Animals are an integral part of our world, and yet they are often overlooked and mistreated. Animals are used for their fur, leather, wool, and other materials to make clothing and accessories, forced to undergo painful medical and cosmetic testing, and killed for food. We must speak up for the innocent creatures that have every right to be here because they cannot speak for themselves. Each and every one of us can be a catalyst for change through peaceful yet powerful actions.

Here are 8 ways you can speak up and be a voice for the voiceless!

1. Shop Cruelty-Free

Source: Sustainable Speak Up Tee by Tiny Rescue

One of the best ways to speak up for animals is to support cruelty-free fashion brands that are revolutionizing the fashion space. Cruelty-free fashion is a movement that is gaining traction in the fashion industry as more and more people are waking up to the suffering that millions of animals endure. Sadly, about 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year. Luckily, brands are saying goodbye to leather, fur, wool, and silk, and creating innovative clothing that is 100% plastic-free, certified net carbon neutral, created from natural or recycled materials in fair trade factories, printed using water-based inks, and made to last. Many brands today are realizing that vegan clothing has a lower environmental impact than materials made with animal fibers. Ultimately, vegan clothing is a win-win for animal rights and the environment.

2. Donate

Donating is an incredibly powerful way to help animals and give them a voice. It is a way to show your support for animal welfare and to help make a difference in the lives of animals. Donations can be used to fund research, provide medical care, build and maintain animal sanctuaries, and support animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Donations can also be used to support animal advocacy organizations that work to protect animals from abuse and exploitation. Organizations such as ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, World Wildlife Fund, and The Humane Society rely on donations to continue providing animals with the care they need and will go directly to these incredible causes.

3. Wear Protest Tees

Source: Recycled Speak Up Tee by Tiny Rescue

Unfortunately, animals are often mistreated and abused in countless ways, from factory farming to animal testing, and to make clothing. This is why it is so important to speak up for animal rights, and wearing protest tees is one of the best ways to put this into action. Our style and the clothes we wear can play an important role in supporting social movements. It can serve as a symbol of revolution and collective change. Animals are used for their fur, leather, wool, and other materials to make clothing and accessories, and these practices are extremely cruel and inhumane. Wearing protest tees is a great way to spread awareness and start the much-needed conversations about the importance of cruelty-free fashion.

4. Rescue, Foster, or Adopt Animals

Sadly, 2.7 million dogs and cats are euthanized in U.S. shelters every year. Pets are being surrendered and abandoned at a higher rate than they are being adopted from shelters, forcing shelter staff to make difficult decisions. When you #adoptdontshop, not only are you giving a homeless animal a chance to find a loving home and a better life, you’ll be helping to reduce pet overpopulation and gaining the perfect companion. If you’re not ready to make that commitment, you can also consider fostering an animal. When shelters are running out of space, they rely on keeping animals in foster homes until they’re adopted. By fostering, you’ll be helping to reduce overcrowding and be greatly improving the quality of an animal’s life!

5. Attend A Protest

Source: Plastic-Free Speak Up Tee by Tiny Rescue

Attending peaceful protests is a powerful and easy way to show support for those who are advocating for the rights of animals and to make your voice heard. Protests are a fun and effective way to reach a large number of people and spread awareness. There are many variations of protesting from marches and large demonstrations, to sit-ins. By attending peaceful protests, you can demonstrate your commitment to animal rights and help to create a more compassionate and humane world for animals.

6. Volunteer

Shockingly, about 6.3 million animals enter U.S. shelters every year. Oftentimes, shelters don’t have the space or resources to care for every animal that comes in. Volunteering to help animals is an incredibly rewarding experience and can make a huge difference in the lives of animals in need. One way to volunteer to help animals is to donate your time and energy to a local animal shelter or rescue organization. Animal shelters and rescue organizations provide a safe and loving environment for animals in need, and they rely heavily on volunteers to help care for the animals. To get involved, you can start by finding an animal shelter near you to inquire about volunteering.

7. Be Vocal

Source: Carbon-Neutral Speak Up Tee by Tiny Rescue

Voicing support for animal rights is one of the most effective ways to bring about positive change in the way animals are treated. When people become aware of animal rights issues, they are more likely to take action to protect them! Making your voice heard can include anything from signing petitions, writing letters to legislators, utilizing a social media presence, or even striking up conversations with strangers. It is up to us to ensure that our collective voice speaks up for those that cannot.

8. Go Vegan

Source: Cruelty-Free Speak Up Tee by Tiny Rescue

Do you want to make a meaningful difference in the world and help reduce animal cruelty? Going vegan is an important and impactful way to do both of these things. It is estimated that more than 55 billion land and sea animals die every year to keep up with the growing U.S. food demands. It is also estimated that a vegan can save an average of 365 animals each year by cutting out animal products from their diet. By choosing not to consume animal products, we can reduce the demand for animal-based food items and help to reduce the exploitation of animals for human consumption.

Related Content:

• FINALLY! Congress Passes The Big Cat Public Safety Act in Groundbreaking Decision
• The Conservation Game: New Documentary Exposes Big Cats Exploited on TV
• Indiana Passes Law To Prohibit Public Contact With Big Cats and Bears
• Why We Need to Stop Cross-Breeding and Inbreeding Big Cats for Profit
• Big Cat Public Safety Act to Be Voted On Today

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!