Contributions to animals welfare and rights organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals rose 11 percent in 2007 (the most recent figures available), even with the economic downturn that began that year. The farming industry-friendly Animal Agriculture Alliance attributes this rise in funding as playing a key role in the increase in campaigns and actions being taken against the livestock industry.

While some of the most prominent US based animal welfare organizations, such as PETA and the Humane Society, saw modest to negligible increases (11% and <1%, respectively), other groups saw huge increases in funding. The World Society for the Protection of Animals saw its donations nearly double between 2006 and 2007, and the brand new Animal Acres received almost five times as much money in 2007 as it had the prior year.

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Cruelty against cats is increasing in Guangdong, China, where over 10,000 domesticated cats are eaten daily. The cats, some of which are apparently being stolen from people’s houses, are transported in small cages to restaurants in the town where they are then cooked, often while they are still alive.

Activists in China are taking a stronger stance against this cruelty, and have begun demonstrating in Beijing against the treatment of cats used for food. 40 people, many of them elders who care for orphaned cats, protested outside of the Guangdong office in Beijing.

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