10 Things Everyone Can Do To Help Our Furry Friends
When humans were created, we weren’t placed on this Earth alone. Regardless of whether you believe God created us all or The Big Bang and evolution did, we share this Earth with millions of amazing creatures, and it is our responsibility to take care of them. February is Responsible Animal Guardian month, so it seems like the perfect time to remind everyone that the care of animals is down to us. That being said, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to helping our furry friends. Luckily, there is plenty, so here are ten of the best and simplest ideas.
- Report Animal Cruelty
Animals can’t pick up a phone and call for help when they’re being neglected, so you need to do it for them. If you see an animal that you believe is being mistreated, do not hesitate to pick up the phone and report it to the police or a local animal organization. Try to document the incident by taking notes and pictures for evidence too. Don’t be afraid of being wrong about the situation; If the animal is being cared for properly, no further action will be taken.
- Buy Cruelty-Free
Despite the huge variety of alternative testing methods and safe cosmetic ingredients, animal testing is still incredibly common today. The animals tested upon have to endure months or years of pain from poisoning and burning, all while being locked up inside tiny cages. These days, there are lots of brands that refuse to test on animals, so it’s easier than ever to make the switch.
- Watch What You Eat
Going vegan, or even vegetarian, isn’t an easy option for many people for several reasons, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that you can do to try to make your diet more animal-friendly. For example, you could ensure that you only buy free-range meat and eggs by the checking packaging or only buying from local farmers. You could also consider meat-free Mondays, to reduce the amount of meat you’re ingesting.
- Stop Buying Fur
If you’re a big animal lover, you might have already stopped buying real fur, but what you might not know is that items being sold as faux fur sometimes aren’t fake. It comes as a shock, but some of the world’s largest fashion brands are selling products containing cat, mink, and rabbit fur, only to claim that it’s the animal-friendly alternative. There are a few things that you can do to try to distinguish what is real and what’s fake, but the only way to be sure is to stop buying fur products altogether.
- Donate To Animal Charities
Animal charities, like The Humane Society, can only survive if there are people that are willing to donate. You don’t have to donate large sums to make a difference; A few dollars a month would be enough to provide some support. You could even ask for donations to your favourite charity for your birthday or Christmas, rather than a present.
- Don’t Buy, Adopt
Animals shelters are filled with animals needing a happy and loving home. In some shelters, if animals aren’t adopted within a set amount of time, they are euthanized to make room for another animal. Rather than supporting puppy mills, support your local shelter. While you can’t save all of these animals, saving one will make a difference.
- Volunteer At Shelters
Lack of volunteers is a huge problem for animal shelters, so the animals are often not given the care that they need and deserve. If you can’t adopt an animal, the least you can do is go and feed a few, play with some cats, or walk a couple of dogs. It might not seem like a lot, but it’ll make a huge difference to the lives of a lot of animals. You could even organize a fundraiser, to help out, if you don’t have the cash to donate yourself.
- Neuter Your Pets
Most of the animals in shelters are the unwanted pets of an unexpected litter. If you want to help to reduce the number of animals in shelters, and therefore the number of euthanized animals, ensuring that your pets are spayed or neutered is a good place to start. Even if you know that you would look after the litter and ensure they went to a loving home, if you have a boy, you can’t be certain that the owner of the mother would do the same thing. The only way to be certain is to make it impossible.
- Speak Up For Animal Rights
Animals can’t speak up for themselves, so you have to make sure that you do. If rallies and picket signs aren’t your thing, I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that they’re not necessary if you want to fight for animal rights. Sometimes it’s the small things that can make a big difference. Merely signing a petition or writing a letter to your local government can be enough to get the ball rolling and ignite change.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Recycling, or reducing the amount of packaging you buy that can’t be recycled, is a great way to protect wildlife. Every single year, millions of seals, sea mammals, and seabirds die because of the amount of plastic waste floating in the ocean. Reducing the amount of plastic you throw away will help to reduce the amount that ends up in the water. Similarly, millions of acres of forest are destroyed every year to produce paper and cardboard, resulting in the extinction of hundreds of species. Recycling your paper and cardboard will reduce the need to do this, and will save lives.
Compared to adult humans, animals are helpless, and it is the responsibility of all of us to take care of them and help them however we can. The tips above will be able to help you do just that, and make sure that more animals are living happy and healthy lives.
