What better way to celebrate the American Humane Society’s (AHS) Be Kind to Animals Week (May 6-12) than by learning how to better care for your pet, adopt a new pet, or get involved in legislative advocacy and help pets have a better life.
Whatever you can do, large or small, will be appreciated by the millions of animals who may be treated even a tad bit kinder. It is meritorious to volunteer at a shelter or get involved in Trap Neuter Return programs to reduce the feral cat population. It’s also essential to get informed, and know the issues affecting animals in your state and your region. They differ from state to state, and there’s no one answer or solution. However, being kind to animals and educating others as to why they also should be kind to animals is a huge step in the right direction.
Celebrated every year since 1915, Be Kind to Animals Week is designed to celebrate the role of animals in our lives, promote ways to treat them humanely and encourage others, especially children, to do the same. One way of doing this is to encourage kids to participate in the AHS’s Be Kind to Animals™ Kid Contest that recognizes children who go above and beyond to create a better world for animals. AHS also offers a number of online education materials to help professionals integrate humane treatment of animals into their educational curriculum.
If you don’t think policies and legislation can affect your special furry friends, you’re wrong. Advocacy for animals can make a huge difference in their safety and well-being. Many national animal rights organization work in behalf of enacting state and federal laws to better protect our furry friends. Many like the American Humane Society work to better protect animals in general to make sure they are treated as humanely as possible. These organizations also engage in grassroots outreach to mobile people, communities and organizations to speak up for better laws. Through organized Action Alerts, they keep you posted about specific federal and state specific legislation or regulations.
Since our companion friends cannot speak out for themselves, they need our help.
Animal cruelty and abuse is not right, nor is it humane. It also can be a sign that other types of domestic abuse is happening, and many times, a child will kick around a dog or cat, taking out their frustration and fear on a dog, cat or other animal.
There’s no better way that being kind to animals that taking care of your own pet. Read blogs, brochures, and books about feline care. Pet writers like me want to share credible, reliable information to help you make the best decisions about flea and tick control, spay/neuter programs reducing pet overpopulation, vaccinations and rabies’ shots, proper identification, dental care, annual pet exams, and overall pet health. We want to share what’s good and what’s not. We write to help make sure these companion friends that we find are so special have the best care possible, and their owners are armed with the information they need to make the best possible decisions. .
Another way of being kind to animals is to adopt from a shelter or rescue organization. Every year, an estimated 3.7 million animals must be euthanized (the number actually may be even higher) at our nation’s shelters because they could not be adopted into loving homes. Maybe your friend can adopt out all her kittens, but those new kitten owners might otherwise have adopted one from the local shelter. That shelter kitten may not have found a good home because of this well-intentioned move. The American Humane Society and other pet friendly organization have information on how you can select that special dog or cat that’s right for you.
Do you have a story about how you’ve been kind to animals? What have you done to better the life of one of your special furry companion friends? Do you have any suggestions on how we can spread the word, especially amongst children, about being kind to animals?