Animal People: The Humane Movement in America (2006)

The media has well documented the great social justice issues of the past and present-19th century struggles over the abolition of slavery, providing women with the vote, protecting children, as well as the environmental protection, civil rights, women's and anti-war movements of the 20th century. But here we are in the 21st century and the one controversial social justice issue American media has yet to examine is the animal protection and animal rights movement. Is it because this movement is the last great social justice issue that has yet to be universally accepted? Is it because the media is economically intertwined with the food, medical research and pharmaceutical industries who are opposed to gaining public sympathy for the animals from which they profit? Filmmaker Gary Kaskel addresses this vacuum with the first major program exploring the history of the animal protection movement in America. While the modern animal protection movement has it roots in the Victorian era, concern for the welfare of animals goes back centuries. ANIMAL PEOPLE is a series of portraits examining many of the major and some of the minor players populating this movement past and present as well as the broad spectrum of philosophies within it, bringing the strong bond and dual relationships between humans and animals into focus.