Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective

by Gregory M. Simpson

The voiceless need your voice.  Have you ever considered becoming an advocate for animals?  Perhaps you never thought that as one person you could make a difference.  Find your inspiration.  Years ago, I was inspired by the words of a ten-year-old girl which were stenciled on the Earth Pavilion’s wall at Florida’s EPCOT Center.  They read, "I may be only one person but I can be one person who makes a difference."
Radio personality, Paul Harvey, queried, "Ever occur to you why some of us can be this much concerned with animal suffering?  Because government is not.  Why not?  Animals don’t vote."  Since people are the ones who vote, you need to be a voice for the voiceless.
There are exceptions, of course, of those people in government who do care about animals.  One man said in the 1800s, "I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights.  That is the way of a whole human being."  His name was Abraham Lincoln.  Unfortunately, today’s typical politician is no Abraham Lincoln, so you need to be the voice for the voiceless.
Animal advocates before you have included luminaries like humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer, who reasoned, "Ethics in our Western world has hitherto been largely limited to the relations of man to man.  But that is a limited ethics.  We need a boundless ethics which will include the animals also." 
So, what can one person do?  Plenty.  Start by being well-informed.  Read.  Resources come in many forms - newspapers, magazines, books, websites.  One recommended newspaper is Animal People.  Great books abound and include The Extended Circle: A Common Place Book of Animal Rights, edited by Jon Wynne-Tyson.  Two classics are Animal Liberation by Peter Singer and The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Regan. Other superb books include:  Man Kind? by Cleveland Amory, In the Company of Animals by James Serpell, Dominion by Matthew Scully, Animal Rights & Human Morality by Bernard Rollin and Rattling the Cage by Steven Wise.
Once you have explored areas of possible animal advocacy, choose one that interests you and join an advocacy group.  For example, if protection of feral cats is your interest, there are local groups in Connecticut which specialize in helping feral cats, such as Catales (Middletown), Animal Alliance Welfare League (New Britain), MEOW (Litchfield), and Greater New Haven Cat Project (New Haven).  On the national level, there is Alley Cat Allies.
To be more widespread in your advocacy, consider joining the statewide Animal Welfare Federation of Connecticut (AWFCT).  On a national level, you may want to explore membership in such organizations as the American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Animal Rights Network, or Friends of Animals, to name just a few.  Many organizations have e-mail lists to alert you when to make contact with legislators about pending legislation.
Be prolific.   Write letters to the editor.  Editors especially like to print letters which take issue with something on the editorial page, i.e., another letter, an editorial, or an op. ed. piece.  Second best are responses to news columns.  Although animal issues can be emotional topics, don’t be overemotional in your writing.  Animal advocates are already frequently viewed as being all emotion and no logic.  Present new and factual data.  Provide sources.  Reinforce a professional demeanor by citing your credentials, if relevant.  If you have a related advanced degree, list it.  If you have a pertinent title, use it.  If you have an animal group affiliation, mention it.  Lacking expert status, consider using supporting quotations.
Know the list of your local, state and federal legislators. Contact them about animal issues.  The best method of contact is in person, followed by letter or post card, then e-mails and phone calls.  These contacts are critical and your legislator views each contact as representing a wider constituency.  Learn which legislators or candidates are pro-animal and vote accordingly.  The good news is that the current Connecticut federal congressional delegation is staunchly pro-animal.  Their voting record is published regularly by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).  When there is a matter before city hall or the state legislature that affects animals, be there to provide testimony.  If that is too intimidating, then be there to support those who do. 
Donate your time and money.  Organizations need both volunteers and funds to do animal advocacy work.   Many run on shoestring budgets.  Research which groups pay exorbitant executive salaries as opposed to those that pay modest salaries or operate with volunteers.  This information can be obtained through the publication Animal People.  Join protest marches.  Get involved.  As anthropologist, Margaret Mead, said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Above all, stay focused on the words of one of the greatest change agents of all time, Gandhi, who said, "Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it."  Let this be your inspiration.  Be a voice for the voiceless.
For the animals,
Gregory M. Simpson
Gregory Simpson’s animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for several Connecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals.  Currently a Board member of Protectors of Animals, Inc., he was chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate cat lovers in the U.S.  He is also a member of the Cat Writers’ Association.



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