Animal Welfare
Animal welfare and wildlife preservation is just as much your responsibility as caring for your own needs. In many cases, the welfare of animals is overlooked and failed to be given adequate address. The Humane Society of the United States – or HSUS, projects that roughly 1 million domestic animals are neglected and/or abused every year. Voluntary animal cruelty is one thing, but lack of regard for animals in our careless daily practices is equally fault worthy.
There are many simple ways to encourage and support animal welfare:
Endorse animal welfare by consuming organic products
Conventional animal factory farming is notorious for the abuse and cruelty of animals during the manufacturing process of meat and dairy foods. In many cases, organic farming methods encourage more humane animal practices and minimize the use of synthetic chemicals that not only harm animals and the environment but aren’t good for our own health.
Use animal safe pesticides
Every year millions of household pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, yard chemicals, and even cleaning products pollute our environment and leak into our ground water, lakes, and streams. Millions of animals that rely on the land are harmed by our usage of these poisonous chemicals. You can promote animal welfare by simply using natural pesticides that won’t impact the environment.
Stop lab animal cruelty
Some of the household products and personal care items that you purchase at the store may or may not have been tested on animals. In many cases, lab animal testing employs practices that are inhumane. For example, “Draize Testing” is a common lab practice that aims to measure the degree of harm a chemical has on an animal by observing the effect it has on the skin and eyes of the animal. There are alternatives to animal testing, so read labels carefully at the store and purchase natural products that don’t support lab animal cruelty.
Wildlife-proof your garbage for better animal welfare practices
The United States throws away over 200 million tons of garbage every year that not only pollutes our landfills but also harms wildlife animals. There are three simple measures you can take to wildlife-proof the disposal of your trash. Firstly, recycle! Secondly rinse out jars and plastic containers so that the remnants of food don’t attract animals. Third, cut and crush paper, plastic, and aluminum containers to reduce the size of our landfills and minimize the chance of animals choking or getting tangled within (soda can rings should be snipped and any fishing lines or string should be cut down). Fourth, properly seal and close your garbage containers so that animals can’t get inside. Be sure to carefully seal any plastic wrap or aluminum foil before discarding.
Reduce your greenhouse impact and preserve wildlife
Everyday there are little things you can do to reduce your impact on the environment, global warming, and support the wellbeing of animals. Some tips include: 1) Changing your light bulbs to more energy efficient bulbs 2) Avoid using your car whenever possible – ride your bike, walk, use public transport, or car-pool if necessary to reduce the negative effects of pollution 3) Plant trees, shrubs, and gardens as they absorb carbon dioxide which is great for the environment and provides a safe eco-environment for wildlife.
Advocate anti-animal cruelty laws
There are ample opportunities to join a cause and support animal activism. The best way to promote animal welfare and improve the lives of animals is to be active on the legislative level and voice your concerns to your local, federal, and state officials.
By exercising simple animal welfare practices, you can make a tremendous impact on the environment. It’s our duty to do all we can to promote the care and wellbeing of animals and sustain, restore, and preserve the habitats they rely on.
We’d love to hear from you!
- What are your thoughts on animal cruelty?
- What are some ways that you can put an end to animal abuse?
- What are some ways that you care for animals?
Tags: animal welfare
13. April 2009 at 8:43 pm :
My husband and I went fishing by the river a few days ago. I was so upset someone just dropped off a cat and took off. Like its life meant nothing to them. I was so shocked, I know this happens all the time but I have never personally experienced it. The poor thing was starving and it was so sweet. I had to take it home. He is so lovable and sweet, I put a pic on my profile. I don’t understand why anyone would just drop off an animal like that and leave it to starve to death. Well he isn’t named yet but he is loved and safe now, we are keeping him and loving him to pieces. The dog not so much, she is adjusting and the other cat well he’s coming around. LOL
13. April 2009 at 10:48 pm :
Animals are very precious loving pets and should get much more recognition in our society we are the voice for animals because they cant speak for them self.
We must not put a blind eyes to animals cruelty, Speak up when ever you notice such abuse to animals, ( After all its still a life you could be saving )
If one can afford to adopt a animal that a very good gesture to help to improved the lives of animals.
14. April 2009 at 1:45 am :
Know some signs of animal cruelty because that’s the number one way to catch it, you. That is the only way. You have to be the animals voice. It goes on every second, but no one doesn’t know if it’s not seen, to tell. Speak up!
Teach your children on how to care for animals. You want them to grow up loving animals. Teach them right when their young might reduce the animal cruelty.
You can be an animal foster parent. When an animal is abused, they have shelters. Some are people who volunteer for temporary shelters. It’s not a perment for the animal. Just until they can find an adopted family. That’s neat!
If you see an animal on the street, take a moment to help. That little help might save the life of the animal. Nine times out of ten, he’s lost away frome home. That couple of hours he’s lost; he could get hit by a car. You know animals are like little kids. Just without a voice, so if their being hurt, SPEAK UP!
14. April 2009 at 2:26 am :
Hey, Michelle’
Why don’t you place a blog up on naming your cat. It would be fun. You don’t have to choose a name. I can’t beleive someone just dropped it off. Well lucky for the cat, he has you. Good Name–Lucky
14. April 2009 at 6:23 am :
Excellent tips! Our family has always practiced wildlife protection with our strong stand against littering, dumping stuff into creeks, streams, rivers, brooks etc, cleaning up any spills especially automotive ones. Rescuing roadside injured wildlife and bringing them to a vet for care and release.
We have recently come off from plastic shopping bags, have almost always used non-toxic cleaning supplies and as most people know my home is also a sanctuary for disabled animals. Most often these animals are disabled by human related causes.
Not all things that look like abuse really are…know your neighbor and see if you can help if they are struggling to feed or contain a pet. Some folks just wind up in hard times and if you get local agencies involved that pet will most likely spend a week on “the row” then be put to sleep only because a family wound up short on money. If your neighbors cat is always pregnant…see if you can pay for a low cost spay and offer to help get the cat there. You just helped that family and every future kitten, plus reduced the feral population.
Speaking of ferals…these guys are wildlife too and human impact on their hunting grounds means they often starve. Many put out poisons to kill them, then the bodies are eaten by other land and sky scavengers who suffer terribly before they die and the poison is then transferred to other wildlife. Causing the unnatural death by poisons only creates more problems to other animals and our earth.
Perhaps you could donate to a local area feral feeder, caretaker or TNR group to help control the feral populations by sterilization and to keep the ferals healthy so they are not spreading disease to our free roaming pets.
As someone said please do teach your children to respect animals. This should include wildlife. Kids often injure frogs, shoot or kick at rodents or shoot birds with low powered BB guns or sling shots which causes horrible internal damage and slow painful deaths even though the animal gets up and runs off does not mean it was not terribly injured and unable to hunt or forage.
Those who do not appreciate animals, please remember one thing. All life must work together on this earth. We need the animals including all the bugs and worms. If you don’t like them them then kindly please just leave them alone and respect their right to the earth as much as ours. Put up fences if you don’t want them on your property. It’s really your problem, not theirs. They don’t really cause you much harm when you wander into their territory why cause them harm?
14. April 2009 at 6:33 am :
Michelle, I have a cat with me today who was tossed out of a moving vehicle into a busy intersection. He suffered a broken leg, broke just below the femoral head. Our local vet was wonderful and fixed him up for an incredibly low amount. His leg is crippled but he’s walking and alive today. Our here where I live our area is a local drop spot for unwanted pets. Once we rescued a sweet older dog who was dumped with her itty bitty puppies into a roadside ditch.
Easter Bunnies!! Oh my goodness do you know how many tame bunnies are released into the wild to die horrible starving deaths! Please folks, tell everyone you know that getting a child a live easter bunny is a really really bad idea. The novelty wears off fast and rabbit care is not as easy as people seem to think so they get dumped without knowing how to feed or defend themselves.
14. April 2009 at 7:08 am :
Animal Cruelty. Hmm…I see this on varying levels. Sometimes neglect is not neglect but is a family in trouble so that ties in with what can you do? When your child is hungry you can often visit some food pantry, people really gather around and help with a hungry kid. If your kid is furry you don’t see as much help that is why pets seem neglected. If you see this get involved personally…don’t just pick up a phone and report it. You can probably help much better by offering to buy a bag of pet food. By doing so you probably saved that pets life because in most shelters it will last a week on the row then die and for what?
If you see an animal that needs a grooming, nails are horribly long etc…consider perhaps the family is short of funds. See if you can help first. sometimes someone just can’t afford the sturdy clippers necessary to cut the dogs hair, or maybe the caretaker is sick and can’t walk their dog to help wear down the claws.
If you see an injured animals, first see if the family needs some help. Many try to care for things at home, it doesn’t mean they are neglecting their pet. Get involved and see what is going on and how you can help. Again an injured animal removed and put on the row will likely never get out of there alive. If you care..then do more than just call overcrowded animal control shelters.
