It takes a village to elevate hell towards highly effective establishments. Just ask Mariah Smith, a Students Opposing Speciesism (SOS) organizer who helped PETA and native residents obtain a significant victory towards Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed)—dwelling of the Southwest National Primate Research Center—by way of grassroots organizing in her group.
For her resilient work in maintaining stress on Texas Biomed—which led to the withdrawal of its request for native public funding to help the merciless monkey laboratory—PETA is awarding Mariah with our Hero to Animals Award.
To rise up for the animals struggling in Texas Biomed’s laboratories, Mariah spoke throughout public remark classes throughout two bond committee conferences and rallied San Antonio residents to contact their metropolis council members to oppose funding Texas Biomed.
Mariah additionally pressured metropolis council members on social media to state their place, and District 2 Council Member Jalen McKee-Rodriguez even publicly posted his opposition on Instagram Stories. Mariah additionally organized a protest with native animal rights group Texas Animal Freedom Fighters outdoors a bond committee assembly.
And thanks to her onerous work—together with help from San Antonio residents—Texas Biomed withdrew its request for $11 million from the taxpayer-funded San Antonio bond program. It sends a powerful message to all of the nationwide primate analysis facilities that residents don’t need their tax {dollars} to be used for merciless and ineffective experiments on our fellow animals.
Here’s How You Can Be a Hero to Animals
If you’re a younger activist impressed by Mariah’s story, be part of SOS and assist PETA win extra victories like this one:
Join SOS
You can even assist by urging the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to shut down all of its primate analysis facilities:
Urge NIH to Shut Down Primate Research Centers