Mission Statement
Action For Animals Austin is a local, grassroots animal rights, nonprofit 501(c)(3) group based in Austin, Texas. Our sole purpose is to defend and protect the rights and lives of non-human animals. It is our belief that all sentient creatures, regardless of their species, are deserving of moral consideration and moral treatment; and to that end, they should not be harmed, exploited, or treated in any way which interferes with their safety, well-being, comfort, and best interests.
Of course we also believe that human animals are deserving of moral consideration, and the members of Action for Animals put forth our best efforts to see that the maxim “First, do no harm” is applied to all our human companions on earth as well.
Action for Animals carries out its mission to protect and defend non-human animals in a number of peaceful, specific ways which include but are not limited to the following:
- Educating the public as to the principles of the animal rights movement
- Exposing to public awareness the inhumane conditions in which many non-human animals are forced to exist
- Working to increase public awareness regarding the treatment of non-human animals
- Working with local, state, and federal government to challenge and ultimately bring a stop to inhumane practices toward non-human animals through changes in public policy
- Working cooperatively with national animal rights organizations to bring their campaigns to Austin and surrounding areas
- Intervening whenever possible on behalf of animals, to help safeguard their moral right to remain safe, protected, and unharmed.
Our Founder
Action For Animals was founded in 1992 by Lauren Ornelas while she was a student at St. Edwards University, here in Austin.
Lauren was an activist at an early age, when she founded an animals rights group at her elementary school. Since then she has established many organizations at schools she was attending, including the St. Edwards Animals Rights Society, which continued as Action For Animals after she graduated.
While Lauren is no longer in Austin, she continues to make her mark within the animal rights movement. For many years she served as executive director of Viva! USA. In 2006 she founded The Food Empowerment Project, and now serves on their board of directors.