YOU - helping animals!

[terramama]

Love this thread, and reading all the wonderful things you all do-

What I do-never enough!

My children and I are vegetarians, me for 20 years, my children since birth(although they are old enough to choose now, and have decided, with education, to continue).

I have adopted all of my animals. My Dalmatian I adopted 15 years ago from a local rescue, she passed away in April. Our cat, we rescued-she was one of almost 200 feral cats-she was really sick, and the property owners didn't want to pay for her to be taken care of-so we did. Our dog-a "runt" that was thrown in a shelter.

Every month I donate $10.00 in my Dal's name, to the ASPCA. (not a lot, I know, but I try, and I have my human children to care for too!)

We don't wear leather(very difficult in rural VT to find shoes!

We shop at pet stores that don't carry animals.

I point other guinea pig owners to this site.

I joined this forum so that when we can adopt two piggies we can do it right.

[piggyluv]

Gosh, you all do more than me...

-I have built my pig a C&C cage
-I only shop at a pet store that doesn't sell animals
-I flag craiglist breeder ads
-I give my piggie good food, water, living space, hay and lots of veggies, and everything else he needs
-I recommend rescues and adopting
I plan on:
-Becoming vegetarian
-Donating/volunteering at a rescue/shelter
-Adopting another pig
-I would love to open up a rescue, but don't know if I can...

[auburnmare5]

I have educated my friends about pigs, and I have prevented my friend from breeding his 4 month old bunny.
I have tried to refrain from buying anything from a petstore.

[hueyeats]

How I am helping animals...

is how I got interested in my guinea pigs from saving an orphaned chipmunk.

Here is the story:

Mid Sept around 15th my hubby noticed a lone baby chipmunk while outside washing his bike getting ready for his evening ride... whereby he yelled out, "Hey look! A baby chipmunk!" (Which I took it as Yeah hubby wants attention so I ignored him). About 1/2 hr later he finished his pampering of his bike & came in & told me that the baby chipmunk is outside still.

That got me curious & I followed him outside to investigate. He left me then to prepare for his evening ride (wanted to be home before dark). So I sat outside for a while & watch that baby chipmunk hoping that maybe the mommy chipmunk is nearby to pick it up. I decided to run a quick research on the net & voila, all kinds of info at the fingertips & the one that interest me most is the one that says "leave it alone or the mommy will not accept the baby back due to the scent left by a human if touched".

I kept observing the chipmunk & trying to read more info. I am torn at this point of whether to rescue the baby back home for a few reasons. #1) it is getting dark. #2) we have all kinds of predator birds at our backyard while in the front yard where the baby is at, there are all kinds of cats & dogs wondering around; not to mentioned children playing at the front yard. #3) That baby is not even budging, maybe it is hurt? #4) the temperature is dropping as it is approaching night time plus the baby is shivering.

I then saw another site that says, yes... the chipmunk mom will continue looking for its baby for a week or so plus the human scent line is false. With relief, I took the baby home.

First, I tried to warm it in a sock (it immediately went to sleep, he is awww so cute). I had gotten ready a big card box box with a cracked opened walnuts, peanuts, chinese chestnuts & some rolled oats that I left inside with a dish of water for it while I researched some more. I thought to go to a petstore to buy a puppy's formula but the site says it is not a good formula for the baby but evaporated milk/condensed milk mixed with honey very diluted can be a replacement. I have plenty of those. Next I have to find a baby syringe (which I bought in riteaid). I went about preparing the baby formula (added a few flakes for the nut taste) while the baby chipmunk sleeps.

I let the boiled formula cool a bit before loading the syringe up. Next, I took the still sleeping baby chipmunk in the sock & put the syringe near its mouth... the baby drank a syringe plus half more! I felt so happy that it wasn't going to starve.

My baby was with me for a total of 3.5 days & with that I have kept checking for its mommy (left peanuts at the front yard where I found the baby chipmunk). Meanwhile baby chipmunk has gotten out of his box twice & both times we found him at the window sill facing the front yard (he is looking for his mommy too!). Well, we finally found 2 chipmunk holes close to our front step but closer to our neighbor's yard & did noticed the peanuts were either gone or just some shells laying about.

I rejoiced & decided that I will let chipmunk go close to the burrows in the morning while everone is either at work or in school (very little human & animal activity). His tail is getting a little bushy after all & some sites recomended the time is right.

So, with a hopeful heart... I set the baby free.

I still leave peanuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts & chinese chestnuts out on occasion & I have seen my baby doing fine. Whether it found the burrow or not I have no idea but he comes to visit my front steps around the same time some mornings as if to just visit & say hey your milk was delicious haha) & boy is he fast!

Well, for the sorrow of letting my baby go free, my hubby sent me links of funny chipmunk vids off youtube & after surfing some youtube vids, I came across MoMo's youtubes on Beibei, mojo & gang. I fell in love with them on sight of course.



Did more research on-line besides youtube to get ready for my new pet pig before getting one of course & here we are today 1 month plus with my 2 adopted gals & 1 from a petstore (shame on me I know).

I adopted (thanks for all the education youtube, guinealynx, guineacages & cavymadness) a mom & daughter pair & while getting their supplies went to a local petstore where my coconut-pudding is kept (I did not buy her at first but she did caught my eye because she seemed skinny but very lively). I came home but could not forget her, she is on my mind while I settle Yam-Yam & Bubbles into their new home (& those 2 were so well fed it is not funny). (

I finally cave in 2 days & $40 USD later (went to the petstore again for some supplies for my piggies, saw her again & told myself if she approach me from the other end of the cage to see me on the other end, I will buy her) ... bought my blue-eyed white abby from a petstore. Waaaah!!! But all I want is to love her & fatten her up like the other two.

