Bold? Timid? You Can Do It! 12 Ways to Achieve Animal Rights

During a PETA job interview, an applicant said that he doesn’t like to say he’s vegan, as he doesn’t want that to “define” him. He’d rather wait until someone asks about an animal issue, he said, than bring up the subject. No surprise, he didn’t get the job!

Timidity never got us anywhere. Nor did sitting around lamenting the state of the world, or worrying what people think of us. Action is all that counts, and all that ever has. Luckily, there are endless ways to act with impact. Let these examples of what others have done inspire you, then – please – join in somehow, and help stop animals from being harmed!

Spread the Cowspiracy Theory

Stacy held a movie night with friends. She served vegan Thai food and showed the animal rights documentary Cowspiracy. A few months later, her friend’s husband – a hunter who used to mock Stacy for not eating animals – hosted an all-vegan dinner party!

20/20 Compassion

After spotting a glue trap at her optometrist appointment, Ella e-mailed the office to politely explain how these torture devices cause small animals to suffer. They promptly replied, thanking her and saying they had removed all the traps.

Conversation Unlocks the Cage

For almost a year, Karen stopped by a pet shop daily and talked to its owner, Sam Holtgraver, about why birds don’t belong in cages. Eventually, Sam decided she was right. He got out of the bird business and joined PETA!

A+ Invention

University of Cambridge graduate student Callan MacDonald put his thinking cap on and came up with a first-of-its-kind cell bank called AgriCell to archive and preserve cells for creating lab-grown meat. PETA recognized his invention – which could spare animals from being killed to obtain cells – with our inaugural “Future Without Speciesism” award.

Voices for Horses

When Kimberly saw tourists in a horse-drawn carriage, she jogged alongside and nicely but firmly explained how the horses suffer. The tour guide stopped speaking, and the group paid attention.

Create the Solution

Frustrated by the lack of a cruelty-free contact lens solution, Stephen Bartell got cracking and created his own! PETA Business Friend Clear Conscience contact lens solution and eye drops are FDA-approved and never tested on animals. There’s always a kind way – even if you have to invent it yourself. Which animal-friendly void can you fill?

The Fixer

When Lori-Jo sees people with unneutered dogs on a walk or at the dog park, she talks to them about the health benefits of neutering and shares information on low-cost clinics.

Teach the Children Well

Stewart Mitchell, aka Vigilante Vigilante Vegan, wrote two children’s books: Kayla the Vegan and Liberation Summer. He visits New York schools and has spoken to over a thousand students about animal rights. You can reach the next generation of changemakers too—visit TeachKind.org and PETAKids.com for free resources to share with the kids in your life or local schools.

Worth a Thousand Words

Award-winning photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur takes evocative images of animals in laboratories, roadside zoos, slaughterhouses, and other horrific places and donates them to groups to expose exploitation and wake people up. We all have talents – how will you use yours for animals? Visit the PETA Shop to order McArthur’s photo book Captive, and donate a copy to your library or place it where others will see it, like a coffee shop or waiting room.

Stand-Up Gals

PETA Action Team member Nancy maintains two vegan starter kit stands in New York City. She never hits the streets or bus rides without leaflets and has lots of positive conversations. Fellow New Yorker Jannette carries PETA’s “Fashion Revolution” leaflets in her bag. When she sees someone wearing feathers, wool, fur, or animals’ skins, she smiles, hands them a leaflet, and says, “Hi. This is something you’ll want to read.” Order leaflets from PETALiterature.com.

Ribbiting Lessons

Park ranger Sean and his son Quinn teach others about wildlife – without harming any animals. Sean talks to kids while Quinn shows off PETA’s hyper-realistic, dissectible Kind Frog. Learn how to help Kind Frog hop into a classroom near you.

Bee Kind

A high school baseball team was collecting donations outside a grocery store, and Michelle noticed some players were swatting at a bee. She told them she would donate if they would leave bees in peace and shared facts about why bees deserve our respect. The players took her deal.