Stop Animal Cruelty

Wherever you go and wherever you look, you will see reports of animal cruelty and abuse. It seems to be on the increase as it is often published on a daily basis. Is this because of the increased awareness of animal abuse or is it because there are more cases of it happening?

I would like to think that awareness of animal cruelty has increased, but it is more likely to be the latter: there are more cases of it occurring. So what can we, as humans, do about these cases of animal abuse?

'Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.' - PETA

Unfortunately, in order to campaign against something, you need to research about it. That can often mean viewing distressing images, making and viewing videos and reading about individual cases. Many people choose to be on the front-line of animal cruelty and will rescue victims of animal neglect as well as making regular reports of the cases they come across. However, not all of us are able to take this path. This could be due to financial difficulties, lack of opportunity, lack of time, other commitments and so on. But, there are other things you can do!

1. Join one of the very many charities which will give you the latest news of any campaigns they may be involved in, the ability to donate direct to the charity, find out about fundraising activities that you can take part in. Some of the most popular charities include Spana, Animal Aid, PETA, SHARK, WSPA, The League, RSPCA and so on.
2. Decide which animals you would like to help. This will help you channel all your efforts into one or more areas. 
3. Create your own petition: Ban Horse Slaughter in the UK
4. Join and subscribe to every weblog, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and any other resources of information you can find. Re-tweet or repost any report you are angry at in order to get the word out about the cases involved. 
5. Post flyers around drawing attention to cases of animal cruelty. Be careful where you post them and ask permission when you can.

1. Donate unwanted items to animal charities such as the PDSA and visit charity shops regularly for books to read, films to watch and to update your wardrobe and home.
2. Buy any pets from a animal shelter such as Battersea Dogs Home or a reputable breeder. Avoid buying pets from pet shops as many tend to originate from puppy mills and hoarders. 
3. Go vegetarian or vegan (do not eat any animal products include dairy, eggs etc)
4. Only buy products from companies that do not support animal testing, avoid supporting charities that do test on animals. Body Shop and Unilever, for example, do not test on animals. Proctor and Gamble, on the other hand, do. Boycott their products!
5. Support local initiatives: Ask local restaurants and grocery stores to switch to cage-free eggs. You can also encourage local stores that sell live animals to stop. 
6. Educate others: Teach children to respect animals and be a good example by treating them with kindness. You can also educate people around you about animal cruelty and help them understand how to intervene. 

More ideas coming soon, so do keep returning for more advice and information.