Things *I* can do to help!

[CavySpirit]

This thread is for a list of suggestions that people can actively DO to help. Help what? Please make sure your suggestion is to deal with one of these related areas:

- Eliminating the sale of guinea pigs in pet stores
- Reporting pet store abuse
- Curtailing hobby breeding
- Curtailing hobby showing
- Promote rescue/adoption over pet stores/breeders

If it's not a suggestion for one of these three topics, please start a new thread. If you want to DISCUSS any of the suggestions, please start a new thread. This thread is for a LIST of suggestions.

 

[CavySpirit]

• Volunteer at your local shelter/ Humane Society/ rescue/ ASPCA
  
  They are ALWAYS lacking in resources of people, time, and money to care for animals. They have education programs where volunteers go into schools and day camps to help educate the kids on animal welfare. You usually need to be 15 or 16 years of age to volunteer at at a shelter.

• PRINT flyers for your local shelter/rescue. Take them around to all the pet stores and vet offices in your area and put them up.

• Write an article for the local newspaper and send it in. OR write a letter to the editor about a specific store or situation.

 

[daftscotslass]

Word of mouth is exceptionally important. People don't KNOW about something unless you tell them! It's all very well preaching about how guinea pigs should live in Cavy Cages, but people won't use them if they don't know they exist.

TELL your friends/fellow Cavy owners about this wonderful site. If you tell 10 friends, they may tell 10 friends and that's a LOT of people!

Do what I did. Go to the local rescue. Adopt an animal. Tell your friends, family, workmates about the other animals that you saw in need of a home. They may not even be considering getting a pet, but knowledge that there are homeless animals out there may change their mind. If you're in a pet shop, you could also do what I do and converse [loudly] about the fact that the local rescue has pets in need of homes; people do eavesdrop!

Ignorance is not bliss! Spread the word.