The compassion we show animals is definitive about our capacity to be

[Lynette]

It makes me angry when animals are mistreated. I donate to a few charities for animals, but when the commercials are on television, I usually can't watch because it makes me want to cry. I have a mouse in my chicken coop and she has babies that are nursing. My dad told me to put a cat in there, but I can't do it. Anything that I have ever trapped in my live trap, I release. I let my husband take the spiders out of the house though.

I can't touch them.

 

[annie3001]

i have always been an ALL animal lover. i sometimes just watch birds interacting... i am 37 years old, and my 2 small toddlers have to grow up in this world!! a world that not always is animal friendly.

i am determined my kids will grow up to appriciate and respect ALL animals.

 

[Q9]

While I agree that "cruelty" in the stict sense of the word is unjustifiable and wrong, not to mention indicative of a person's emotional state, I have to say, I hate those commercials for "helping the animals." To be frank, I think there are many things much more deserving of money. How often do you see emotional commercials for battling Malaria in Africa? For aiding rebels fighting oppressive governments? For demanding basic human rights from countries like China and North Korea? I feel that until the cruelty to humans is stopped to a suffecient degree, animals are a second priority.

 

[redhen]

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Q9, I hear what you are saying and believe that I understand where you are coming from. May I respectfully raise the question that perhaps our priorities needn't be based on an 'either/or' basis but that there are enough people of means in the world to champion whatever cause they feel called to in order to better life in its many forms and circumstances. What do you think?

 

[welsummerchicks]

I can see the point re human rights before animal rights, but...not completely. It assumes that it is an all or nothing choice and that all people MUST and SHOULD make the SAME choice of what to support. Which I think is unrealistic, and impractical. I also don't think it's good. People having different values and ideas is good.

I think it's right and good for each individual to choose what charities he wants to contribute to. One person might contribute to dog charities, another to human charities. One might contribute locally, and another internationally. And no one needs to argue that others should contribute to something else or put value judgements on the choices others make. People choose to support something based on their beliefs and values.

Fortunately, our country is very diverse. One person might like contributing to dog charities, and another, to human charities. That's how it is - every person has different values, and one person may be moved to help in a different way than another person.

Many people don't have a lot of money to spend on charities and have to make choices - this organization or that one? This cause or that cause? Local or international? It's a choice, and an opinion - and opinions are neither 'wrong' nor 'right', they are opinions.

What to do? I've heard suggestions to diversify one's contributions so that one sees more of the world and feels more a part of more things - to give a little to various organizations, some local, some international, some human, some animal. There is no real minimum donation for any organization, so people can indeed do that. They don't have to feel like they must give all their donation to one organization.

Other suggestions are to vary one's contributions from year to year, and learn about a number of different charities. Try some different things on for size over the years. Contribute time one year, money the next, goods the next. Go local one year, international another.

At certain times of life some causes may speak more to the person than others. A teen might really feel Alateen is doing great things, or a young adult starting a career might prize his education that got him his job, and volunteer to teach people computer skills. A dog trainer may really ache to see dog neglect, and a new mother might be much more emotional about child abuse.

The important thing is not WHAT moves each person, but that SOMETHING moves each person.

The important thing is not WHO you help, but THAT YOU HELP.

The important thing is not whether to local or international is better, but that one FEELS and CARES about someone other than oneself.

A person may not even be able to contribute much to a charity, either dollars or hours, maybe just some spare change once in a while. It isn't important how much either, what is important is to care about something outside one's own little sphere.

 

[Whispering Winds]

There is an old Indian belief that every animal you own during your lifetime will be at the gate of Heaven when you die, and its up to THEM if you are allowed to pass over the bridge into Eternity. Nice thought, and I know a lot of people who will NOT be allowed to cross over if this is true.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

There is an old Indian belief that every animal you own during your lifetime will be at the gate of Heaven when you die, and its up to THEM if you are allowed to pass over the bridge into Eternity. Nice thought, and I know a lot of people who will NOT be allowed to cross over if this is true.

I like this

, though some of mine will be complaining because I did not let them sleep in the bed with me!​

 

[Q9]

Yay Chicks! :

Q9, I hear what you are saying and believe that I understand where you are coming from. May I respectfully raise the question that perhaps our priorities needn't be based on an 'either/or' basis but that there are enough people of means in the world to champion whatever cause they feel called to in order to better life in its many forms and circumstances. What do you think?

Yeah, I see where you're coming from. I just find it really disturbing that there are never any commercials requesting aid for fighting malaria, or for providing fresh, clean water, or things like that, while there are always these commercials for saving animals. I don't have a problem with fighting animal cruelty, but I really feel that human suffering needs to be addressed more than it is, and I don't mean through wasteful and usually corrupt government programs.​

 

[redhen]

There are all sorts of "save the children" (from other countries),... commercials on the t.v....
I personally will never ever send any money to these companies...
So thats not even an option for me..