International Animal Rights Day was established in 1998 – on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Human Rights. And this is no accident. Its main goal is to hold actions for the adoption of the World Declaration of Animal Rights in order to stop their exploitation and killing.

The Universal Declaration of Animal Rights was proclaimed by the International League for Animal Rights on September 23, 1977 in London. It was announced on October 15, 1978 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. After revision in 1989, the text of the Declaration was submitted to the Director-General of UNESCO and made public in 1990.

Animal rights activists  defend for our smaller brothers the same rights and freedoms that humans have, and above all the inalienable right to life, the right to protection from suffering, the right to freedom, the right to a natural habitat.

The first European country whose constitution guaranteed animal rights was Germany. In England, animal protection is carried out according to a law adopted in 1911, which provides for punishment of owners for cruel treatment of their pets. In the USA, animal rights activists oppose medical and pharmaceutical experiments on rodents.

On International Animal Rights Day , candlelight vigils are held in almost all of Europe, North and South America, and many other countries  – as a tribute to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a sign of movement forward, towards applying the principles of the Declaration to all sentient and sentient beings. Also on this day, pickets and marches are organized, animal rights activists write letters to the media, appeal to the governments of their countries, protesting against animal abuse and proclaiming their right to life without intentional pain, suffering, exploitation, and death.