1996–2001: Early years as an activist[edit source | editbeta]
In 1996, Yourofsky founded Animals Deserve Absolute Protection Today and Tomorrow (ADAPTT), a vegan organization opposed to any usage of animals. By 2001, the organization had amassed around 2,200 members.[4]
On March 30, 1997, Yourofsky, alongside 4 members of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), raided a fur farm in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada, and released 1,542 mink, who were scheduled to be slaughtered for their fur.[2] The raid reportedly caused damage estimated at C$500,000 to the farm.[5] He was arrested by Canadian officials, and sentenced to six months in a Canadian maximum-security prison in 1999.[6] Out of the six months, Yourofsky spent 77 days in prison.[2]
The experience affected Yourofsky, who said "[he] was no more than an animal in the zoo. It wasn't pleasant", and that it has reinforced "[his] empathy and understanding of what these animals go through".[5][non-primary source needed]
In the fall of 2000, Yourofsky received $10,000 from PETA, to fund the broadcasting of a commercial against "the animal slavery enterprise known as the circus". The commercial was broadcasted 69 times on a local television channel.[4]
In 2001, Yourofsky began facing financial problems. In an interview, Yourofsky stated he is "in debt up to [his] ears", and that "[he owes] at least $30,000 on credit cards". His financial troubles reportedly halted his activism for a period of 3 months that year.[4]
2002–2005: PETA sponsorship[edit source | editbeta]
In early 2002, Yourofsky resigned as president of ADAPTT, due to financial troubles. A day after sending his resignation letter, he received a telephone call from Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA, who offered him a job. Employment negotiations between the two ended on May 20, 2002, with Yourofsky being made the organization's official, national lecturer.[7]
In 2002, Yourofsky declared to a reporter his "unequivocal support" for ALF arson fires.[8][9]
2005–present: Leaving PETA and continued activism[edit source | editbeta]
Yourofsky was invited to give a talk on "Ethical Veganism" to a class at University of Southern Indiana on April 2, 2007. The university handbook contained a provision that outside speakers must "not advocate violation of any federal or state law.", and a professor at the university presented claims from Yourofsky's website that he found to be infringing the policy to the university provost, resulting in the cancellation of Yourofsky's talk.[10][11] After objections from free speech advocates at the school, the policy was revised and Yourofsky gave his talk.[12]
Part of Yourofsky's well known speech on veganism was featured in the 2012 speciesism movie, "The Superior Human?"[13][14][15]