure that all interested seniors can participate. He has been recognized for his great work by Mayor Dianne Feinstein and other community leaders. He lived in the Bay Area for four decades.
In 1983, Dr. Katz learned that researchers at the University of California, Berkeley had performed eye and brain surgery on animals without proper sterilization, and that the animals were allegedly kept in overcrowded cages where disease was rampant. He met with a campus veterinarian who was prevented from providing treatment. Dr. Katz exposed the brutality and filed a lawsuit against the USDA, forcing it to issue a termination and refraining order from the University of California, Berkeley. The university was fined $ 12,000 for violation of the Animal Welfare Act, which was a precedent. Upon learning of cruel, aggressive, and absurd animal experiments, he began In defense of animals this year.
“As a veterinarian, I was taught to help animals, relieve their pain. I was taught not to stand aside or turn my back while animals suffer and die, much less deliberately burn or beat them, poison or starve them, blind or kill them with electric shocks, drug addicts, or infect them. So, in 1983, to correct these terrible misconceptions and stand up for them, I founded In Defense of Animals, ”said Dr. Katz.
He was the first veterinarian to speak out for animals on behalf of other veterinarians in the research community. His passion, enthusiasm and intelligence attracted a tireless team equally dedicated to making the world a kinder place for all beings. Through protests, education, investigations, lawsuits, lobbying, and non-violent civil disobedience, Dr. Katz has led the organization to many victories in the fight against animals used in science, food, entertainment and clothing.
Dr. Katz and his team have proven their effectiveness and determination time and time again. They shut down gruesome vomiting experiments on cats conducted by “scientists” at Rockefeller University, stopped the US Army from breaking the legs of 120 hound hounds, stopped cruel and ineffective brain cancer experiments on hound puppies, shut down NYU cocaine experiments on monkeys. and blocked the construction of a multi-million dollar animal research center in San Francisco. Dr. Katz traveled to Washington, DC to testify before the House Armed Services Committee. The hearing led to the passing of a law calling for greater use of non-animal research technology. Years of campaign under the leadership of In Defense of Animals closed the infamous The Coulston Foundation. It was the largest chimpanzee laboratory in the country, testing drugs and medical devices on hundreds of chimpanzees and monkeys. The significance of this first closure of an animal cruelty laboratory earned him recognition from the outside. Dr. Jane Goodall.
When the first organized nonviolent civil disobedience to protect animals was held at the entrance to the UC Davis Primate Center, Dr. Katz and 16 others were arrested and imprisoned. He believed in this powerful tool to draw attention to important social justice issues. He proudly reported that he was arrested 37 times while speaking out on behalf of animals.
Dr. Katz founded animal rescue shelters and was proud of the good work his colleagues did there: IDA-Africa, chimpanzee sanctuary management in Cameroon for victims of the bushmeat trade; in IDA-India, provision of mobile veterinary care and services for the sterilization and sterilization of animals in Mumbai; and in Animal Shelter Hope, rescue and relocation of abused, neglected and stray animals to Mississippi.
He also helped organize the world’s longest running animal welfare demonstration. Livestock activists noted Friday without fur the day after Thanksgiving since 1986.
Despite all the precedent achievements of In Defense of Animals, Dr. Katz realized that without changing the mindset that people perceive animals as nothing more than property, objects and things, many of these victories will be a band-aid. In an effort to raise the status of animals, he launched Guardian Campaign. Realizing the power of words, Dr. Katz said, “We need to think about our relationships with our pets as we do with other members of our family. We should consider ourselves their guardian, friend, parent, protector or protector, but not the owner. “
Dr. Katz’s first daughter, Raquel, was born in the year he started working for In Defense of Animals, and his second daughter, Daniel, was born a year later. He combined his love for his daughters with his passion to help other creatures, bringing them with him to protests and enlisting their help in the office, filling envelopes and opening mail.
He was inspired Dr. Jane Goodall, whom he considered a friend, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Saint Francis of Assisi, as well as Cesar Chavez. He had the honor to present to Chavez Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Katz was a vegan for over 30 years and was a true animal advocate for the rest of his life. He is survived by daughters, Raquel and Daniel, who followed in his footsteps and dedicated their lives to helping others; three grandchildren; and his brother Bennett.
His passing left a deep loss in the fight against animal experimentation, industrial farming, and other violent industries. In defense of animals asks the public to help remember the life and work of Dr. Katz by eating and wearing vegan clothing, using the term “guardian” instead of “owner” and using only products that have not been tested on animals.
WAN covered In defense of animals “ important work for years to come. We join animal advocates everywhere, heartbroken over loss Dr. Katz. We know his incredible legacy will live on forever. God bless him and may he rest in peace.
To find out more and register to attend his Virtual Memorial Service at Saturday 24th April CLICK HERE!
Rest in Peace post Dr. Elliot Katz, founder of In Defense Of Animals, first appeared in World Animal News.
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