Everyday animal advocacy: 6 simple actions to promote animal rights in your daily life
30 Second Summary
Looking to promote animal rights in your daily life but don't know where to start? You’re not alone. The good news is - you can make a significant impact through small, simple actions seamlessly integrated into your daily routine. From supporting cruelty-free brands to utilising social media and leading by example, this post outlines six easy ways to champion animal rights every day without any of the stress. Read on to discover how these small changes can drive real, positive change.
Do you ever feel like you want to do more for animal rights, but there just isn’t enough time in the day to meaningfully make a difference? Or you're struggling to muster up the energy to contend with the endless stream of excuses people respond with when you openly advocate for veganism and animal rights?
What if you were able to promote animal rights every single day by integrating a few simple actions into your established routine which doesn't require falling into long and arduous debates?
Well - you’re in luck, because you can do just that. And here’s how:
1. Know your cruelty-free brands (and boycott the rest)
The first thing we can do is maximise our use of cruelty-free products.
Going vegan in our food choices is usually the first step we make when choosing to reject animal cruelty, but sadly there’s a whole array of products out there which continue to exploit and abuse animals, often in places we tend not to think about. Candles, for example, often use beeswax or animal fats, or contain fragrances which have been tested on animals, so looking for vegan certified labels or knowing which brands have opted out of animal testing is the best way to avoid falling into this trap.
The fashion and cosmetics industry is probably the next place to look when it comes to cutting out animal cruelty, as we tend to use these products every day.
Fashion can be a minefield when it comes to animal abuse, with leather, wool, silk, feathers, fur (including rabbit fur) and so much more, deriving from animal abuse and exploitation. It is an expansive topic, and one which animal rights activists continuously fight to end, but your wardrobe is a strong place to begin when promoting animal rights from home. Check out this insightful article by PETA to deepen your understanding of the fundamentals of vegan fashion, including the industries and organisations who have embraced cruelty-free practices.
The cosmetics industry is just as guilty when it comes to animal abuse. From makeup and hair products to shower gel and soaps, it’s easy to let some of these products land in our shopping trolleys without being aware of the company’s policies on animal testing. PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies database is a fantastic resource where you can search a cosmetic company to check if they are cruelty-free. It even has an app you can download (app store/Google play) meaning you can quickly check up on products when out shopping.
2. Utilise your social media presence
Social media is unavoidably prevalent in modern life, with DataReportal’s 2023 Global Review Report indicating that the “typical working-age internet user now spends more than 2½ hours per day using social platforms”. Whatever we think about this, one thing is for sure - social media is massively influential.
This means we can utilise our social media pages when advocating for animals without having to take any extra hours out of our day. And the beauty in this form of animal activism is there’s a whole number of ways to achieve this. Whether that’s deciding to create your own content, or sharing other content that speaks to you (a strong starting point could be by following and sharing our content at @activism.wtf). You could repost educational content (great pages for this would be @earthlinged and @bitesizevegan), you could share vegan recipes (we love @bosh.tv, @veganricha and @vegan_punks), posts from vegan influencers (like @davidramms, @clif_grant, or @itsmelandsteve), share petitions in your stories and feed, or repost a funny vegan meme or two.
You could even set up a MyStats account and link 3movies.wtf. Your MyStats account keeps a record of how many people follow and click your link, allowing you to see how many people you’ve inspired to take action!
And remember, if that’s not your jam, you don’t have to actively post content to show your support for the cause. Just by following, liking, and commenting on these pages, you empower vegan activists, influencers and organisations to boost their reach, and ultimately flood other users' social media feeds with this important and influential content.
3. Advocate for vegan options
One of the best ways to create direct change is by influencing restaurants, bars and cafes to include vegan options on their menus. And this doesn’t have to be as socially daunting as it might sound.
Of course, if you have a fully vegan establishment nearby, then a great way to show your support is by financing them with your custom. Keeping them in business means they maintain authority, and can be one of the best ways to get non-vegans through the door when looking to try out plant-based alternatives.
But if you find yourself visiting a spot that doesn’t fully cater to vegans, this is a fantastic opportunity to speak up for the animals. Here are some ways to influence these businesses to think further on the options they offer:
Ring ahead and ask what vegan options they have. If they don’t have any (or the options aren’t great), let them know you’ll have to look somewhere else that will cater for you.
Ask staff if they have a vegan menu. This promotes the idea that one should be developed, or at the very least, means staff will have to learn where the vegan options are on the menu and will become more equipped to respond to these requests when asked next time.
