11 Top Animal Causes and How You Can Help

PUPPY MILLS

Puppy mills are large breeding operations where profit is the name of the game, and the welfare and well-being of the animals is at best an afterthought. Puppy mills generate dogs that are neglected, are prone to health issues, and may display behavior problems. If you buy a dog from a pet store, there’s a good chance it is the product of a puppy mill. That’s why it’s so important to adopt dogs from animal shelters. There may be responsible breeders out there who run clean operations and treat their animals well, but that doesn’t change the vast numbers of homeless dogs who already exist and who need homes. By adopting from a shelter, you can take a stand against puppy mills and at the same time save the life of a homeless dog who needs love. (ASPCA)

CIRCUS CRUELTY

For a lot of us as children, the circus was a special entertaining event, where we’d go with our families to watch amazing feats performed by clowns, trapeze artists and, yes, lion tamers and elephants doing tricks. But it’s very difficult to continue enjoying the animal spectacles at circuses once you learn of the cruelty to which those animals are routinely subjected. Elephants are beaten and tortured with bull-hooks during their “training.” Lions and tigers are carted from city to city in uncomfortable, even dangerous cages. You can send these circuses a message by not attended and therefore not supporting them with your money, but that doesn’t mean you and your family have to quit having fun. There are plenty of animal-free circuses that still feature all the acrobatics and other fun stuff that doesn’t include cruelty to animals. (PETA)

HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES

The image of a horse-drawn carriage ride through New York City’s streets at night may seem very romantic, but the suffering the horses go through makes it anything but. Horses simply aren’t meant to work in an urban setting. They develop respiratory problems from sucking exhaust all day. They develop leg problems from walking on hard pavement. They have been known to die from the heat. And because horses are easily spooked and cities are noisy and busy, they occasionally lose their cool and end up causing damage and injuring people. The simplest thing you can do to put a stop to horse-drawn-carriage businesses is simply not patronize them. But if you want to go a step further, you can write a letter to your local government in support of a ban on horse-drawn carriages. Many American cities already have such bans in place. (PETA)

ELEPHANT POACHING

Elephants have long been prized for their valuable ivory tusks, and the ivory trade powers the economies of many countries even today. Though spreading awareness of the problem led to a dip in elephant poaching during the 1990s, the practice has taken an alarming upswing over the past few years. Demand is growing in many Asian countries with quickly developing economies and growing wealth, and the struggling African countries that supply the ivory can’t resist the chance to make huge profits. Therefore, elephant poaching is on the rise again. In fact, 2011 was the worst year in history for elephant poaching. The result is that elephants are more in danger of extinction now than ever before. (The Atlantic)

POLAR BEAR EXTINCTION/GLOBAL WARMING

For years, we’ve been hearing about the dire circumstances polar bears are facing. Melting arctic ice is cataclysmic to the polar bear population in a variety of ways. It’s affecting their food sources and starving them. It’s destroying the land on which they live and drowning them. But their situation is only the beginning of the danger for the rest of the planet. Regardless of how any one of us feels about the plight of polar bears, it is a warning sign of what other animal populations, not to mention humankind, may have in store if global climate change continues unabated. Experts recently suggested that polar bears may be extinct in as little as 25 years. These beautiful animals may be the poster children for global warming, but they won’t be the only victims. Reducing our personal carbon footprints isn’t just about saving polar bears; it’s also about saving our own species. (WWF)

BLUEFIN TUNA OVERFISHING

The world has a huge appetite for tuna, and tuna are among the most valuable fish in the ocean. In order to meet demand -- and turn huge profits -- various species of tuna have been overfished to critical levels. In particular, bluefin tuna, the largest of all tuna species, are nearing extinction due to overfishing. Just last week, a report showed that overfishing has pushed the stock of the Pacific bluefin down by 96.4 percent. Stocks can recover, but it will take tighter regulations and stricter enforcement of existing laws regarding how these tuna are fished. (Discovery)

BEAR BILE FARMS

Asian black bears -- aka bile bears -- are prized for their bile. That is to say, the bile is prized, while the bears themselves are viewed as little more than production facilities and delivery systems for the bile, not as animals to be treated with dignity and respect. The bears are held in incredibly small cages called crush cages, and they undergo tortuously painful procedures to milk their organs for bile. Mortality rates are high. What makes the bile so precious? It is used in traditional Chinese medicine. And while the bile is rich in important ursodeoxycholic acid, this substance is readily available in a synthetic form. Several organizations exist to bring an end to these cruel bear farms, and you can help by sponsoring a bear. (Animals Asia)

DOG FIGHTING

When star NFL quarterback Michael Vick was investigated for and pleaded guilty to participating in a dog fighting ring, it shined perhaps the biggest light yet on the ongoing practice of illegal dog fighting. Unfortunately, the collective shock and anger Vick caused did not bring about the end of this activity. Dog fighting represents one of the most appalling examples of widespread animal abuse and cruelty. Dogs are trained to fight each other viciously for entertainment and gambling. The wounds these dogs receive are debilitating and often fatal, and when they survive, the psychological torture they endure can be impossible to overcome. If you learn of a dog-fighting operation, report it. Rewards are available to those whole help stop dog fights, not that any of us would need a financial incentive. Here are the Humane Society’s signs for recognizing possible dog fighting in your community:

--An inordinate number of Pit Bull-type dogs kept in one location, especially multiple dogs who are chained and seem unsocialized

--Dogs with scars on their faces, front legs, and stifle area (hind end and thighs)

--Dogfighting training equipment such as treadmills used to build dogs' endurance, "break sticks" used to pry apart the jaws of dogs locked in battle, tires or "springpoles" (usually a large spring with rope attached to either end) hanging from tree limbs, or unusual foot traffic coming and going from a location at odd hours

(Humane Society of the United States)

FACTORY FARMING

It’s not unusual for people who aren’t vegetarians to say they avoid consuming products from factory farms if and whenever possible. And many other people commit to vegetarianism as a direct result of learning about and witnessing the appalling conditions under which animals live in factory farms. The facilities farm animals like cows, pigs and chickens by the hundreds, packed like sardines in too-small cages where they live tortured existences and are mutilated in the name of profit. Not only are these facilities cruel to animals, but they damage the environment in horrific ways. An important effort you can make as a consumer if you want to take a stand against factory farming, even if you choose to eat meat, is to know where your food comes from. Buy foods that are certified humane. Support local farms. Join a food co-op. It takes only a small effort to educate yourself. Not only will you be supporting humane treatment of animals, but you’ll be improving your own health and the health of the environment too. (WSPA)