A history of spiritually motivated animal rights activism in Britain

Through examining biographical information relating to several influential personalities in mid-twentieth century British animal welfare, this talk will demonstrate that their activism must be understood as an extension of a spiritual worldview which saw humanity as a steward of the natural world and the animal kingdom.

The selected case studies – Lord and Lady Dowding, Michael Fryer and several members of the Vegan Society – have been chosen based on the evidence of shared their spiritual beliefs and the overlap of their campaigns. Highlighting these previously overlooked contributions provides new insight into the diversity and nuances of animal protection work during this period, and challenges the secular view of the animal protection movement as a whole.