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What is BESA?

B.E.S.A. is a Non-Profit Organization registered with the provincial government of Quebec.

 

Its purpose is to defend all animal beings in Quebec by sparking public discussion about the exploitation and mistreatment of domestic or wild animal beings in the food industry, in laboratories and education, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment sector.

 

It also provides educational and organizational tools dedicated to the public and to animal rights activists.

 

B.E.S.A. also promotes plant-based diets and works to coordinate various actions within the animal rights movement in Quebec.

Our story

BESA was founded by people with very different backgrounds and personalities, but who all agree on one core value that is dear to them: protecting animals and their rights. For a long time, we all lived thinking that animals were treated well in our province, until the day we realized the reality was much darker than we thought.

 

We therefore decided to found BESA after seeing that animal rights were struggling to make progress in Quebec. Yet the number of animals killed and exploited in our province amounts to hundreds of millions per year, and these animals are so similar to us and to the cats and dogs we know so well.

 

But these animals have no rights and no voices in our societies; someone must speak for them. Someone must reveal what lies behind the packaging, behind the colorful smiles, behind the pretty pictures in advertisements. And that is what we decided to do.

Our methods

Our first lever for action is to inform the public about what industries would prefer to keep hidden regarding animals. We believe that democratic discussions concerning animals and their rights cannot take place as long as their living conditions remain hidden or fantasized by marketing. Our approach is based on evidence: we follow the numbers, facts, and data wherever they lead, in order to identify the real problems animals face.

 

Our second lever is political: we act so that the Quebec government truly recognizes and protects the rights of all animals, not just pets. Currently, inconsistency reigns: in Quebec, the same rabbit can have radically different rights depending on whether they are considered a pet; an animal in the wild; or an animal on a farm or in a laboratory. We believe that animal rights should depend on their sentient and feeling nature, and not on where they are located (or where they are forced to be).

 

Our third lever is economic. We want to change this system that constantly pushes to produce more and cheaper by denying our principles. This system has dramatic results for animals, but also for the humans who work in industries linked to their exploitation. We want to help ensure that our industries transition towards activities and products that reduce the suffering and death we cause to animals, while maximizing the dignity and well-being of humans.

Why "BESA" ?

“BESA” is actually an acronym for the term Animal Well-Being and Safety. It refers to the name given to Quebec’s B-3.1 law, passed in 2015.

 

The original spirit of the law is commendable; its first amendments recognize that animals are sentient beings, endowed with rights, and must be protected from all unnecessary mistreatment, pain, or death.

 

Unfortunately, the vast majority of animals in the province are excluded from this law: Article 7 states that these rights do not apply to animals exploited in agriculture, recreation, or experimentation, for whom only the “generally recognized rules” of the industries apply.

 

We want the B-31 law to be amended in the future to include all animals, so that the values it represents are truly recognized and integrated into Quebec society.

Our team

Kelly

Coordination

Gaelen

Finances

Isa

Secretary

Rachel

Communications

Amélie

Strategic advisor

Émilie

Recruitment