Animal right activism does not have to mean being a vegetarian, staging protests at your local KFC, or throwing paint at someone wearing fur.
I have belonged to the Animal Legal Defense Fund for a few years, and have always felt like they were doing exactly what they needed to. They fight the good legal fight for all animals everywhere.
Lately, everywhere I go, I see, or read about abandoned dogs, cats, rabbits. Who is helping all of them? Our local shelters, Humane Society, Best Friends.org, etc. There seem to be hundreds, if not thousands of organizations to help the abused or homeless domestic animal, but it is really never enough. People still hoard animals, abuse their supposedly beloved pets, and pay hundreds of dollars for a sometimes ill designer dog when thousands wait in shelters across America.
I read about egg laying chickens kept in battery cages smaller than a sheet of loose leaf paper, pigs in gestation crates, and just endless torture of all factory farm animals. These poor animals tend to be far off the radar of most Americans. Are there that many people who spend their time thinking about the living conditions of the egg laying chicken? If someone tells you about the plight of the factory farm animal, do you automatically think that person is some over zealous vegan demanding you stop eating everything but soy and pine nuts? For these animals there are not as many organizations. Let's face it, your local shelter is probably not equipped to take a pig. There are great organizations out there such as Farm Sanctuary. You'll probably notice I have a 'ChipIn' fundraiser dedicated to this group. I believe because these animals are not exactly furry and cuddly, they just don't get the same recognition and therefor the same kind of monetary assistance. Take a look at the website for Farm Sanctuary, maybe you can find a few spare dollars.
There is something everyone can do for Animal Rights. You can find the happy medium, or you can go whole hog (yeah yeah, I meant that). There is no such thing as a small step; every step is huge for animals.
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