Northwest Animal Rights Network

Mission

The Northwest Animal Rights Network champions freedom, respect, and well-being for all sentient beings through advocacy, education, and community connection. Justice, Equity, and Belonging is a core pillar in all areas of our work. 

Description

The Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN) is a Seattle-based animal rights organization. NARN has been dedicated to ending the exploitation of animals by raising awareness of animal suffering in the food, entertainment, experimentation, and fashion industries since 1986.

NARN believes that education is a key component for positive change. Through outreach, education, and open dialogue, we aim to have the greater community question and examine the relationship between human and non-human animals; to provide the tools and resources for the community to consider the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle as a living practice of animal rights; to recommend the rejection of products, companies and organizations that abuse and exploit non-human animals; and to emphasis the importance of recognizing the freedom and justice due to non-human animals. 

Through our education and service, we work within our local, regional and global community to make a positive impact. We work with other like-minded groups, organizations, companies, and individuals to provide both strength of community and of unified support. Support and service to community is of paramount importance to achieve change.

Our Program Areas are: 

Animals in Labs (AIL)

Our Animals in Labs work is focused on our campaign to Shut Down the UW Primate Center. The University of Washington's National Primate Center is one of seven National Primate Research Centers in the country. UW'S confinement of primates for experimentation had led to multiple injuries and fatalities. It has spent years racking up violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which have added to the nightmare that primates already experience as a result of being caged and subjected to invasive and deadly experiments. This year is especially important in this campaign because the current federal grant for operating the primate center only runs until April 2027, so we expect UW to soon submit an application to receive another five years of operational funding. We advocate for the closure of the primate center through hosting on-campus demonstrations and hosting Animals in Labs meetings.

Animals in Nature (AIN)

Our Animals in Nature work primarily focuses Washington Fish and Wildlife reform. NARN held the first ever Washington Fish and Wildlife Reform Convention in the fall of 2022, along with its partners, Washington Wildlife First, Animal and Earth Advocates, Center for Biological Diversity, Wild Fish Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society of the United States, and the Conservation Angler. We are directly engaged with the Fish and Wildlife Commission and actively involved in wildlife coalitions. For 2026, we are committed to hosting a series of Q&A sessions with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commissioners to encourage them to prioritize animal-wellbeing in their decision, over exploitation. We also intend for these Q&A sessions to keep our community informed and connected with those who intend to protect our wildlife and ecosystems.  

Animals on Farms (AOF)

Our Animals on Farms work is rooted in our CAFO campaign. We are working to reform Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) in Washington State. 

This year, we are launching the Factory Farm Facts website as part of our multiphase Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Campaign, which is focused on collecting and making available information on the impacts of factory farms—on the animals confined in them as well as on wild animals, human communities, the environment, and climate change—to facilitate policy changes. At FactoryFarmFacts.org, users can access a wide array of data (including large data sets, geographical health impacts, and pollution data) through map visualizations, research papers, legal precedents, existing laws and policies, and reports.