APRL was founded in San Diego by animal rights activists Bryan Pease and Kath Rogers as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit national organization.

[1] Subsequently, the Orange County chapter of APRL was formed in Irvine California and is staffed entirely by volunteers that follow the same mission of animal rights as the national organization.

[4] Through APRL's GO VEGAN, College Outreach, and Vegan Outreach campaigns, volunteers distribute pamphlets to spread the word about the benefits of a plant-based diet to patrons at popular gathering spots like Downtown Disney, Knott's Berry Farm, The Outlets at Orange, the Irvine Spectrum, swap meets and college campuses.

APRL led the signature gathering phase of the Yes on Proposition 2 (Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act) campaign in Southern California.

The Orange County chapter of Animal Protection & Rescue League (with assistance from PETA, which provided a generous grant) spent most of its annual budget already on the billboards and lacks the funds to keep them up.

They supply buckets, trash bags, gloves, reach extending sticks, and sanitizing wipes for volunteers to cleanup the Southern California beaches.

APRL has gotten many OC cities to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats and many pet stores to closes after advocacy and protest campaigns.