The Victorian Advocates for Animals Inc. (formerly the Victorian Animal Welfare Association) is a volunteer association that focuses on specific areas of animal cruelty or need and campaigns vigorously until tangible changes are achieved. Its robust style of campaigning is designed to achieve outcomes within realistic timeframes. VAFA speaks out on any issue where the serious welfare of other sentient species is in question. Its views are regularly published in newspapers and other media; recently it has spoken out on whaling, flying foxes, bats, cruelty to penguins, urban habitat for native species, climate change and biodiversity, alpine cattle grazing, 'sport' fishing and inadequate penalties for the perpetrators of animal cruelty.

Major Outcomes to Date
Since its beginning in 2002 VAFA has achieved wins for animals in Victoria.

BATS - It successfully campaigned against the destruction of a colony of endangered grey-headed flying foxes (megabats) in Melbourne. The successful relocation of the bats earned the praise of Sir David Attenborough (see current bats campaign).

HORSES -  From 2002- 2006 VAFA, with vital support from BOAR (Ballarat Organisation for Animal Rights), protested the high level of horse death and injury in jumping racing causing the racing industry to spend nearly one million dollars to make it safer. Our efforts resulted in the development of safety hurdles and reforms producing a sixty percent reduction in death and injury to jumping horses.

NETS & TRAPS - 2007 From April - August 2007 VAFA negotiated agreements with Australia's largest hardware retail outlets to end their sales of glue traps black and monofilament netting and spiked snap traps - See Results Nets and Traps Campaign Page

 VAFA Protest & Board Outside of the Victorian Minister for Agriculture's Building - the Hon. Joe Helper (let`s hope so) 

2008 VAFA Negotiates Intervention on Pelicans