Animal Rights Awareness Week
As a stress management and fitness coach, it’s my job to help people become healthier and take care of themselves. But why stop at just people?
The third week of June is Animal Rights Awareness Week! As much as I like to talk about helping humans stay healthy, let’s not forget our animal friends, too. Their health and safety is important. After all, we are all on this earth together. When we care about the earth and take care of animals, it benefits nature as a whole.
When it comes to animal rights, there are a variety of different issues to focus on, including some you may not be aware of. The purpose of Animal Rights Awareness Week is to help people become better informed about the ways animals are treated. Mistreatment of animals usually happens away from the public eye, so here are a few issues I wanted to shine a light on:
Puppy mills
Puppy mills are businesses that seek to breed dogs and sell them -- without putting the needs of the dog first. Profits are their first priority, not the dogs’ wellbeing. Dogs in these facilities often suffer from malnourishment, filthy living conditions, and untreated diseases. To make matters worse, the USDA often lets puppy mills get away with their inhumane treatment of dogs. A law called the Animal Welfare Act is supposed to protect these dogs, but unfortunately, the law isn’t enforced very strictly.
Factory farms and depopulation
“Factory farms” are large farms that are designed to maximize profits and reduce costs by any means necessary, even if it means treating animals cruelly. A variety of horrible and violent practices take place on factory farms, and the pandemic made things worse. Faced with pandemic-fueled shutdowns and worker shortages, these farms found themselves with a backlog of animals that they planned to slaughter. They resorted to mass-killing animals in ways that are extreme and disturbing.
Chickens and eggs
Chickens are commonly eaten as food, but how many people who eat chicken actually know how chickens are treated? Animal rights organizations are working to spread awareness, and they are pushing for companies to end the practice of live-shackle slaughter. This method of killing chickens is incredibly painful, and it’s also unnecessary. Eggs are another commonly eaten food, but what’s also common is the practice of stuffing hens into battery cages. These small cages hold several hens at a time, and the cramped hens are constantly bumping and scratching each other because there’s no room to move around. The good news is that more and more egg companies are going cage-free!
Environmental concerns
Protecting the environment is an important part of animal rights. When animals’ natural habitats are destroyed or damaged, the animals that live there have to struggle to survive -- and many don’t make it. For example, deforestation is a major threat to animals because forests are home to 80% of the world’s land-based species. When too much forest land is cleared out too quickly, forest animals are often left without a home and adequate food and water. Ocean pollution is another significant problem for animals. Pollutants such as plastic waste, oil, and carbon emissions make it difficult for ocean animals to stay alive. If you care about animal rights, caring about the environment is a must.
Things you can do
Animals can’t speak up to defend themselves -- that’s why we have to. Even though you are only one person, you can make a difference! Every person who takes action makes an impact. Try these ideas:
Spread the word about animal rights issues on social media, and use the #animalrightsawarenessweek hashtag
Donate to animal rights organizations
Volunteer at animal shelters
Pay attention to the brands you buy from and buy from cruelty-free brands
“Adopt, Don’t Shop.” Adopt pets from shelters or rescues instead of buying from breeders
Look into ways you can be more environmentally friendly, like reducing plastic waste and shrinking your carbon footprint
Health and wellness is important for animals, not just people. When animals are healthy, our whole world is a better place.