I did quarantine her for 2 weeks before introducing her to the other 2, coco which at that point, is only comfortable with pellets & hay. While Yam-Yam & Bubbles love their fresh grass & carrots. Coconut pudding is quite tame actually but super shy. When them 3 get together on week 3, did that "get to know each other routine" dominance dance (wasn't as aggressive as others have described on the forum) all was quite OK.

I think neither of them are the over bossy type. As I observed: Yam-Yam (Mom) is quite laid back, stoic, steady dependable type (so the other 2 looked up to her; daughter of course.). Bubble (daughter) is always pop-corning here & there plus wheeked the most loudly obnoxiously out of the bunch. She is a very happy & curious piggy (the clown king), made me & my hubby laugh out at her nonsense quite a bit! Coconut-pudding (coco for short) is quite shy & quite; but have been sighted to pop-corn & doing some crazy running when bubbles is doing them too! In conclusion, I think Yam-Yam has kinda sdopted Coco (find her most morning with bunking with Coco, Bubbles is almost always outside of the bed eating, wheeking at me or doing her happi crazy dance). Yam-Yam will pop-corn just out of the sudden to "show" she can do it too! But if any of those rascal gets too rambuncious, Yam-Yam will just be strutting over like to give them a scolding or have been caught tapping those 2 heads with her chin as if to say "OK behave now".

So... those are my gals so far!

I love, love my gals! My only boy (love him too) will have to be my independent chipmunk named peanut (munk by my hubby) & the occasional endearment of micky mouse.

[hueyeats]

Add:

My cage is an alternative C&C cage made of Homedepot's closet shelves, huge cardboard box (instead of coroplast) & fleece as bedding (love those)... totaling 2 X (3' X 3') of an 18 sq ft plus plus (not adding steps & extra second story if I need to).

Special thanks to this great site for all my research & creative ideas of course!

[sophistacavy]

I volunteer at Pet Harmony, a one-of-a-kind pet supply store that is a solid base for Animal Compassion Network.

At Pet Harmony, we have dogs up for adoption in the back, and cats up for adoption off to the side in the front. All (absolutely every single 100% cent) proceeds from sales of the items go back to ACN and the store/adoption center combo.

We have a strict 3 step adoption-screening process, which means, obviously, that more people can get turned down than can be approved. We do multiple home-inspections as part of that process, too.

As for my part, I am an animal care volunteer. I do anything from walking the dogs and playing with the cats, to laundry and dishwasher maintenance (we always have to keep a cycle going because there is hardly ever nothing to be washed or dryed ). So basically, I do a wide range of things there.

My family is a member of the Humane Society of the United States, and of the ASPCA. Also at Pet Harmony, I donate cat and dog food that my own cat and dog have not finished when I switch them over to another kind.

Although we don't really have any room for guinea pigs to be a part of our rescue clan indoors where piggies need to be, I plan on suggesting the idea to them this weekend, the next time I'll be going there.

[Taboo]

I'm a vegetarian and limit my intake of diary/eggs (I don't eat them unless they're in the ingredients of something, ie cake).

Most of my animals are rescues/adoptees/ex strays

I've helped "wild animals''

I dont kill any animals (except mosquitoes and fruit flies)

I take good care of all my pets

ANd Probably alot more things I'm not thinking of..

[AnimalFarm2006]

I am the animal Brain at school. My freind called me about her freinds cat who wasn't spayed, and wanted me to put an add for her on freecycle... I quickly got her freind on the phone, and gave her a very stern talk.

Basicaly i told her that one of the main reasons she is peeing and being a wild cat is because she is A. Unuetered B. They aren't giveing her a chance. Well guess what? They are getting her spayed ether this tuesday or it was last tuesday. I need to call and check up on them.

I also get flocks of people that ask me about a guinea pig that has lost it's pal, or about a dog chewing things up. :sigh: I acualy have that issue, and well more walks, and a large dog crate for a 30 pound dog for when my mom leaves in the afternoon helped.

[guineapigluver1]

I am a vegetarian (not so for the rest of my family but they don't eat much meat)

Every animal we have had was either a stray, shelter (he was free, from a high kill shelter) or was posted for free in the newspaper and one was given to us by a friend because she couldn't keep it any longer.

I am in the process of trying to let my parents let me volunteer at a rescue or shelter, as well as find a rescue or shelter that will let me volunteer (I'm too young to for most)

We don't shop at petstores that sell animals

I would try to stop people I see buying the crappiest food for there pets, but my mom would kill me if I did (she is very polite). Believe me, when I go shopping when I'm older I will.


So far on another forum I have gotten about 10 people to switch there pet from an awful food to the better ones.

I only use vegan products (minus hand soap since I haven't gotten my mom to yet) and am working on the rest of my family to.

I feed the birds in our yard and not the bad stuff with additives and chemicals.

We garden without pesticides and fertilizers.

Take very good care of our animals, proper diet was researched and is fed.

[Taboo]

Ive thought of some more:

-I educate people on animals online and in real life.
-When my dad mows we save the toads/lizards in the path of the mower.
-I take up for animals that people are bashing and discriminating against.

I feed the birds in our yard and not the bad stuff with additives and chemicals.

We garden without pesticides and fertilizers

Same.