Andrew and Sedona
Andrew Domzalski has been on the faculty of Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan, since 1999, currently in the rank of professor. He has taught human-animal studies since 2005, engaging students in creative, humane service-learning projects in collaboration with the Detroit Zoo. In 2012 he co-created a Master of Science in Humane Studies, now Humane Leadership program, which he has co-directed since. He also serves as the director of the Center for Humane Studies. He has published and presented in the areas of Humane Education and Human-Animal Studies. His current research interests revolve around religious conceptualizations of animals in both Western and Eastern traditions, with a focus on Christian and Buddhist views. He holds a Ph.D. from Oakland University and master’s degrees from Marygrove College and Warsaw University. Beyond the academe, he has been involved in cat rescue, and is the founder of Caring for Cats.
” I have seen a significant increase in awareness and knowledge of animal protection issues in our students … Most importantly, today’s students’ attitudes toward animals are much more progressive than those of their peers in …”
- Were you involved in animal law/policy/advocacy in 1995?
No, while I have always been fond of animals, my journey toward animal protection started in 2000 when I became vegan for ethical reasons.
2. What were you doing then?
Since 2000, I have been evolving as an animal protection educator and, more broadly, humane educator. I have also been involved in cat rescue. Those developments bore fruit in 2005 in the form of a collaborative creation of a general education course in Human-Animal Studies at Madonna University. It was followed by establishing a Master of Science in Humane Studies program in 2012, now M.S. in Humane Leadership. First, the course and then the program have become valuable platforms for educating college students about existing problems and available solutions in the area human-animal interactions at the individual and societal levels.
3. What were the major issues in 1995?
From the educational perspective, there were few university-level courses, not to mention academic programs focused on human-animal interactions. While the major issues were similar in nature to the current ones, there was much less awareness of agribusiness practices and other animal uses. Quite importantly, climate disruption and its far-reaching impact were not on the radar of general public.
4. What are the positive developments in last 25 years in animal law, policy or welfare?
Not being a lawyer, I will answer this question from the perspective of growing public awareness of animal protection issues that I have noticed through the prism of teaching college courses in human-animal studies. Over this period of time, I have seen a significant increase in awareness and knowledge of animal protection issues in our students. These days, when students enter our course, they usually know about factory farms, puppy mills, fur farms or veganism. This prior knowledge allows us to spend more class time on exploring in-depth ethical, social, cultural, and religious ramifications of such phenomena. Most importantly, today’s students’ attitudes toward animals are much more progressive than those of their peers in 2005.
5. What are the negatives?
In short, change on all fronts has been slow. In addition, a rise in gag orders preventing recording and publishing animal abuse in industrial settings has had a chilling effect on such work. Furthermore, applications of post-nine-eleven anti-terrorist laws to acts that may involve property damage, but no harm to humans, arguably weaken those laws, as the concept of “terrorist act” becomes overused and could become meaningless, a dangerous development in times when the threats from terrorists who kill people are real.
6. What did we learn in the last 25 years?
I believe that the main lesson is to join forces across the animal protection movement, as inside conflicts are but a distraction from achieving progress. I am also convinced that work in any area is equally important for achieving that progress, let it be legislation and policy, education, or street protests.
“I believe that the main lesson is to join forces across the animal protection movement, as inside conflicts are but a distraction from achieving progress. I am also convinced that work in any area is equally important for achieving that progress, let it be legislation and policy, education, or street protests.”
7. Looking toward the future, what are your predictions for:
- 5 years (2025)
More states and companies will implement welfare-oriented agribusiness practices. Dairy industry will need to reinvent itself to stay alive. Veganism will continue its march toward being mainstream. Research on animals will grow due to efforts to develop treatment and vaccines for recurring pandemics.
[In 2025] “Research on animals will grow due to efforts to develop treatment and vaccines for recurring pandemics.”
[In 2045] “Meat, dairy, and fur will be available on black market only.”
- 10 years (2030)
Clean meat, i.e. grown in labs, will become commercially available and affordable, which will lead to a collapse of factory farms and will slow down the spread of veganism. Small, welfare-oriented farms will survive on the fringes of the meat industry. Fisheries will collapse due to pollution and overfishing. Use of animals in entertainment and puppy/kitten mills will be banned. The personhood of some animals (Great Apes, Cetaceans, and possibly Elephants) will be recognized by U.S. courts. An animal rights party will have its first representative in Congress (possibly from New York or California).
- 25 years (2045)
Climate disruption will contribute to the devastation of large ecosystems and loss of many species in North America and elsewhere. Hunting will be curbed. Meat, dairy, and fur will be available on black market only. Transgenic pets will become new designer breeds and a booming business. There will be legal efforts to shut down that industry.