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50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals: Fun and Easy Ways to Be a Kind Kid Animals can't talk-they need you to speak up for them! When kids want to, they can make a lot of noise-especially when they use their voices to make the world a better place for animals. Now, for kids who want to make a difference, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk brings you the ultimate guide to positive kid action and reaction. Get together and get involved Here are some ways you can help save the animal planet:
Chapter 1 To understand any living being you must creep within and feel the beating of his heart. | |||||||||||||||
- W. Macneile Dixon Be your dogs' angel. Play with them ... take them for nice long walks ... don't ever chain them. - David Boreanaz, Angel in Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Animals have feelings, just as you and I do. Just like us, they feel the heat and cold, the sun and rain. Just like us, they enjoy a comfortable place to live, good food, and loving attention. They miss you when you are away, and they remember things that have happened to them. We think of some animals as our friends. Others we may think of as dangerous, and others we hardly think of at all. But all animals, from the family dog to the tiniest mouse, are like us: living, feeling beings. We can learn more about how animals experience life by trying to better understand their needs and their feelings. Did You Know? When Princess Beatrix of Holland was a child, she forgot one day to feed her dog. The next morning she was served no breakfast, on the orders of her father, Prince Bernhard. (What lesson do you think she learned?) The phrase in the doghouse means "in disgrace." This says a lot about how some people care for their dog's living space. Stars of Fox Network's The O.C., Adam Brody (Seth) and Rachel Bilson (Summer), are proud parents of a puppy named Penny Lane, adopted from a rescue center in Los Angeles. She is now a first-rate cuddle-pup who sleeps on Adam's bed-"she snores so loud," he told Teen People. Most other-than-human beings have better-developed senses than people. A bloodhound's sense of smell is roughly 2 million times as sensitive as ours, so paint, cigarette smoke, air "fresheners," and cooking smells can really get to them. See how safely you can bring to domesticated animals as many of the pleasures of their natural lives, the fun and fulfilling things, like hopping, flying, splashing, jumping, and playing in the grass and trees, that their free-roaming relatives get to do. When Teen Vogue asked One Tree Hill heartthrob Chad Michael Murray what specifically about his fellow castmate Sophie Bush he was drawn to, Chad said it was her big heart. "She took in a stray dog with seven puppies, which was a little bit of a nightmare since we already had five dogs, but I loved her for it." The pair were so devoted to helping animals that they didn't let a little thing like a honeymoon get in the way of their support of their four-legged friends-they were spotted attending an animal-adoption fair the day after their wedding. They Said It! Here's what some of our fave celebs say about their animal companions: "My animals are my life! They remind me always of unconditional love and to just be in the moment." -Christina Applegate, PETA Celebrity Cookbook "When I feel like playing, they are always willing to play.... If I'm in a bad mood after a game, I know my dogs will always bring me up." -Adrian Klemm, New England Patriots offensive lineman, on his dogs, USA Today "'I am at his service,' she says of her cat, Playdough. 'Whatever he wants me to do is what I do.'" -Halle Berry, People Magazine What You Can Do Keep a journal about the dog or cat or gerbil in your own home or in the home of a friend or relative. Watch whenever you can-being sure not to disturb his or her normal habitat or routine-and note how much time this animal friend spends doing different things. What signs does she or he make to display feelings, just as you might? How does his or her behavior change as the things around him or her change? How would you feel in his or her place in different situations? You might imagine how your dog experiences a walk in the park ("I'm free, I'm free! Ooh, the smells! Oh, no, let's not go back inside so soon"), or what your cat thinks when she sees you preparing her dinner (Do you think they believe we go out hunting during the day and come home in the evening to share what we have found?). Cats and Dogs As a cat and/or dog guardian, there are lots of things you can do for your animal friend. Since animals in our lives can't turn on a tap to get a drink or drive themselves to the vet, it is up to you to make sure you: Give them fresh water in a very clean bowl every single day. Let them sleep inside with you or in a safe, snug shelter. They should have a soft, dry bed to keep them off the drafty floors and should never sleep outside when it's cold! Give them a variety of healthy foods they enjoy. (Some dogs adore steamed broccoli and carrots. Some cats like chickpeas and melon. Do some taste tests as long as it isn't chocolate or cheese or other foods that are dangerous for non-humans.)
Previously published as Kids Can Save the Animals About the Author Ingrid Newkirk is a British-born animal rights activist, author, and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world's largest animal rights organization. She co-founded PETA in 1980 with American activist Alex Pacheco, and is the author of several books about animal liberation, including Free the Animals, You Can Save the Animals, and Making Kind Choices, which has a foreword by Sir Paul McCartney. Newkirk is best known for the campaigns and stunts she organizes on behalf of PETA in order to promote animal rights and veganism. More by Ingrid Newkirk |
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