The 4th of October is World Animal Day! Aside from being a totally valid reason to stay home and cuddle your pets, what is World Animal Day and how do you celebrate it? The purpose of World Animal Day is to raise awareness and to provide effective protection for species worldwide.
The day encourages animal welfare organisations, community groups, clubs, businesses and individuals to draw attention to animal issues and make the front page news – a vital catalyst for change.
Throughout history, social movements like World Animal Day have always been a major vehicle for ordinary people’s participation, and key in fighting for social justice and reform. Around the world, there have been many successful social movements that challenged injustice and promoted democracy, with ground-breaking laws being passed in response.
The lives of animals are profoundly affected by the actions of individuals, businesses and nations. It’s therefore essential that, as sentient beings, their rightful status as recipients of social justice is established and translated into effective animal protection. There is no doubt that increased awareness of animal issues via the availability of accurate information, combined with better education for both adults and children, is helping to develop a compassionate culture that is slowly feeding into legal reform and social progress.
Here are 5 simple ways to participate:
-
Donate to nonprofit organizations
Giving whatever you can afford to a nonprofit organization for animals is a really effective and easy way to make a massive change, especially for those who wish they could do more but just don’t have the time to. Have a look at some of our favourite organizations here or find one local to you:
– Monkey Helpline
– Nambiti Anti-Poaching Unit
– Sea Shepherd
– Edgar’s Mission
– WIRES
– Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary -
Volunteer your time either online or at a local shelter or animal sanctuary.
Have a look at the volunteer platform on World Animal Day’s Website. They have listings from all over the world and they have online opportunities available too.
-
Purchase cruelty-free cosmetics and household products.
A good place to start is to look for a ‘cruelty-free’ stamp or symbol on the products you purchase. In South Africa, you can look out for the Beauty Without Cruelty bunny!
-
Go plant-based or support Meat Free Mondays
Eating less meat is an easy way to spare the lives of innocent animals. The less meat we eat, the fewer animals need to be born into a life of cruelty. We kill over 60 billion land animals and 2740 billion fish every year for food. If you can’t commit to going plant-based right off the bat, give Meat Free Mondays a try. It’s a small move with a big impact.
-
Show your own animal a little extra love.
Go for an extra walk, make your pet’s favorite meal or buy a fun toy or treat your pet to an afternoon of fun.
