Animals are often forgotten by us. We get busy with our hectic lives and forget about those that, most of the time, are seen as being undeserving of rights. Everywhere I go, in ivariably get a few people asking me why they should care about the suffering of someone who isn't even human? Or I hear the argument that since animals aren't as intelligent as humans, it's okay that they suffer (I always ask if that means if it's okay for mentally challenged humans to suffer... that shuts them up). The question shouldn't be "are they as smart as us?" That's irrelevant. The question should be- can they feel? Can they feel pain? Panic? Grief? Loss? Or are they simply walking, breathing commodities to be used at will?
I don't believe they are. I have made it a point to spend the last 8 or so years of my life around non-human animals as much as I can and have identified traits commonly associated in humans as being indicative of rage, grief, joy, love and trust, among others.
Yet everyday, all sorts of loving and beautiful creatures are tortured needlessly because many people have been raised to believe that they DONT FEEL. This has to stop.
So how can you help? I think a good way to start is by becoming a vegetarian, or better yet, a vegan (someone who eats nothing that comes from animals of any kind). If that is impossible for you at this time, could you please consider limiting your consumption of animal products, banning animal products that involve crueler than average practices, such as veal...( the "production" of veal is heartbreaking) and the force feeding of ducks and geese to make pate from thier livers? Yes, I know that animals will still be killed if you stop eating meat. It won't change overnight! But no act of kindness is ever wasted and slowly things change as people become more socially aware. People BECOME more socially aware by having role models. Please consider modelling kindness for others. Vegetarian and vegan diets are also much healthier- granted, you get enough important minerals and vitamins, and enough protein. Check out PETA's PETAEATS website for more information about changing over to a vegetarian diet. If you want to give up meat but not milk and eggs, please consider purchasing only eggs from free range farms and milk that comes from farms where the cows are allowed to graze open pasture. Not all farms sell the calves for meat. Check out your suppliers and write letters to food companies that try to improve animal welfare standards. Click here to receive Peta's free Go Veg starter kit! To read about the "eternal treblinka" animals in the food industry must endure, go here: masskilling.com
How else can you help? You can boycott the use of all products that rely on animal testing. Animal testing is, very often, unnecessary but excruciatingly painful. For instance, rabbits are often used to test various makeups and sprays by having the chemicals in said products dropped into thier eyes! But UNLIKE humans, rabbits can not produce tears, and what little reflief a human might get by having their eyes naturally flush with tears is lost on rabbits. How, then, can rabbits give an accurate indication of how humans will respond? There are thousands of holes like these in logic of those that use animals to test cosmetics and house hold products... IT IS UNNECESSARY, period. BOYCOTT ALL PRODUCTS TESTED ON ANIMALS! To read more about the horrors test animals endure click here.