Start an Animal SanctuaryHow to Help Animals

Photo credit – Vegan Outreach

Something effective that every wannabe animal activist can do is leafleting. Whether you have a spare half an hour or a whole day you can make a big difference to animals by giving out leaflets.

You can drop the literature in your neighbours’ letter boxes, or you can go all out and spend the day in a public area, like a town centre or shopping centre distributing your leaflets.

You can get leaflets which cover a whole range of animal rights issues from the major animal rights organizations like PETA, Animals Australia, Animal Liberation. These are just a few of the organizations where you can order or download leaflets. There are many others, just Google ‘animal rights organizations’ in your area and you will find more.

Leaflets are available on all kinds of issues, but one of the most effective is vegan literature. By promoting veganism you will make a huge difference even if only one person decides to change their diet after reading the pamphlet. Veganism often has a chain effect eg, I became vegan and then my husband became vegan and one of his colleagues at work then became vegetarian and so on. One person making the change really can make a huge difference and if you gave out the leaflet that prompted the change, then think how much you helped animals.

There is a wonderful organization called Vegan Outreach in the US that makes excellent pro-vegan literature which you can order. They even have an Adopt a College program where you can hand out vegetarian pamphlets to students.  If the option is available be sure to choose leaflets made from recycled paper.

Many organizations will give you the resources you need free of charge, as you are helping to spread their message. Just give them a call first and you can either collect them or they can be sent to you. You can also download them off the Internet and print them yourself.

If you have a bit more time and are a creative person you could design your own leaflets. Again be sure to use recycled paper.

For less confident people dropping leaflets door to door may be the best option. There is no confrontation and you know people will discover the leaflet when they look through their mail. However there is probably more chance people may disregard the leaflet as junk, so try to use literature that has an eye catching headline and image to draw the reader in.

Perhaps more effective is giving out leaflets in busy, public areas. It can help to do this in a small group, so that you can cover more people. You will want to say something as you give the leaflet and I find a simple and non confrontational phrase like,

‘A leaflet to help the animals?’ works best . Accompany that with a bright smile and many people will take the leaflet and even take the time to read it.

Sometimes people will want to enter a discussion with you and that is fine if they are hoping to learn more about the issue, but if they are simply trying to get a rise out of you, try not get involved. Just turn away and say, ‘OK, well have a nice day’ and carry on leafleting to those who may be open to change.

Shopping malls are a good place to start, but even better are college and university campuses. Students are open to change and thirsty for knowledge and they are the perfect people to distribute leaflets to.

If you are interested in leafleting on a regular basis a wonderful book and my personal bible, is  Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism by Mark Hawthorne. This book covers all kinds of actions you can take to bring about change  and goes into depth about the value of leafleting.

Here are some points to remember when leafleting:

• Dress in a professional manner -  The more approachable you look, the more likely someone is to take a leaflet from you.
• Smile – You will look more approachable and seem friendly. This can change someone’s view of the whole animal rights movement for the better.
• Be polite – If someone is trying to aggravate you it may be hard to stay cool, but it is important to do so. Use pleasantries such as please and thank you.
• Don’t over commit yourself – Even half an hour a week is a great start. You can always work up to more leafleting time later on. It is important to avoid burn out.

Here is a quote from Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism about leafleting,

‘Jon Camp (a Vegan Outreach pamphleter) points out, it’s important to remember how much good leafleting does for animals.

“In just a matter of an hour,” he says, “we can oftentimes reach hundreds of individuals with this information. Even if just one individual goes vegetarian out of this, we’re looking at approximately thirty-five birds and mammals spared a life of suffering per year. This is not including the number of people who will be more empathetic to farmed animal issues and such. In short this is a highly effective and efficient use of time”‘

You can make a difference. Order some leaflets and get started, even if you only have half an hour per week spare. It’s worth it for the animals.

Photo Credit: DebateitOut.com

If you feel helpless when it comes to animal rights, perhaps you should consider joining a local animal rights group, or if one doesn’t exist, start your own!

One of my favorite times of the month is when David and Me attend our local Animal Liberation meetings. It is a great chance to be around like-minded people and think of ideas to help animals. It is amazing how when we all put our heads together we can get things done. Jobs like making placards are so much more fun when you are in a group. You can also do things just for fun, like hold a vegan pot luck, or bbq, making it a great chance to socialize.

Not only can you organize leaflet drops, stalls and protests as a group. You can also enjoy the company of other animal activists and feel good knowing you are taking action for something you believe in.

If you live in Australia you can check out Animal Liberation and Animals Australia websites to see whether there is already an animal action group in your local area. If you live elsewhere just Google animal rights organizations in your area and see what comes up. You can also contact organizations like PETA to see whether they can put you in touch with a local group.

If there is no group local to you, then you can start your own.

You may wish to contact a large organization such as PETA, so you can use their pamphlets etc for leafleting and join in their action network. The other option is to start your own general group and not affiliate with just one organization. Some people prefer to start  a group specific to one area of animal activism. For example, an anti fur group or an anti-vivisection group. This is good for people who feel strongly about these issues, but not so much others.

