National Justice for Animals Week: How you can help the helpless

Every year, thousands of animals are hurt in animal cruelty cases. That’s why important to keep animal abuse top-of-mind to educate the public about the importance of reporting any animal cruelty they witness.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s  annual National Justice for Animals Week runs Feb. 25 through March 5.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has been fighting for animal rights since 1979 and the mission of National Justice for Animals Week is to make animal abuse top-of-mind in an effort to educate the public about the importance of reporting incidents they witness, how to go about reporting it, and how to advocate for laws that will work harder to protect the rights of animals.

An average of nearly 2,000 animal cruelty cases are reported annually. Sadly, 60 percent of those cases involve dogs.

Neglect and abandonment are the most common forms of animal cruelty, followed by hoarding and unimaginable acts of violence.

Thankfully, everyone has the power to make a difference on some scale, and there are number of ways to get and stay involved.

Get educated

The first step is to arm yourself with a basic level of knowledge regarding the issues surrounding animal rights.

To support the direct mission of National Justice for Animals Week, familiarize yourself with the
many forms animal abuse can take and what to do when you witness animal cruelty.

Volunteer

The suggestion to volunteer can feel pretty vague and even overwhelming.

Where do you start? Locally!

Think about your specific interests and availability, and then get to work researching your local shelters and farm sanctuaries.

You can offer to walk dogs, spend time with feline friends, or even sponsor a farm animal.

Best case scenario? You fall in love with a companion and give them a home.

Create your own fundraiser

If you have the motivation to go the extra mile, consider creating your own fundraising event where you then donate all the money to a shelter or organization of your choice.

The ideas are endless: host a dog wash, set up a yoga with animals event with your local studio, etc.

Think about your own interests and the network you have at your disposal. Then leverage an online fundraising event platform to help you manage ticket sales and RSVPs.

If you’re short on time, there are a number of ways to fundraise digitally, with very little commitment. It can be as simple as dedicating your birthday to a cause on Facebook.

Get political

A very critical piece to the animal advocate puzzle is getting involved with the government. First, know what laws your state has in place and what may or may not be on the docket next.

Sign petitions, such as the ASPCA Pledge to Fight Cruelty and call or write to your local representatives to let them know you are paying attention to how they vote on and advocate for issues involving animal
cruelty.

Spread the word

We live in an era where we all have instant access to our networks, and it’s easier than ever to have our voices heard.

Use the platforms at your disposal to your advantage. Follow the Facebook and Instagram profiles of both local and national organizations and individual advocates.

Re-share adoption profiles they post and any information you see about other fundraisers and campaigns. This is also a great way to stay aware of various issues and to frequently donate small amounts to urgent situations.

Of course, you can always go old school and hang up flyers around town that help raise awareness about an issue or event. Include a QR code to make it easy for folks to get the information you want.

No matter the organization or animal that’s close to your heart, you can make a difference. Now you just need to make a plan to get involved.

– By Cara Benson, Eventbrite community manager