June 13th through the 19th is National Animal Rights Awareness Week, and we would like to bring this to your attention so that you can be knowledgeable and aware of what it entails and why it matters.
What Is It?
Every year during the third week of June Animal Rights Awareness Week is observed. The purpose is to educate people about the campaign that supports animal rights and to help bring them the tools they need. The focus of the campaign is to advocate for the humane treatment of all animals ranging from pets to farm animals to wildlife in general. In addition to this, consciousness in regards to animals that are used in medical research and testing is also highlighted. This campaign has been in effect since 1991 when an organization named In Defense of Animals founded Animal Rights Awareness Week as part of their goal to encourage education in regards to the welfare of animals and to help protect them and their habitats.
How Can You Celebrate #AnimalRightsAwarenessWeek
- Educate yourself about where the products that you use come from and see if they are humanely obtained or not.
- Consider buying only products from brands that are cruelty-free.
- It is absolutely horrifying how many animals suffer and/or get killed in the process of animal testing every year. In the United States labs aren’t required to report all of the animals that they use in testing so there is no sure way of knowing exactly how many animals suffered discreetly, but it is estimated to be over 115 million every year. Think about it, that is a lot. Also, it is important to be aware of what laboratory testing entails. These animals are blinded, burned, cut, forced to inhale and inject harmful substances, and the list just goes on. There are many products that are labeled as “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals” but this poses a problem because these products still could have been tested on animals by other companies or at certain stages during the development before the product became available for purchase. Your best bet would be to do a lot of thorough research and buy products that feature the Leaping Bunny logo. Make sure to not overlook checking your soaps, make-up, skincare, etc since these types of items seem to incur the most animal testing.
- Support the Humane Cosmetics Act. This act would make it illegal to conduct or commission animal testing for finished products and ingredients, and ban the import of products that have been tested on animals in other countries around the world.
- Volunteer at a local shelter.
- Support spaying and neutering programs that exist in your area.
- Do not buy items that are made from fur or genuine leather.
- Did you know that every year there are over 100 million animals killed on fur farms? Even if your clothing item has the tiniest amount of fur, the amount of suffering the animal underwent is immense. The animals that are part of the fur trade are either farmed or even trapped in the wild and merely for fashion's sake undergo very painful deaths.
- Consider adopting pets from shelters versus buying them.
- Similarly, if you do decide to buy from a breeder make sure to do your research and find a reputable one.
- Engage in discussions about animal rights and spread the word.
- You can either do this in person by bringing up this topic in your conversations with family and friends, or you can use social media. By using social media your reach is furthered so much more, it is a tool that makes spreading awareness so much easier than ever before. You can either post things that create your own posts which initiate awareness about the many inhumane circumstances that animals face or repost the posts of other people and/or companies that pertain to animal rights. In addition to this using #AnimalRightsAwarenessWeek would be very helpful.
Remember that loving animals means loving all animals, not simply the ones that reside in our homes. Make sure to take note of Animal Rights Awareness Week, and do your part in making sure that all animals start to receive better treatment. Get involved, help out animals. As Anthony Douglas Williams said “When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.” Think about that.
Sources
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/animal-rights-awareness-week-third-week-in-june/
https://www.idausa.org/news/animal-rights-awareness-week/
Diana G.