Finding People to Join Your Animal Action Group

If you already have a group of friends who want to help animals then that is a great start, but ideally you want as many people to come together as possible to make the group really effective. Here are some ideas to promote your animal rights group:

• Place an advert in your local paper - This is how I found out about the first animal rights group I joined. A simple classified ad. It barely costs anything and is totally worth it. Something like   -

Animal Rights Group Meeting (Date) at Town Hall.

Open to all animal lovers.

A great place to meet like-minded people and make a difference.

Snacks and drinks provided.

Gold coin donation. (Name and Phone Number)

It is a good idea to place an ad the week before every meeting and send out an email, so people don’t forget.

• Leafleting – Design a simple leaflet informing people of the meeting. You can distribute this to local mail boxes. You can also ask shops whether you can display it in the window. Be sure to include a contact phone number/email and the time and place of the meeting.

• Contact Large Animal Rights Organizations - Send PETA, or your countries main animal rights group an email. They may be able to put you in contact with people in your area who want to help animals.

• Word of mouth – Talk to people. Many people love animals and may not know that much about animal rights. Still they could add value to your group and you could help them learn more about animal rights.

How Often Do You Want to Hold a Meeting?

Organizing an animal action group does take work, so don’t set your sights too high to start with. Most people will not be able to attend a meeting every week. A Monthly meeting is a good place to start. You may want to hold the meeting on a weekday evening (around 7pm) or on the weekend. Choose one and then listen to your members to see what would work best for them (and you) in the future.

Book a Venue

Usually a local youth club, church or leisure centre will have rooms you can rent out for the meeting. You will probably not need much room to start with. If there is a place you can plug the kettle in that is great. Ask for a gold coin donation from members to help you pay, or talk to the venue and see whether they will give you a reduced price or a free room for the meeting.

When it comes to the day of the meeting put a sign on the door with your Animal Rights Group name, so people know they have come to the right placed.

Agenda

Plan an agenda of things to discuss. If people want to add things to the agenda they can contact you before the meeting.

You may want to schedule in some multimedia to make things more interesting. Animal rights DVDs are available from most organizations and could provide a great intro to the movement for newbies.

There will be debate – there always is and things will get off track. This is fine, but the agenda will give you a frame for the meeting.

Take Minutes

Jot down any ideas that the group comes up with in the meeting. You can then email the group a copy later (be sure to take everyone’s names and emails).

Make it your goal to plan at least one event every meeting, whether it is having people run a stall, leafleting or a protest. You can delegate jobs to others as well.

See whether you can get hold of leaflets, stickers etc from one of the major animal rights organizations. That way people can take them before they go home. After all a lot of people who come to the meeting may not have any idea of the cruelty involved in the dairy or meat industry. Be accepting and encouraging to these people and allow them to become informed. You should welcome all animal lovers who want to make a difference into the group.

Don’t Be Ashamed of Small Beginnings

So only two people show up on the first meeting? No worries – it’s a start! Be sure to give people leaflets with the meeting time and place for them to distribute if they want to. This will help publicize the meeting for next time.

No matter how small a difference you can make to the suffering of animals it still helps and it is worth it. Even if one person picks up a leaflet and decides to go veggie, that is a fantastic accomplishment.

So take action and make 2010 the year you really make a difference!

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Photo Credit: FarmSanctuary.org

If you love animals, want to stand up for animal rights and need to make a living, then you may want to explore the possibilities of working in an animal sanctuary or for an animal rights organization. This is a great option for people who cannot afford to start their own sanctuary, or simply need more experience with animals and the running of a shelter.

Are You Suited to Working in an Animal Sanctuary?

To work in an animal sanctuary you need to have a huge love of animals. The work can be hard and somewhat draining, so a true desire to help animals will make this so much easier. As well as loving spending time with animals, it is important to be compassionate. Rescued animals have sometimes been through hard times. They may be traumatized and have behavioral problems. They could be skittish or even aggressive. Patience and empathy are needed to help these animals.

Working for an animal rights organization is suited to both practical (hands on) people and people who are more academic. There are jobs available working with the animals and others where you can work in the office and on animal rights campaigns.

You may want to look into the kind of animal shelter/organization you are applying for a job at. Some may be no-kill shelters, but others may take in so many cats and dogs etc that they have little option but to euthanize some of these animals. This can be very hard to deal with, especially if you are very sensitive (like me). If you find this hard to deal with you may want to apply at no kill shelters or an office job involving animal rights.

You must try and remember that euthanasia is sometimes the kindest option, especially for very sick animals. This is why it is essential to spread the message to spay and neuter pets, so that less animals are euthanised in shelters. Some organizations like the RSPCA will put healthy animals to sleep even if there is another option. If you can get on the inside of one of these organizations, perhaps you could help bring about change.

You have more chance of getting a job in animal rights if you have shown a true commitment to the cause. Gain experience by volunteering at a shelter, or perhaps organize protests and leafleting campaigns in your local area.