Now to big abuse. Ok…if you see someone beating on their dog/cat there is no excuse. That life is being abused. If you are in no shape to offer to take or buy that pet and care for it yourself then it’s time to call the local authorities. That living being would be best off in the shelter than suffering one more day of cruelty. If an animal is obviously starved and the family seems to care less whether or not the animal has food, it’s being abused and needs law enforcement help. Animals might be thin with a household low on food, but skin and bone is usually a case of neglect or a serious illness. Abandonment, please see if you can help the animal and find a home for it first. If you can’t try to seek out a no-kill shelter, last resort…the local animal control again the poor creature would be better off with that chance than left to fend for itself in the world that is often unfriendly to animals.
My ideas on ending cruelty are in changing human ideas about animals. It’s a slow process. I don’t really believe fines and jail work nearly as much as education for our young. People have always been taught the earth was given to humans and the furred, finned, winged or shelled animals are unimportant objects here merely for us to do what we please with. My idea is that if a human was the favored creation we wouldn’t simply be a mammal, we would kinda stand out from the rest of the animal kingdom with a unique design that was totally unlike the rest of the mammal world in every way. Since we are mammals and not much different than other mammals except we are not furry and we can use our thumbs I’m thinking we are all suppose to play nice together and work together to keep the earth in balance and the world in harmony.
Sadly of all the animals I have ever studied it seems only the human is capable of such selfishness and cruelty.
14. April 2009 at 11:45 am :
I am so frustrated with people who are cruel to animals. My daughter has such a love for all even bugs. She can’t stand it when someone wants to spray and kill ants so she hurries and gets all the ants in a kleenex and puts them outside to be safe. If a wasp gets in the house she makes me find it and let it out and of course I am allergic to them so it is a sight to see. She will take care of any animal you give her and nobody hurts them. There is no reason to so cruelty to animals. I am so happy that she has such a love for the bugs and animals that God gave to us.
15. April 2009 at 4:53 pm :
Are rats wildlife? Ants, cockroaches, fleas, ticks?
What do you consider them? Where do you draw the line?
15. April 2009 at 7:34 pm :
Christy Lauzon ( Brook’s Mom ) wrote:
“Why don’t you place a blog up on naming your cat. It would be fun. You don’t have to choose a name. I can’t beleive someone just dropped it off. Well lucky for the cat, he has you. Good Name–Lucky”
My brother was watching this dumb movie on Easter and if not for one little speck of knowledge gained the entire movie would have be a waste of my life. So, anywayz, I learned how starbucks named their cup sizes. I thought it interesting and thought of it when Christy mentioned naming the cat using a blog.
My idea was see how much the cat weighs (when found or when healthy) and translate it to another language where it sounds elaborate. Examples: Nove, Siyam, Neuf, Kilenc, Devini, Disa, Negen, Devet, Nente = Nine
That’s my idea anyway~
15. April 2009 at 7:49 pm :
I remember this one time I saw this large bird hopping around by the train tracks. I thought it weird because it was such a gigantic winged animal so I approached. Though the bird was hurt, it was aggressive. It took some strategy to get close enough to get a good grasp on it without it ripping me apart and without me hurting it. I knew it would not survive there with the “train kids” living nearby so I walked it home and called it in.
Unfortunately, the proper agency dealing with Hawks could not get to me until morning and by that time I had befriended it. I gave it water and researched what food it ate, but it wouldn’t eat anything I gave it. Not being familiarized with Hawks or birds in general, I knew I did the right thing for that bird. I was pleased the bird warmed up to me as fast as it did because it really belittled the inconvenience factor of the whole situation. A day to remember with very few set backs and no scars~
15. April 2009 at 8:11 pm :
Another rescue came at a time I was finishing a photo shoot in Malibu. Before I left town to come home, I stopped at a beach to rest. Within minutes of arriving, a sea lion beached from the water and made it’s way straight into my direction. When it came close enough I noticed it had been wounded. Assuming it just wanted to escape and relax I quickly dug a flat in a shaded area within feet of my location. To my surprise, that sea lion nestled right into it with me nearby. I gave it enough space to allow it to fall into a sleep.
In the meantime I asked a person walking by to call it in explaining the situation. We waited there maybe 30 minutes before this tweaker showed up yelling at us to get away from it. He stated it was VERY dangerous and showed no appreciation for our help. He decided it was his job to single-handily capture and rescue that sea lion instead of ask us questions or utilize our capabilities to assist him in any way. I found that experience was taken from good to bad in an instant. I wish I could have done more, but I know I will remember the good from it~
15. April 2009 at 8:23 pm :
Becky wrote:
“Many put out poisons to kill them, then the bodies are eaten by other land and sky scavengers who suffer terribly before they die and the poison is then transferred to other wildlife.”
