Hey friends!
Do you love animals? Here’s an awesome list of little and large things you can do to help them right now.
- Spay and neuter your pets to prevent the overpopulation of homeless and unwanted animals.
- Reach out to local nursing homes to see if they have a day you could bring your own pet. Animal therapy is amazing!
- Join the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) network so you can stay up to date about their wildlife conservation efforts, sign petitions that need support and share their efforts with your friends.
- Don’t support dog racing. Did you know that the greyhound racing industry breeds roughly 50.000 greyhound puppies every year? Only 15.000 of these puppies become racing dogs, and the rest are “retired”, used as breeders, or killed.
- Don’t kill spiders or other bugs that get into your home. Remember, they’re probably more scared than you! Pop them in a glass and carry them outside. Every life is precious.
- Go vegan. Vegan food is delicious, as well as better for your health and the environment, and there are so many awesome alternatives to meat. Did you know that a vegan saves an estimated 100 animals a year? Rock on!
- Cut plastic six-pack rings before you recycle them. These can be lethal to animals that get them stuck around their necks.
- Organize a fundraiser for your favourite animal charity!
- Call your local animal shelter and ask if they need any volunteers.
- When you groom you pet, leave the clumps of fur in your garden for the local birds. They’ll use it to make their nests all cosy and warm!
- Boycott marine theme parks. There’s only one good marine theme park which has endless room for dolphins and whales to swim around in, it’s called the sea.
- Foster an animal.
- Don’t waste pet food. If your pet has turned their nose up at a particular food, why not donate it to your local animal shelter? Wet or dry cat food can be left out in the garden for hedgehogs.
- Report animal cruelty immediately, and keep the phone number of your local animal rescue handy.
- Buy products that DON’T test on animals and that are marked cruelty-free.
- Never give an animal as a gift.
- Adopt an animal from an animal shelter and don’t buy from a pet shop.
- If you’re a rider cleaning out your horse’s stable, offer to help a friend muck out theirs too, once you’ve done yours. They might one day return the favour!
- Put out peanut and seed feeders for the birds in your garden, as well as fresh water in summer.
- If you have a mouse problem in your home, put out humane mousetraps, so that the mice can be caught and released into the wild.
- Offer to pet-sit for someone for free.
- Swap dairy milk for a plant based option when you’re at your favourite café. Whether it’s soy, oat, cashew, or almond milk, there are SO many delicious plant based milk options to choose from!
- Help animals while you shop! You can add your favourite charity to your Amazon account, and then every time you shop, the charity of your choice will benefit, as Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your purchases to them.
- Share animal adoption profiles on Twitter and Facebook of animals looking for new homes. This includes small animals like mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, guinea-pigs and rabbits, as well as cats and dogs.
- Make your pet, or a friend or neighbour’s pet, some homemade treats.
- Pamper your pet. Make or buy them a new toy. Play with your pet. Cook your pet a special meal full of delicious, fresh, and healthy ingredients that will nourish them, while letting them know how much you care.
- Pledge to be fur-free. Did you know it takes around 40 foxes, 15 lynx, 60 rabbits, or 65 mink to make ONE fur coat? Yeah, not cool, guys.
- If you’re out walking your dog, carry extra poo bags so you can pass one on to another dog owner who has forgotten theirs.
- Walk or help care for an elderly or sick person’s pet. You can volunteer for this specifically in the UK at The Cinnamon Trust.
- Leave a “wild” patch in your garden for birds and insects to enjoy.
What would you add to this list?
Namaste,
Amanda x
Amanda's Treehouse 