Many animal sanctuaries advocate vegetarianism and veganism. Out of respect for the animals you work with/for you should consider changing your diet to a more compassionate one.

A qualification in animal care may help you get a job and if you are a qualified vet or veterinary nurse even better!

What Kind of Jobs Are Available in an Animal Sanctuary?

Many sanctuaries do not have the funds to employ anyone and rely heavily on volunteers, but larger (better funded) sanctuaries and organizations employ people in many different roles. You could be a shelter manager, animal carer, driver, receptionist, administrator, accountant, campaign organizer, fund raising manager, vet, vet nurse, animal behaviorist, education organizer, school speaker, employee trainer. There are other jobs you may not even have thought of.

How Much Money Can You Make?

Generally jobs in not for profit organizations such as animal sanctuaries and animal rights organizations are low paid. People who work in this field, do not do it for the money. They do it for the love of the animals and a desire to bring about change. Of course you will be paid a livable wage and this will vary from place to place. Your compensation will be huge in that you will have a very rewarding job and will be making a difference in the world. You will also be gaining valuable experience if one day you plan to start your own sanctuary or non profit organization.

How Will You Be Able to Help Animals?

Working as part of an animal rights organization or a sanctuary is a great way to help animals. You may already volunteer, write letters and take part in protests and you will know how great it feels to be proactive and part of bringing about change. Imagine how great you would feel if that was part of your 9-5 job.

You can make a difference to individual animals lives as well as progressing the movement as a whole. Working with animals really is a wonderful way to spend your life.

Consider Volunteering

There are limited paid jobs available in the sanctuary and animal rights movement. A great way to get your foot in the door is to volunteer or become an intern. You can gain loads of knowledge and hands on experience.

Even if it does not lead to a job volunteering is a wonderful thing to do in your spare time and can make a huge difference to the organization. It also looks good on your resume when you apply for other jobs.

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One of the best things I have ever done was my volunteer work at an animal sanctuary in the UK (where I used to live). I had always loved animals and I was a vegetarian at the time, but it was the time spent at the sanctuary that made it clear to me that one day I wanted to run my own sanctuary. I had no idea that it would be here in NSW Australia, but I knew that I wanted to make helping animals my life.

For anyone who is considering making saving animals their life, it is a great idea to spend some time volunteering. Not only can you help a charity and gain valuable hands on experience with animals, but you can also get an idea of whether the sanctuary lifestyle is really for you. Volunteering can be a real eye opener. It shows you the good, such as when an animal is placed in a wonderful home, or when you are able to offer refuge to stray animals and the bad, such as when animals fall ill, or die. You can also see the huge costs involved in food, care, shelter and veterinary treatment.

The sanctuary I volunteered at was fairly small, but was a wonderful refuge to many animals. There were around 70 cats, rabbits, rats, chinchillas, geese, chickens, ducks, 2 white donkeys Ivy and Noel and Dennis, the naughty Shetland pony. We also had a wonderful Jersey cow named Annabel. There were only ever a few dogs at a time, but the dogs that came in were all placed in wonderful new homes.

I usually helped out (along with my best friend Melissa) in the morning and our first job was to clean out around 5o cat litter trays (some cats shared). That was a smelly way to start the day, but once all the animals were clean, fed and watered it felt wonderful and we would start on the huge pile of washing up.

After all the daily chores we would enjoy walking the dogs, or making play areas for the chinchillas or rabbits. It was a really great time.

I have also volunteered at a wildlife sanctuary, horse sanctuary and I have helped out with admin work at the offices of various animal rights organizations.

If you would like to volunteer for an animal sanctuary or animal rights organization do a Google search for your local groups. For example, if you live in Sydney you could search for: ‘Sydney animal sanctuary’. Then take a look through the results and see whether any websites come up that offer volunteer opportunities. If you know of smaller organizations that may not have a website, just contact them by phone and ask if they would like any help. Even if you only have one day free a week, you could make a difference to a charity and gain experience.

This year I am busy working my butt off, saving for a deposit for the farm sanctuary I plan to set up, but I would also like to gain a little more experience. I know there is an RSPCA shelter near me, which would accept volunteers, but I plan to research to see whether there are any other organizations around the area.

The RSPCA do some things differently than I would. I worked briefly at another branch of the RSPCA and although I saw many animals come in and find new and happy homes I also saw many things that disturbed me. Examples included purposefully giving volunteers grotty jobs (like dealing with dead animals), so as not to have to bother to teach them properly and putting healthy animals to sleep when there was still room in the shelter.

I am sure other branches of the RSPCA would not treat volunteers so badly, as usually volunteers are highly valued and relied upon by these organizations.

If you do want to volunteer at an RSPCA branch you could begin to make a difference from the inside and perhaps help the animals. There are many staff within the RSPCA that care deeply for animals. However it only takes a few people (especially if they are managers, or in a powerful position) to well and truly mess things up.

If you are a volunteer leave a comment and let us know what you have been doing. If you cannot commit to running your own animal sanctuary, volunteering or fostering rescued animals could be a great way to help animals, whilst you continue on your own path.

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