Five Ways to Speak Up for Animals – Never Be Silent

PETA US has created an eye-catching video campaign to remind us that, while “people who exploit animals may not be ready for animal rights … the animals are ready”.

The video comes as a reminder to us all that – whether on a film set, at a zoo or under a circus tent – animals used in the entertainment industry suffer every day. They are forced to perform difficult and unnatural tasks, confined to small enclosures and often poorly treated. They will never be free without our help.

Animals lovers around the world can speak up for these animals in five simple ways:

• First, take action against circuses who use and abuse animals by signing online petitions and sharing information links on social media sites. If you know an animal circus is coming to town, organize a protest or write letters to your local council and newspapers.
• The next step is to help primates and other animals used in advertising and movies by boycotting films and products in which real animals have been used and asking your friends and family to do the same. Did you know that no real animals were used to make the recent movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes? If producers of a movie such as this one can manage not to use animals, there is no excuse for any animals to be used in the film industry!
• The third simple way to speak up for animals used in entertainment is never to visit zoos, which imprison animals (often in tiny, filthy enclosures) only to make a profit from people who pay to come and stare at them. Instead of supporting this abuse, why not visit a reputable sanctuary instead and see how animals behave naturally?
• Remember also that animals are used in entertainment all around us. Speak up wherever you see this happening. Local fairs, races and other events that use animals should all be made aware that what they are doing is wrong. Speak to managers as well as passers-by and event attendees. Let them know why they shouldn’t support these events. Also, write to local papers and tell the public what’s wrong with using animals in these ways.
• Finally, remind people of the dangers such events pose not only to animals but also to human spectators. Get together with some local activists and set up an information table that focuses on these dangers.

We should never forget that non-human animals are used in all kinds of entertainment events worldwide and that they all suffer and feel pain and fear just as we do. So please, for their sake, never be silent.

Posted by Claire Fryer