The
League
was
founded
by Miss
Kate
Deighton
and
Rudolf
Bergner
in
Germany
in
1898 and
formally
organised
in Paris
in 1900.
The
English
branch
of the
League
was
established
in 1900
by Miss
A L
Woodward;
she
continued
to
direct
its
activities
until
her
death in
1921.
There
was a
second
Congress
in
Frankfurt
and a
third in
Helsinborg.
The
Fourth
Triennial
International
Congress
of the
World
League
Against
Vivisection
and for
the
Protection
of
Animals,
as it
was then
known,
was held
at
Caxton
Hall,
Westminster,
London,
from 19
to 24
July,
1909.
The 1909
Congress
was
attended
by many
distinguished
members
and
delegates
from
Europe,
America,
Canada
and over
20 other
countries.
As well
as the
President,
there
were 12
Vice‑Presidents
of the
League
and
almost
90
Vice‑Presidents
of the
Congress.
At the
time the
League
had
great
support
in the
British
Parliament,
with no
less
than
44
members
of
Parliament,
including
four
future
Prime
Ministers,
attending
the
Congress.
If World War
I had not
intervened
we would
have a much
more humane
'Cruelty to
Animals
Act', as
plans were
well in hand
to alter and
improve most
of it.
On 4 October
1928 the
League
inaugurated
World Day
for Animals,
which is
still
universally
held on the
first Sunday
in October.
The
Australian
branch of
the League
was formed
in 1935 by
Miss E B
Moore and
was
originally
titled 'The
World Day
for Animals
League' It
was
allied to
the English
branch of
The World
League for
Protection
of Animals.
Later the
name of the
Australian
branch was
changed to
conform with
that of the
English
parent
society. The
League was
registered
under the
Charitable
Collections
Act, NSW
1934 on 14
May l937.
“The
greatness of
a nation and
its moral
progress can
be judged by
the way its
animals are
treated”
- Gandhi
1869-1948 |
