It’s disturbing to think about: everyday, animals are taken advantage of, be it for their fur, their meat or just the cruel gains of disturbed individuals. Animal cruelty has been talked about on the news, more as of late, what with the controversial Michael Vick dogfighting ring and the video footage of the abuses of cows on their way to slaughter. It’s quite sad to know of these things, but that’s the key to stopping it–awareness. Once you’ve been made aware of these torturous incidents, the power is within you to do something about it.
We don’t all have enough money to donate to our favorite causes. We can’t all participate in protests and animal rights functions. But there are a few things everyone can do. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
Donate where you can
Give just a little to non-profit organizations, like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASCPCA). Even if you can only afford to donate $10 at a time, it’s okay because every little bit counts. Donations are tax-deductible, in general, and go toward publicity, investigations and research.
Adopt a pet from your local animal rescue
If you can afford a pet, financially and time-wise, consider adopting from a local animal shelter or pet rescue. Your first stop should be your county animal control center, since the animals there have limited time to get adopted out. Purebred animals should only be bought if you plan to breed them, and in that case, only responsibly. Mixed breeds are just as wonderful as purebreds. It should be mentioned that pet stores are not good sources of healthy pets. Many of these stores buy cheap animals that were born to mothers kept in puppy mills. Female animals are kept in small cages and are forced to reproduce continuously; the conditions are horrible and in many cases, the animals are denied proper veterinary care. Buying from pet shops only enables this practice to continue.
Don’t buy fur or faux fur
The slaughter of animals for their fur is one of the most despicable practices around. Wild animals are caught and killed, usually in an inhumane way, like boiling them or electrocuting them, then skinned. In an astonishing number of cases, these animals are alive and conscious when this happens. It’s a well-documented fact that fur from domesticated animals is exported from China and passed off as faux fur, so even this is not safe to buy. Thieves steal people’s cats and dogs, stuff them into crates and skin them for their fur, all in the name of making a profit. Fur is beautiful, but only on the animal to which it belongs. You can also send a message by boycotting designers and stores that refuse to stop selling fur products.
Boycott restaurants that support cruel factory farming
The above-mentioned organizations have performed undercover investigations to expose the practices of the chicken and beef industries. The torture involved in providing this meat to well-known restaurants is surprising. You can learn more about the restaurants that have refused to use cruelty-free products by visiting these organizations’ websites.
Don’t attend circuses or zoos that don’t care for their animals
Circuses may be fun for small children, but they’re not fun for the animals. Aside from the prodding and poking used to train these animals to perform, they are transported from city to city in trailers that are covered in feces; they are denied water, food and proper veterinary care during transit and many of the animals die of heat exhaustion. Zoos are generally good places for animals to live since they get a lot of attention and are cared for meticulously, but some zoos don’t provide the sanctuaries they claim to have for their animals.
Report any animal abuse you see or hear
If you see any indication of dogfighting or cockfighting, call your local police department so they can investigate. Also, if your neighbor has a dog chained up outside in the heat without proper food, water and shelter, call animal control to come check it out. Outdoor conditions are not always suitable for domesticated animals. If you notice that an animal is being neglected, make that call.
Sign online petitions
Non-profit organizations are heavily involved in lobbying lawmakers to help reduce any kind of animal cruelty. These petitions sometimes request that laws be made stiffer in regards to the punishment of people who are convicted of animal abuse. You can find all sorts of petitions online at Care2.
Go vegetarian
This is quite possibly the best way you can fight animal cruelty. If you want to go all the way and not eat any animal products whatsoever, go vegan. It’s hard, but you’ll adapt. Start slow by cutting back on the meat products you eat, then eliminate one thing at a time. After you’ve successfully cut out meat, start on dairy and eggs, then move on to fish and seafood.
Teach your children how to be responsible with animals
Every child wants a kitten or puppy at some point. You may cave and get one for your child, but don’t let caring for the animal become solely your responsibility. Ultimately, it’s up to you to make sure your new pet is taken care of, but teach your child how to feed them and play with them. Giving them love and treating them well are the most important things to teach.
Care for your own animals
This goes without saying. Make sure your animals are properly fed, watered and loved. Play with them often and cuddle with them. Buy them toys and treats; protect them. If they go outside, keep an eye on them and always bring them in at night. Sometimes, dog fighters will steal pets out of people’s backyards to use as “bait” for their fighting dogs. It’s sad, but true, and it could happen to you.
Oppose legislation that poses a danger to wildlife
This is a pretty controversial suggestion. The recent talks of off-shore drilling has sparked a debate amongst animal rights activists and legislators, since drilling in Alaska or in the Gulf coast has the potential to damage the habitats of the animals living in these areas. There are also issues of delisting threatened animal species. You can find petitions about these things online.
Be prepared for a disaster
Almost every area of the United States is at risk for some kind of natural disaster. From hurricanes to tornadoes to floods to earthquakes, keep your animals safe. Know what to do in the event of sudden emergency or of evacuation. Your pet should have adequate food and water to last a week; make sure you get them out of the house if you have to leave it.
Volunteer at a local animal shelter
You can make a difference by caring for the animals at an animal shelter in your town. Volunteers aren’t paid, thus, the organization has more money to spend on the animals. You can do a variety of things, like dog walking, kennel cleaning and organizing fundraisers.
Spread awareness
Anytime you hear of a crime committed against an animal, let your friends and family know about it. If you hear of something new to boycott, let them know. The more people who know of these things, the more that can be done about it.
Don’t buy products that were tested on animals
When you go shopping for household products, check their labels. If a product was not tested on animals, it will most likely state that. To make sure these products are safe enough to put on the market, they are first tested on animals, in ways no human would ever come into contact with the products. For example, chemicals are injected into the skin on the bellies of mice to see if they have a reaction. That would never happen to a human, so the test is pointless. There are unfortunately quite a few companies that perform animal testing, as well as pharmaceutical companies and universities. Even non-profit health organizations use donations to do testing on animals. Caring Consumer offers a search feature to help you find out which companies do and do not test on animals.
After reading this, I’m sure you’re pretty appalled at the multitude of abuses that go on in our world. It may not be possible to take it all on at once and put a stop to animal cruelty, once and for all, but if each of us makes strides in our communities, we can make a difference.
