This week (May 6-12) is Be Kind to Animals Week. The American Humane Association started this national awareness week 92 years ago, in 1915. Their mission was the same then as it is today: to raise awareness about the importance of being kind to animals, and to educate people about the importance and impact animals have on our lives.
Be a Part of It!
Aimee and I are both big time animal lovers. (Naturally. You’d hope to have such people assigned to the Pets Blog, wouldn’t you? The managers at Families.com excel at placing bloggers in appropriate subjects, but I believe they’ve done an especially good job with us.) Because we routinely practice being kind to animals, much of what we write about coincides with the AHA’s recommendations for ways to get involved this week. For your convenience, relevant articles have been referenced immediately following each suggestion.
• Lend your voice to animals: When laws need to be passed (or enforced) make sure you speak up! (This includes reporting neglect and abuse when you see it.)
Related Articles:
Is It Ever Okay to Kick a Dog?
PETitionz.org: Your Link to Voicing Pet Food Recall Concerns
• Give ‘em a break: Wildlife, that is. The AHA suggests creating habitats in your yard, for birds and bats and such. However, I know some people find critters like deer, rabbits, and moles threats to their gardens. Consider a humane way of discouraging them from trespassing instead of setting out traps and poisons to permanently eliminate them.
Related Article: Birds, No Cages Required
• Lead by example: It’s one thing to tell others, including your children, how to act towards animals, but guess what? That old axiom, “Actions speak louder than words,” is too true. If you’re kind, it’s likely you’ll inspire the same in others.
Related Articles:
The Open Road and a Carload of Puppies
• Donations: Whether it’s to a local shelter or any of the hundreds of animal welfare organizations out there, your money, time, even old newspapers and towels can be put to good use.
Related Articles:
Five Non-Cash Ways to Help Animals/Shelters This Holiday Season
Six Creative Fundraising Ideas
• Save a Life, Adopt: If you can and it’s a good time to add to your family, do it. Or better yet, go one further and check off several items from this list at one time by being kind to wildlife, setting a good example, and adopting –by symbolically adopting an animal from your local zoo or the World Wildlife Fund. (See Hippopotamus article below for more info.)
Related Articles:
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
• Spay and Neuter: Animals get lost, sure, but that’s not one of the main reasons there are shelters. Fight overpopulation by getting your pet fixed.
Related Article: Pet Overpopulation Statistics