Animal Ethics (AE) is an American nonprofit animal advocacy organization based in Oakland, California. Founded in 2012 by Daniel Dorado, Oscar Horta, and Leah McKelvie, it conducts research, education, and outreach on animal ethics, speciesism, sentience, animal exploitation, and the welfare of animals living in the wild. The organization publishes material in multiple languages and has produced educational courses and documentaries. Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) designated it a "Standout Charity" from December 2015 to November 2017.
History Animal Ethics was founded in 2012 by Daniel Dorado, Oscar Horta, and Leah McKelvie. Horta said that one reason for establishing the organization was to promote welfare biology as a field of research.
The organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) organization in the United States and has been tax-exempt since May 2019.
Work Animal Ethics describes its work as research, education, and outreach intended to increase moral consideration for nonhuman animals. It publishes material on speciesism, sentience, veganism, animal exploitation, and wild animal suffering, and provides resources for animal advocates. The organization states that its outreach is directed toward changing attitudes concerning speciesism rather than concentrating on particular forms of harm to animals.
Its work on animals living in the wild includes research and educational material on wild animal welfare and possible interventions to assist wild animals. The organization has cited vaccination programs and assistance to animals affected by natural disasters as examples of such interventions.
Animal Ethics has also carried out outreach in several countries. Its stated aim is for all sentient beings to receive moral consideration.
Projects and outreach Animal Ethics awarded essay prizes on suffering among animals in the wild in 2015 and 2017.
The organization began publishing resources in Chinese in 2018. In 2020, it extended its outreach work to India, launched a Hindi version of its website, and released an online course on wild animal suffering.
In 2024, Animal Ethics released an Arabic version of its website. A Japanese version followed in 2025.
In 2025, the organization released Seantience, a short documentary on sentience in aquatic animals. In 2026, it released AI & Animals, a documentary about possible effects of artificial intelligence on nonhuman animals and animal advocacy.
Reception Animal Charity Evaluators designated Animal Ethics a "Standout Charity" from December 2015 to November 2017. In its 2017 review, ACE cited the organization's focus on wild animal suffering, its international volunteer network, and the translation of its material into several languages. ACE also stated that the organization's long-term impact was difficult to measure and "highly speculative", and that it had seen less visible progress since its 2015 review than it wanted before giving a higher recommendation.
Raising for Effective Giving has described Animal Ethics as a long-term anti-speciesist outreach organization focused on issues it regards as neglected.
See also List of animal rights groups Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics UPF-Centre for Animal Ethics Wild Animal Initiative
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