7 Ways You Can Support Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month ...

This year, the ASPCA has launched a pledge which aims to make more people aware of the plight of some animals, and garner support. It costs nothing to sign and share, and really sends a message that you are on board with supporting this cause. The higher the signatures, the more the ASPCA can hope to get in funding after Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month, too. You can sign it here: aspca.org.

Orange is the color of this year's ASPCA campaign, and you can go orange in any way you like. Encourage your work to allow you all to add something orange to your outfit, make your social media orange, buy an orange support t-shirt, buy your pet an orange collar or bowl, decorate your home or office with orange ribbons… Anything that shows off your support, and gets others’ attention. I’m busy making orange cupcakes right now!

If you’ve got some time to spare, whether as a one-off or on a regular basis, get in touch with some local shelters and see if you can help out. Whether it’s taking a dog for a walk, playing with the cats, doing home visits or making feeds, you could make a big difference, and you’ll get a really proud feeling of achievement afterwards. It’s well worth the effort, and you get to meet some adorable animals, too.

Okay, so if you were going to get a new animal, you’ve probably already thought about adopting. It can have a surprisingly bad rep for no good reason, though! Adopting an animal gives it another chance at life, and is often much cheaper than buying from a breeder. It also means you can skip the bite-y, destructive puppy stage, and get a reliable, older friend who is already trained. Give a few rescues a visit, and see if your new family member is just waiting for you.

For the month of April, boycott any stores that sell puppies. Puppies that are sold for stores come from puppy farms, where dogs are bred continuously until they die. The dogs are never health tested, and the puppies often live in hideous conditions. It’s no wonder that there’s such a lot of death and illness. Even if you only usually stock up on supplies or food, you are supporting the farming. Boycott for April, and let the store know why. Then keep it going, if you can, and save more puppies from this horrible fate.

Research who deals with animal cruelty cases in your area, and write to them telling them that animal cruelty cases are a priority, and should be dealt with quickly and effectively. Make the information needed to report animal cruelty in your area well-known, by posting it on your website, or putting it on the council site, and consider setting up an animal watch team that reports any cases of suspected animal abuse. It’s surprising how many cases go unreported each year.

Take on a challenge, and raise some money. It might sounds overdone, but it’s so rewarding! Try getting sponsored to go white-water rafting, have a pet show, run a marathon, sell animal fete tickets, have an orange bake sale. Any amount of money can help, and groups such as Brownies and Scouts can often raise money and learn important lessons at the same time. It’s a great way to really help support Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month!

If you don’t have any free time to do something physical for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month, try to find five minutes to read up on the key signs of animal abuse, and teach your children how to behave around and respect animals instead. Every little bit helps! Have you got a great idea for raising awareness and support? I’d love to hear it!