Dr. Michael Fox: Animal Rights

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It's been said that a man or woman can achieve almost instant unpopularity by simply taking a public moral stand on any issue. Now this truth may seem to reflect poorly on our society, but the public's tendency to distrust righteous crusaders is probably — by and large — a healthy one . . . since it's all too easy for a man or woman to use a moral position as a justification for infringing upon someone else's rights. However, although Dr. Michael Fox's cause is, indeed, based upon morality — and might, indeed, occasionally threaten our conceptions of ourselves and of how we relate to the other creatures that share this planet — we think you'll find his views worth exploring.

Dr. Fox, you see, is one of the foremost spokespersons of the "animal welfare" movement. Specifically, he is an active crusader against modern intensive livestock production practices . . . which, he believes, are not only cruel to the animals that feed us but also dehumanizing to the men and women who become caught in the economic traps created by "factory farming".

Director of the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems (the scientific arm of the Humane Society of the United States) . . . veterinarian . . . ethologist . . . and author of scores of books and articles on animal behavior and care (including the popular Understanding Your Dog and Understanding Your Cat . . . as well as the widely syndicated "Animal Doctor" newspaper column), Dr. Fox is not a man whose views can be dismissed lightly. And since farm animal welfare — as was recently noted in a major agribusiness publication — will be "the issue of the 1980's . . . and it isn't going to go away", we decided to give you, our readers, a chance to meet one of the movement's most active representatives . . . to help you form your own opinions on this controversial subject.

So MOTHER paid a visit to Dr. Fox's Washington, D.C. office, and the resulting conversation appears — in edited form — here. We think it makes for interesting reading . . . and though there will probably be few of you who find yourselves agreeing with everything that the man stands for, we think that fewer still will not be moved by at least some of what he has to say.

PLOWBOY: Dr. Fox, your efforts on behalf of farm and laboratory animals have earned you the enmity of agribusiness firms, biomedical researchers, the Parity Foundation, and the USDA. As we've talked, though, I've noticed that you don't seem much shaken by all the pressure that's being brought to bear on you, and I can only assume that you're able to keep your composure because your feelings on the question of animal rights are deeply rooted.

FOX: Very much so. In fact, you might say that many of my closest childhood companions and confidants were animals. Even during the periods when my family was without a resident pet, I found that I was able to easily establish friendly relationships with the neighborhood's stray dogs. I think my ambition has always been to be a healer and rescuer, too . . . and I know that my parents strongly encouraged me to work toward achieving that goal.

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