About GSETA

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by how its animals are treated."

-Mohandas Ghandi

GSETA (Guelph Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is a student-run non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Guelph in Guelph Ontario. GSETA is committed to changing the way that the public perceives animals and challenging individuals to open their minds to the idea that animals are sentient and intelligent beings that deserve consideration. The public is consistently misinformed, both intentionally and unintentionally, about the role that animals play in our society. We believe that most individuals would be surprised if they were aware of how animals are actually used in the food, research, companion animal, clothing and entertainment industries. Our group strives to gain support through educational campaigns and find creative means to inform individuals about their role as a consumer and a member of society in regards to our relationship with animals.

What we do:

• Run an ongoing leafleting/tabling campaign on the University of Guelph campus to inform individuals about their choice in regards to animal welfare
• Run awareness campaigns informing students about the benefits of veg*nism.
• Volunteer for animal sanctuaries such as the Ruby Ranch Pig Santuary
• Act as a host for internationally recognized public speakers dedicated to informing compassionate individuals about the various ways that animals are exploited
• Support effective animal cruelty legislation

What can you do:

• Educate yourself! Consumer ignorance is one of the biggest reasons that producers are still able to get away with meagre animal welfare laws!
• Become a compassionate consumer! Watch what you buy! Do not buy products that support the unethical treatment of animals (i.e. meat, leather, products tested on animals, etc.).
• Join GSETA! If you are interested in participating and helping out with our events or if you just want to know more about GSETA, feel free to join our mailing list!

Animal Rights

What is animals rights?

Animal rights is the belief that animals are sentient and emotional and deserve consideration regardless of whether they have instrumental value or are endangered. Animal rights advocates believe that animals are not ours to use for:

Food

Every year, more than 9.7 billion (USDA) animals in the U.S. and approximately 500 million in Canada, are slaughtered for food. What most consumers don't realize is that the methods by which these animals are produced often involve painful mutilations and cramped housing among other inhumane practices. Practices such as de-beaking, tail amputation and castration without anaesthetic are agricultural standards and are implemented on a regular basis on almost all North American farms. Raising animals on factory farms is unethical and ecologically devastating. In response to animal welfare, health, and ecological concerns, compassionate individuals across the globe are adopting a vegetarian diet.

Research

Most of the experiments conducted on animals every year are stressful, painful and unnecessary. Charities such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada use donations from private citizens to fund experiments on animals, and the FDA requires all drugs to be tested on animals. However, animals and humans differ significantly on both a physiological as well as a psychological level, making testing on animal models unreliable and dangerous. New research methods, such as computer models, cell cultures, and human studies are more accurate, less expensive, and much more humane.

Clothing

Animals used for the production of fur, leather and animal derived fabrics either spend their lives in small cages, overcrowded stalls or languish in traps for days before they die or are killed for their coats. Although leather is derived from cattle slaughtered for food, it is not a 'slaughterhouse by-product'. In fact, leather accounts for almost 2/3rds of the value of a slaughtered cow or steer carcass.

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Entertainment

Domesticated as well as wild animals are exploited and abused on a regular basis in marine parks, roadside zoos and aquariums, movie and television sets, race tracks and other venues. Animals used in entertainment are intimidated into performing and are kept in environments that are unnatural to them. Many of these animals die at a young age due to their often unacceptable diets and housing.