SAVE THE ANIMALS

Sadly, animal abuse is something that will always exist--especially since there aren't enough laws in place to protect animals and stiff enough penalties for animal abusers. Thanks to the Internet, however, people throughout the world are being made more aware of abusive practices toward animals and individual cases of animal abuse than ever before--and there are various ways you can do your part to help save animals. Here are some of the main ones.

Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind." ~Albert Schweitzer 

COMPANION ANIMALS 
1. Spay and neuter. Each year, millions of dogs and cats are put to death in animal shelters. Spaying and neutering eases the overpopulation problem and prolongs the life of your dog or cat. 
2. Never buy an animal from a pet shop. Adopt your companion animals from shelters. Pet shops buy from puppy mills and large-scale breeders who contribute to the population crisis and whose over-bred animals are often very unhealthy. 
3. Never give an animal as a gift. Many an animal has been abandoned because people aren't prepared to care for it. Discuss it with your friends and family first. 
4. Take notice and take action. Never ignore stray animals on the street, where they can become victims of disease, starvation, and human cruelty. 
5. Help lost animals find their way home. Pay attention to flyers posted in your neighborhood. If you find a lost animal with no tag, post it in the newspaper, but be vague in your description. Animal guardians should be able to describe their animals in detail. 
6. Support your local animal shelter. Animal shelters and SPCAs always need help socializing cats and walking dogs, fostering animals, and cleaning cages and pens. If you cannot volunteer, send a contribution. 
7. Report abuse. Call your local humane society if you witness any type of cruely or abuse. It is common knowledge that violence towards non-human animals is a precursor of violence towards human animals. 
8. Keep them safe at home. Be sure to keep collars and tags on dogs and cats (even if they are indoors). In case of an emergency, they can be returned home safely. Be sure to have a secure fence for dogs in your yard. 
9. Use natural cleaners. Hazardous chemicals are harmful to your animals' health. Use only non-toxic cleaners in your home, and always clean up antifreeze (which tastes sweet to animals). Contact the Environmental Protection Agency (800-424-9346) to learn how to properly dispose of hazardous chemicals. 
10. Warn people about thieves. People who place "free to a good home" ads in newspapers don't realize that "bunchers" are known to scan such ads for animals they can sell to laboratories. 
11. Attend a humane dog training course with your pooch. Learn to communicate with your dog, who is eager to please but isn't always clear on what you expect. 
12. Provide exercise for your dogs. Dogs crave walking, running, digging, and exploring. Go for long walks if possible, and use a retractable leash. 
13. Keep cats indoors. Indoor cats live longer, safer, healthier lives. Cars, pesticides, feral cats, cruel humans, rabid animals, leghold traps, storm drains, and animal thieves (who sell them to labs for a profit) are just some of the reasons to keep cats indoors. With love and shelter, cats do not feel deprived. 
14. Trim your cat's claws. Don't declaw. Have your veterinarian trim the nails, or buy a good pair of nail clippers. Invest in a good scratching post that is sturdy and tall enough for your cat to stretch out fully. 
15. Tattoo your dog or cat. Vets, shelters, and laboratories often check for tattoos, and many animals have returned home as a result. They are painless and permanent. 
16. Educate yourself. Read books to learn to care for your companion animal properly, such as Compassion of Animals Understanding Your Dog, Dogs that Know when their Owners are Coming Home, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, The New Natural Cat, and Stolen for Profit. 




ANIMALS IN ENTERTAINMENT 
17. Find alternatives to zoos. Animals are fascinating to watch . . . in their natural environment. Victims of illegal trade, forced from their families, and raised in captivity, zoo animals would prefer not to be entertainment for humans. Watch National Geographic videos, read zoology books, and visit local nature centers. 
18. Join wildlife protection organizations. Capturing young animals from the wild to sell them to zoos is a cruel practice both for mother and baby. Support organizations that protect these animals. 
19. Attend a Cirque du Soleil performance or other human circus. Human performers who willingly entertain the public are incredibly talented and entertaining. No animals are used in this "circus." 
20. Boycott marine theme parks. Unable to use their sonar, choose a mate, escape the noise of onlookers, or travel hundreds of miles with their family, captive marine mammals routinely die of pneumonia, ulcers, and other stress-related illnesses. Wild dolphins can live 40 years, and orcas can live 90, but in captivity, they rarely survive their teens. 
21. Learn more about how animals suffer in rodeos. The rodeo's most popular events would not be possible if humans did not inflict pain on the animals involved. Calves and steers often incur back and neck injuries, torn ligaments and broken bones, a painful device makes broncos "buck," and animals are cramped in pens as they endure constant travel. 
22. Do not patronize dog tracks. The greyhound racing industry breeds approximately 50,000 puppies each year. Of these animals, only 15,000 actually become racing dogs. The rest are "retired," used as breeding stock, or, in a more likely scenario, shot and destroyed. Greyhounds that actually become racers live life in small cages, usually no greater than three feet in diameter. 
23. Boycott the Rodeo. The rodeo consists of painful and often fatal events such as roping, bucking, and steer wrestling events. While the public witnesses only the 8 seconds or so that the animals perform, there are hundreds of hours of unsupervised practice sessions. Also, the stress of constant travel, often in improperly ventilated vehicles, and poor enforcement of proper unloading, feeding, and watering of animals during travel contribute to a life of misery for these animals. 
24. Learn why carriage horses have been banned in many cities. Such people as Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger are dedicated to helping carriage horses, working animals with minimal protections. Heat exhaustion, dehydration, stress, collisions with cars, fear of traffic and loud noises, incessant inhalation of exhaust fumes, lameness, hoof deterioration, improper food and water are just some of the ways they suffer. 
25. Oppose bullfighting. A cruel spectacle of human dominance, the bullfight purports to be a battle to the death in which either participant, bull or matador, may die. In reality, the bull never has a chance to win. Stabbed in the side before released into the arena, the hurt animal is taunted until angry and then stabbed repeatedly until he dies a painful death. 
26. Educate yourself and others. Read books and watch videos to learn more about how animals suffer in the name of entertainment, such as Beyond the Bars: The Zoo Dilemma, When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals, and The Souls of Animals.