Our animal companions give us all the time, attention, and affection that we want, and in return, they deserve the best care that we can provide. Here are the top six ways to return the favor:

  1.      Suppertime

Just like people, animals need high-quality, nutritious food, which is the basis for good health. They also benefit from having moist food, which is more palatable and helps prevent urinary tract infections. If you are concerned about supporting factory farms when you buy pet food, check out PETA's factsheet on feeding dogs and cats vegetarian or vegan food. And, of course, we wouldn't want to drink out of a dirty glass, and our animals don't want to drink out of a dirty bowl, either. So give them fresh water daily in a clean container.

  2.      It's Potty Time

Have you ever walked into a public restroom stall only to turn around and walk right back out? Cats prefer a clean bathroom, too, so scoop at least twice a day. Similarly, a backyard filled with "land mines" is no fun for people or dogs, so be sure to scoop regularly. And dogs shouldn't be expected to "hold it" all day (not only is this painful, it's also harmful to their kidneys), so if someone can't go home at lunchtime to let the dog out, hire a dog walker or, if you have a yard with a secure privacy fence, install a doggie door.

  3.      Don't Keep the Doctor Away

An annual veterinary visit for a check-up is a must, but if your animal shows any signs of not feeling well, be sure to schedule an appointment right away. Fleas and ticks torment dogs and cats, so they must be controlled (try using natural, nontoxic products), and heartworms and intestinal worms can be easily prevented with once-monthly medications. Additionally, spaying and neutering not only eliminates the risk of reproductive organ cancer but also prevents females from suffering through heat cycles and reduces the risk that animals of both sexes will contract contagious diseases. And why not take an animal CPR class to make sure that you'll be ready in case of an animal health emergency?

  4.      Looking Good

Dogs need regular brushing to keep their coats clean and to prevent matting. Avoid giving them too many baths, though. Dogs need to retain the oil in their coat to keep it healthy, and if your dog has a chronic "doggie odor," that usually means that a change in diet is called for.

  5.      Tiny Chip = Safe Animal

Tags are a great way to I.D. your dog or cat, but they can fall off or be removed. However, a microchip is permanent, as evidenced by the recent story of a woman who was reunited—thanks to a microchip—with the dog who had been stolen from her seven years earlier. 

Hannah and I have found our favorite activity: enjoying the sun and surf at the beach.

  6.      Play Ball!

While health care is important, what our animals appreciate most is quality time—playing fetch, taking a walk, chasing a piece of string, or having a cuddle session. You and your dog could even enroll in a fun, rewards-based agility class. Our animals depend on us for their exercise and enrichment. By trying out various activities and toys, even simple items like balled-up paper or an empty paper towel roll, we can discover what our animal companions really enjoy and have a lot of fun in the process.

It never hurts to brush up on answers to questions about animal issues—even seasoned protesters can get a stumper from passersby now and then. See if you know the answers to the following five questions that often pop up in discussions about animal rights: 

What's wrong with eggs and dairy products from "free-range" animals? There are no standards for what "free-range" means, so animals on such farms may still spend most of their time in filthy, crowded sheds. Cruel practices such as searing off hens' beaks with a hot blade and relegating male calves to veal crates occur, and when the animals stop producing enough eggs or milk, they are sent to the same slaughterhouses as factory-farmed animals.

If we don't test on animals, what other methods are available? Computer simulations, cell cultures, human cadavers, and clinical trials are just some of the many options researchers can use instead of animal testing to obtain more accurate and cost-effective results.

davedehtre|cc by 2.0

What's wrong with wearing wool? In Australia—where most of the world's merino wool comes from—sheep have been bred to have excessively wrinkled skin in order to produce more wool. The wrinkles collect moisture, which attracts flies, so many farmers resort to "mulesing," a gruesome and cruel procedure in which huge chunks of skin and flesh are cut from lambs' backsides in a crude attempt to prevent flystrike.

Should we put endangered animals in zoos? Endangered animals bred in zoos are rarely released into the wild. Instead, they will spend their lives "warehoused" in cramped enclosures that cannot come close to replicating their natural habitats. As a result, many develop stereotypic behaviors such as pacing, rocking from side to side, and self-mutilation. The only humane and effective way to combat extinction is to protect animals' habitats.

What's wrong with using a choke or prong collar on my dog? As their names imply, choke and prong collars inflict discomfort and pain, and they can severely injure dogs' necks and throats. Far safer and more humane options are no-pull harnesses and halters like the Easy Walk, Halti, or even a standard figure-H harness. For cruelty-free dog-training tips, check out celebrity dog trainer Tamar Geller's video series for PETA.

Have another animal rights question that you've always wondered about? Visit PETA's Frequently Asked Questions page.

You might recognize the enthusiastic, charming, and incomparable Tamar Geller from her television appearances on such shows as Oprah, Ellen, and Larry King Live, and now you have the opportunity to see the dog coach to the stars in her very own PETA miniseries. We've teamed up with Tamar to produce a set of six short episodes about how to be your dog's best friend, and we'll release one per week starting today. First up is Episode 1: "Your Dog's 7 Basic Needs."

Tamar's motivation for making this series is to debunk dog-training myths and encourage people to pay more attention to their dogs and to use positive reinforcement, all of which will be covered in future episodes on PETA's "Features" page. Episode 1 covers such issues as how to provide your canine companion with mental and physical stimulation. One tip: Talk to your dog! Dogs can understand up to 150 words, and you can converse with them simply by narrating their actions and praising their behavior.

When you view each episode on PETA's "Features" page, you can also enter to win a yummy prize for your dog. We've teamed up with PETA Business Friend V-dog to give a month's supply of healthy, vegan dog food to one winner each week as Tamar's videos are released. So check the PETA “Features” page every week for the next entertaining and informative installment in the series.

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan