Start an Animal Rights Group in 5 Easy Steps
Doing outreach solo is a great way to help animals, but by forming a local animal rights group, you can increase your effectiveness and your clout. The media, the government, and the public will often give more serious consideration to the views of a group. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Get together! A group can start with just two people. The important thing is to decide from the beginning what issue you want to work on. Maybe you met other activists at a circus protest, and ending the use of animals in entertainment is your priority. Or perhaps you and a vegan friend want to educate people about the many benefits of adopting a healthy and humane vegan lifestyle.
- Get a name! Regardless of what issue you’ve decided to focus on, be sure to create a catchy name for your group that people will easily remember and that also reflects your cause.
- Get educated! Now that you have a group, a cause, and a name, begin educating yourself as much as possible. For example, familiarizing yourself with the laws regarding animals in your country will only strengthen your cause. You might get started by searching the Internet, conducting research at your local library, or writing a letter to request information from your local government.
- Get organized! Call your first meeting and discuss tactics. At this meeting, you should decide who will be responsible for which tasks, what your group’s goals are, and how often you want to meet. Be open to new ideas, and encourage people to express themselves. You can also consider starting a group page on a popular social-media website such as Facebook, which has the potential to increase the number of people you reach exponentially.
- Get in touch! PETA can provide you with digital leaflets and other materials, so be sure to drop us a line at [email protected]. We’d love to work with you!
Need some event ideas to help you get started? Try these:
- Hold a vegan bake-sale fundraiser.
- Table at a community event.
- Plan a lunchtime protest at the local KFC.
- Host a vegan potluck.
- If a circus is planning to come to your town, get together and hand out leaflets in advance so that compassionate people will know not to buy tickets.
Remember to have fun and stay positive! Even if members disagree during meetings, you are all there for the same reason—because you love animals and want to end their suffering!
Inspired to help animals? Join our Activist Network now!
Posted by Edwina Baier