Don’t be afraid to double check! If something says it’s vegan on the menu, it doesn’t mean it definitely is. Ask if their chips are cooked in a separate fryer, or if their plant burgers are cooked on the same grill as meat. And if you order a coffee, always check they’ve definitely used plant milk! (This is a big one - there've been several occasions when I’ve asked this question and they’ve put cow’s milk in, so save yourself the potential upset by double checking!)
Check which wines are vegan. Either by asking staff or Googling options on the menu (Barnivore is a useful search database to check if your alcohol is vegan friendly). Very often staff won’t know which wines are and aren’t vegan, and this is a great way to subtly (or directly, if you’re feeling confident) suggest marking them as vegan on their wine list.
Leave a review. This is probably the most effective way to raise awareness towards an establishment’s vegan affability. Businesses place a lot of value on customer reviews, and letting them know your honest feedback from a vegan perspective will hold a lot of weight in future decision making. Whatever your experience - positive or less positive - make sure to leave a review!
These are all small but powerful ways to implement change on a potentially larger scale whenever you decide to treat yourself to some coffee, dinner, or wine!
4. Read, research and learn
One of the most effective things we can do as animal rights activists is arm ourselves with relevant and factually correct information. Whether you’re new to animal activism or a seasoned veteran, you’re going to face a lot of the same arguments again, and again, and again, so it’s important to know the best ways to respond to these rebuttals.
A simple solution to this is reading! There’s a ton of literature written on the subject of animal rights, and if you already spend your spare time reading, why not pick up one of these books? (You could even take your passive animal advocacy one step further by reading them in public so the cover and title is displayed for everyone to see)
"The Case for Animal Rights" by Tom Regan
Regan presents a philosophical argument for animal rights, advocating that animals have inherent value and deserve to be treated with respect.
“Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach" by Gary L. Francione
Explores the abolitionist approach to animal rights, arguing for the end of all animal exploitation.
"Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism" by Melanie Joy
Explores the concept of carnism and challenges the justifications for eating animals.
“This is Vegan Propaganda (and Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You)” by Ed Winters
A comprehensive detailing of standard industry practices in animal farming, as well as an exploration into nutrition, public health concerns, and other issues with consuming animal products.
Image Source: VeganSustainability.com
Another great way to armour yourself with the knowledge to engage in conversations around animal activism is to check out We The Free’s training page, where we host a variety of workshops you can sign up to and links to a number of videos exploring all areas of animal advocacy. So far, We The Free have trained over 5,000 activists, helping them improve their communication skills, become more resilient, and step into leadership roles.
5. Donate to animal rights charities
This one takes the least amount of time to do and has an immediate and significant impact. If you have the financial capacity to do so, donating to animal rights nonprofits or charitable organisations which speak to your heart is an incredible way to passively support animals. Many small charities, particularly animal sanctuaries, are struggling to raise a sufficient level of funding to support the animals they rescue, and without government funding, the only way they survive is through donations. Set up a recurring donation and share your support on social media to increase their reach.
6. Lead by example
“Each person must live their life as a model for others”
It is up to us, as individuals, to create the change we want to see in the world. We do not have time to wait around for others to take the lead. If we truly care about something, then we have a responsibility - not just to the cause, but to ourselves - to become leaders of that change.
This doesn’t mean you have to become a world renowned leader. It doesn’t mean you have to create a massive following or even stand out from the crowd. It just means you have to live truly to yourself, and in doing so, influence others to follow your lead.
This last action is one that can permeate all aspects of your life, and requires nothing more than your positive commitment to ending animal exploitation. All the actions mentioned above build into this, but there are so many other ways you can implement this decision and influence others. Whether that’s carrying a tote bag that promotes veganism, bringing vegan chocolates into the office, displaying compassion when addressing companion animals, adorning your laptop with stickers supporting animal rights organisations, rescuing bees from the pavement, asking a shopkeeper to stop selling glue traps, avoiding language which suggests animal violence (i.e killing two birds with one stone), or changing your WiFi name to include the word “vegan”.
The impact of everyday advocacy in our daily habits may seem like small things, but they all build towards a much larger consequence - creating a society which becomes increasingly aware of the importance in extending compassion and understanding towards our animal friends.
Even when it takes no effort at all, you can still make a difference.
Don’t forget to follow the links in this article to create your MyStats account or access our training resources to further extend your reach and impact.
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