TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
AminaYasmine's Blog
AminaYasmine's Blog
10 Ways You Can Make A Difference For Animals
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Now that you've learned a little bit about Animal Rights issues and the ways that you can get involved. Here are 10 more ways for YOU to take action and make a difference around this issue.

1. Make your purchases and donations cruelty-free. Look for "not tested on animals" or "cruelty free" on the labels of household products and cosmetics. When you donate to health-related charities, seek out those that do not fund or support animal research. And when you stop purchasing from a company or donating to an organization because of their animal cruelty, write to them and explain why they've lost your business and charitable giving. Consult cruelty-free guides to help you choose your products and charities. And donate to the organizations and sanctuaries that are working to save and care for animals.

2. Adopt your companion animals from shelters and rescue organizations. Never buy an animal from a breeder or pet store. The nation's shelters and rescues are full of dogs, cats, and other animals in desperate need of homes. Millions of them are killed each year. Consider adopting one (or more).

3. Boycott so-called entertainment that involves abuse of animals—for example, circuses, horse racing, greyhound racing, and rodeos. And then go two steps further: encourage everyone you know to join you in swearing them off, and then encourage and educate those you don't know too.

4. Think about going vegetarian or vegan. Simple as that—the number one thing you can do to help animals (and the planet!) is adopt a vegan diet and way of living. Not only will you, each year, personally save the lives of more than 100 farmed animals, but you'll save other animals as well—the animals whose habitats are destroyed or co-opted for grazing land or for the growing of crops to feed livestock.

5. Don't just stop eating animals. Stop wearing them too. Faux leather is abundant, and it is cheaper than animal skin too. Polyester fleece and other fibers are less itchy and less difficult to wash than wool, and for them, no sheep must suffer having chunks of skin hacked off or endure grueling transport and harrowing slaughter. Animals die for fur trim as much as they die for fur coats—there is no such experience as being just a little bit slaughtered.

6. Protect the habitats of wildlife. Environmental matters and animal issues are intimately connected even beyond the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Examples: Plastic bags are an environmental nightmare—and discarded plastic is a nightmare for ocean life as well; invest in reusable canvas and cotton bags. That super-soft mainstream toilet paper, that super-absorbent mainstream paper towel, and those super-smooth mainstream facial tissues you use are super-destructive too. Buy reusable substitutes when you can, and when you can't, buy only recycled. Be aware of the sources of the foods and products you purchase.

7. Talk to your legislators, fight for animal protection laws, and vote. Is a ban on rodeos or animal circuses up for a vote in your community or state? Publicize the cruelties; educate friends, family, and strangers; lobby your legislators; and get the legislation passed. Sign up for updates from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Vote for animal-friendly candidates.

8. Embrace direct action. Attend the protests, distribute the information, videotape and publicize cruelties, and if need be, and you are able, rescue abused animals yourself.

9. Educate yourself. Read the books. Watch the videos. Keep up with the blogs. Attend the conferences. Volunteer with animals. The more you know, the more you can help.

10. Educate everyone else. Once you've educated yourself—or better yet, while you're educating yourself—spread the word, through informational handouts, through videos, through Web sites and blogs, and even through food (such as vegan options).

March 10, 2009 | 6:28 AM Comments  1 comments

Tags:
You must be logged in to add tags.


Comments

Duckey John Sexton
March 10, 2009 | 2:11 PM

This was a very informative post. I'm passionate about preserving our marine animals, and have even written a book for kids about it. More people need to realize that their actions have a direct impact on the animals around us!
Amina-Yasmine's Profile

Amina-Yasmine's Friends


Latest Posts
Intercultural Dialogue
10 Ways You Can Make A...
Women on the forefront...
Questions on Language...
The World Language...

Monthly Archive
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009

Change Language


Filter By Type
Topics

Friends
Charles
clarita zarate
pirate_roouge@hotmail.com
Reshma Pattni
Sheridy Leslie


7730 views
Important Disclaimer