New Petitions to Sign This Week: Tell Massachusetts to Ban Wild Animals in Circuses, Help Support Maui’s Animal Shelters, Help End Orca Captivity in the United States, and More!

Unfortunately, the world is not a very peaceful or safe place for many individuals. From conflict to abuse to exploitation, there is so much cruelty inflicted on both humans and animals. While this can get disheartening and difficult to hear about, petitions are a great way to use your voice for good. Just by signing one, you are a part of helping those who are not treated fairly. You can even share them with your friends and acquaintances to increase your impact.

Through petitions, we can reach those in power and demand justice for others. They are valuable tools for making positive changes in the world. If you are looking for a way to help animals and humans, here are 10 petitions you should sign this week, including Tell Massachusetts to Ban Wild Animals in Circuses, Help Support Maui’s Animal Shelters, and Help End Orca Captivity in the United States.

We want to thank you for being the change you wish to see in the world and giving a voice to the voiceless.

1. Help Ban the Sale of Pets and Cosmetics Testing on Animals Across the United States

Oregon just became the seventh state to stand up against the abusive puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline. The governor of the coastal state just signed two critical bills into law: one which bans the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores and another which bans cosmetics testing on animals.

Those of us who believe animals deserve rights and protections have been fighting for laws like these for years, and now, we’re winning. It’s time to keep the pressure up and urge all remaining U.S. states to follow suit! Please sign this petition if you believe these animals deserve rights and protection all across the country!

2. Tell Massachusetts to Ban Wild Animals in Circuses

Source: Born Free Foundation/YouTube

Massachusetts state legislators are on the brink of passing a bill to finally end the use of elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes, and bears in traveling exhibits and shows! This would make the state the ninth in the U.S. to ban wild animals in circuses. We must ensure politicians pass this bill into law by letting state legislators and the Massachusetts governor know these animals deserve protection. Please sign this petition to tell Massachusetts legislators and Governor Maura Healy to vote yes and sign this amazing bill into law!

3. Justice for Man Who Starved and Beat Horses

A man in Auckland, New Zealand starved 11 of his horses so badly that they resorted to eating their own feces and sawdust bedding in a desperate attempt just to get anything into their empty bellies. Even worse: officials also have evidence that he physically abused his horses. Witnesses observed him punching the animals and slamming them with a shovel, buckets, and other painful objects. Yet it took authorities more than a year to finally charge him with a crime. Please sign this petition to help ensure that this man is never allowed to work or live with animals again!

4. Help Support Maui’s Animal Shelters

Source: KHON2 News/YouTube

The recent fires in Maui have devastated communities and separated countless pets from their families. As residents begin the painful process of rebuilding and returning, the search for their beloved pets is just starting. And while Maui’s animal shelters are doing their best, the sheer number of displaced pets is overwhelming their capacities, raising the risk of euthanasia. Please sign this petition to allocate funds and personnel to Support Maui’s animal shelters so they’re equipped to handle this enormous influx of pets!

5. Help End Orca Captivity in the United States

Source: CBS Miami/YouTube

For half a century, Lolita the orca languished in captivity. Her sad story came to an even more tragic end when she died at the Miami Seaquarium on August 18, 2023… just as preparations were underway to finally reunite Lolita with her family in the wild. Lolita’s story is a stark reminder of the cruelty and injustice faced by majestic creatures confined for human entertainment suffering cannot be in vain. Please sign this petition now to demand that Congress pass a federal law in honor of Lolita to immediately phase out captive orcas across America!

6. Tell the UK Government to End Its Anti-Vegan Witch Hunt

Source: Earthling Ed/YouTube

Vegan alternatives to dairy products are better for the earth, better for animals, and quite often better for human health as well. But factory farmers, who profit off of animal exploitation and suffering, hate this new reality. That’s why they’ve successfully lobbied the British Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), demanding that it try to slow this trend by cracking down on labeling and marketing for vegan dairy products.

Under the latest guidance from DEFRA, the UK government is encouraging non-dairy brands to restyle the word “milk” as “mylk” instead, and to avoid using phrases such as “cheddar-type” and “yoghurt-style.” But if DEFRA wants to focus on “accuracy” and “clarity,” it should follow that line of logic through to its natural conclusion. That’s why PETA UK is urging DEFRA to also require cow-based milk to be labeled as “bovine mammary secretions.”

Please sign this petition to demand that DEFRA stop its plan to target non-dairy alternatives!

7. Help Protect Endangered Grey Wolves in California

Source: CBS Sacramento/YouTube

A new, previously undocumented pack of endangered grey wolves has been spotted in California!

The sweet family of five, which includes an adult female mom wolf and her four pups, was seen in the southern part of the state. The adult female is a descendant of the infamous wolf OR-7, which was the first grey wolf ID’ed in California in nearly a century.

Grey wolves used to be extremely common in California, but hunting, trapping, and habitat loss drove them to almost disappear into extinction. Trump-era slashes to protections certainly didn’t help, and conservationists have been fighting desperately to make sure we don’t lose grey wolves forever. These wolves are a symbol of hope, and they must be protected by the state’s wildlife agency!

Please sign this petition to tell the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to ensure protection for this newly discovered pack!

8. Tell California and Texas to Invest in Public Transportation

Traffic congestion isn’t only a nuisance. It’s also a major cause of Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, due to an increased amount of fuel consumed as cars simply sit on overcrowded roadways, unable to move. And the amount of time Americans spend stuck in traffic jams has only increased over time.

Researchers recently compiled a list of the top 25 most traffic-gridlocked cities in the U.S. The locations range from big Coastal cities to areas in Florida, Minnesota, and Arizona. But two states stand out for contributing the most to cities on the list: Texas and California. Please sign this petition to urge Government officials in both states to develop plans to cut down on traffic congestion by investing in public transportation!

9. Help Canadians Get the Information They Need to Survive Wildfires

Source: CBC News/YouTube

Canada is on fire. This has been declared the country’s worst wildfire season in modern history, made so much worse by Climate change. Thousands are fleeing while homes, land, and resources are incinerated. Up-to-date reporting on the state of things is a lifeline for all, but Meta — which owns Facebook and Instagram — is blocking local news organizations from spreading helpful information to terrified Canadians because Canada passed a law saying that news organizations could negotiate to get a bit of the profits from those shares. Please sign this petition to tell Mark Zuckerberg: let Canadians get the information they need to survive these wildfires!

10. Help Strengthen Child Labor Laws in Wisconsin

Source: WMTV | News, Weather & Sports/YouTube

A 16-year-old boy is dead, and the legislators who have relaxed child labor laws have blood on their hands.

The Wisconsin child, who was legally working at a sawmill, died this summer after suffering an “industrial accident.” He became pinned inside a wood-stacking machine and passed away from his injuries. This tragedy could have been prevented, and this boy should still be alive. But rather than protect children from deadly jobs, legislators across the country want to make it even easier to send minors to work.

Please sign this petition to tell Wisconsin legislators: protect kids! Strengthen state child labor laws!

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 essential 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!