How to Be an Animal Activist

While it’s true that, in the wild, in their own habitats, animals can and do take care of themselves, humanity has spent much of the last 12,000 years disrupting that.

We have domesticated animals, intentionally as pets and farm animals and incidentally as “pests” like rats and raccoons. Some of the resulting animals (and breeds) hardly resemble their capable predecessors.

Also, we have encroached deeper and deeper into the wilderness with our destruction of nature and the construction of suburbia. Wild creatures that were flourishing a century or more ago are now without ecosystems sufficient to Support them.

In a word, humans have made a mess of things. Few of us are arguing that point at this point, but that admission of species guilt doesn’t mean everything is now fixed. It’s just the beginning. Now, we all need to be animal activists!

1. Start at Home

The work of becoming an animal activist can easily begin at home. We can make personal choices that are beneficial to animals.

• Diet– Being a vegan helps to end our participation in the exploitation of animals in factory farming. While vegetarianism is a great step, animals used for milk and eggs are often treated as poorly or worse than those raised for meat.
• Products– As relevant as what is eaten is what we use and buy. Many products we don’t eat use animals for their skin, bones, pigment, blood, and so on. We can do our part for animals by being conscious of this and shopping accordingly.
• Lifestyle– Making animal-friendly choices in our lives is not complicated, but it also isn’t always the status quo. Many people mindlessly use lethal mouse traps, pesticides (and other biocides), and poisons to control pests. That’s a choice, not a necessity.

2. Support Nonprofits

On a larger scale, animal activists join with other animal activists to make a difference. The effort isn’t a burden of individuals but of a collective. It’s important to recognize and respond to those doing work on the behalf of animals.

• Donate– More than anything, nonprofits need donations. They are usually well-staffed with well-meaning, experienced professionals who are working for free or very little. Donating to causes that resonate with us is good animal activism.
• Volunteer– Most nonprofits have opportunities for people to volunteer and lend a hand with their labor or minds. This can take all sorts of forms, from back and brawn to brains to creativity. Offering up our skills, whatever they may be, can be really rewarding.
• Participate– As an animal activist, or activist of any sort really, the crux of making a difference is doing something. Very rarely does complaining make a positive change. We have to find a way to participate: sharing helpful information with others or hosting fundraising parties or creating a community pollinator garden.

3. Boycott Cruelty

Unfortunately, animal cruelty comes in many forms, and it is alive and prevalent today. It’s a regular part of business that modern society simply seems to overlook. Animal activists can take a stance against it.

• Animal exploitation is confined to factory farms. There are many modern businesses that earn money by treating animals badly. Circuses, aquariums, and zoos often host animal shows or cage wild animals in order to charge fees to see them. Rodeos, carriage rides, petting zoos—it’s important to think about what’s happening.
• Animal testing is still very present in industry, everything from medicine to cosmetics to fabric dyes to poisons and chemicals. The government actually requires it for many things we use daily. We can do our best to boycott products involved in animal testing, as well as join cruelty-free campaigns.
• Animal parts can show up in the strangest places. McDonald’s French fries have “natural beef flavor” and milk in them. Wines and beer manufacturers can (not all do) use milk protein, gelatin, egg whites, or isinglass (the dried swim bladders of fish) to fine their products. Sometimes the knowledge we gain isn’t something we want to know, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore it.

4. Buy An Animal rights Tee

Source: Tiny Rescue Animal Collection

Animal rights-themed tees are a great way for animal rights activists to show their Support for the cause and inspire change. Not only do they provide a platform for activists to express their beliefs, but they also serve as a reminder to others that Animal rights are important and should be respected.

These tees come in a variety of styles and designs, ranging from bold and eye-catching to subtle and understated. Whether you’re looking for a statement piece or something more subtle, there’s sure to be something that fits your style.

Activism isn’t always fun, but it’s meaningful and relevant and valuable. More so, in whatever ways we can, it’s something we can all do. So, why wouldn’t we?

Related Content:

• New Documentary on Cattle Ranchers Turned Animal Rights Activists Premiers This Week
• Ugandan Judge Gladys Kamasanyu Fights for Wild Animal Rights and Justice
• 10 Vegan Celebrities Who are Active in the Animal Rights Movement
• Animal Rights Activist Raises Questions about Humane Society of New York’s Pet Adoption Process
• 10 Inspiring Lyrics About Animal Rights

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!