I remember how my parents learned not to put out poison for the rodent infestation under our house years back. Sad story, but good ending. I gave my mom a dog for Christmas in 2000. She named it Licorice (black lab) and in 2002 they moved into an older house. The house had many faults that allowed rats to shelter and feed within. Refusing to pay for a service to remove them or gain access to the rodent living locations, poison was placed at the opening of every entrance the rats were seen.
Well, it just so happened, Licorice was able to access one of the poisons placed and did so. My step-father gave her mouth to mouth and rushed her to the vet where they saved her life. Tears were shed and moments of despair were instilled in the hearts of my family until she recovered, but she did recover and is active and healthy now at 8 years of age.
Moral of the story: It’s better to pay for a removal service or a service to allow you access to deal with it yourself rather than pay the vet bill and experience that emotional hardship~
15. April 2009 at 8:38 pm :
Becky wrote:
“All life must work together on this earth. We need the animals including all the bugs and worms.”
I have a perfect example of this. So, down the street we have a Mosquito Research Facility. Does anyone like Mosquitoes? I know I don’t. So the city decides back in 2004 to spray this toxin from the research facility in all the mosquito breeding areas. It worked well. It killed mosquito breeding. The one setback was during mosquito season, the large animal on the food chain (mosquito eaters: frogs, lizards, et cetera) either died or made their way away from those areas.
Not much longer after that came fly season. With nothing to eat the flies, we had a huge fly problem. That fly problem still exists even though the mosquitoes are making their way back to the breeding grounds once sprayed.
The moral of this story: Don’t alter nature because you can’t control it. If you do, there will be consequences. If you don’t like tornadoes, do not live in tornado alley. If you do not like the heat, do not live near the equator. If you do not like mosquitoes, move to a dry place where they cannot breed or deal with it in your own personal space~
15. April 2009 at 8:40 pm :
Oh, by the way, I like spiders because they generate webs to catch flying bugs so I carefully remove them from the inside of the house to just outside the doors and windows. Strategically placed!~
15. April 2009 at 9:01 pm :
I do consider the common pests are wildlife. I don’t go out of my way to kill them or bring them harm. We use natural deterrents for common pests as well as natural insect repellents for our bodies and animals bodies.
Where do I draw the line? I use natural boundaries. There is no line between what is important and what is not in my opinion. To me every living thing that has a neural system and can think, feel and suffer is of equal importance and nature has given us all the tools we need to keep boundaries. If wild life is threatening my life, I use avoidance first then natural repellents, if it fails I use the most humane method possible to remove the “pest” from my space. Trap/release is my first plan of action, if that is not possible then a quick kill is my second. Even wild life uses avoidance, repellents, warnings, then attack….humans need not be any different.
15. April 2009 at 9:08 pm :
Perfectly stated!! You cannot control nature but there are natural repellents to most things. If you study nature you can learn ways to green up your space to repel most common insects, rodents and reptiles. You can attract things that will prey on other things and help keep your space in balance. Bats are also good insect eaters, spiders (Love the comment about the spider webs) frogs, birds etc. They all have a place and if you come into harmony with nature you can keep away those nasty pests without causing harm to animals or environment.
17. April 2009 at 7:03 pm :
[...] should all be more aware of animal welfare and take action to put an end to the abuse of animals. These are just a few ways to stop animal [...]
21. April 2009 at 8:11 pm :
Some of the ways we can help care for animals is when you give to a food bank..encourage them to also except donations of dog/cat food. Or if you know of a struggling family,, when its gift giving time… also give a gift to their pet… aka some treats or dog/cat food.
Also if you are looking for a pet..always adopt from one and animal shelter.
22. April 2009 at 3:04 am :
Sheri – thats a cute idea! Animals of needy families are equally as needy!
22. April 2009 at 10:10 pm :
Hiya April…yes they
and I have never really understood why food banks etc dont have it where people can donate dog/cat food.
But I also wanted to share that if there is a dog food company in your area… they often will give you free dog/cat food if you sign an aggreement that you will donate a certain percentage to the local animal shelter or human society. Of course its the dry dog/cat food and the bags have been ripped but its stilll the real deal. Thats what duck tape is for
9. June 2009 at 7:34 pm :
Love the site! Nothing like cute animals to get me through the day lol. I am going to add your feed to my google reader. Hopefully you update regularaly. Thanks!
26. June 2009 at 1:35 pm :
Great post! I love that you are taking the time to write about pet care. This is something near and dear to my heart. Take care.
9. July 2009 at 5:48 pm :
Great post. How often do you update? I am looking for new stuff to toss in my feed reader and this might be good. Later