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 Until recently, I believed that there weren't that many people who truly cared about animals. In the early days of Best Friends, we were often received letters from people that read, "I thought I was the only person who felt this way about the animals. Now I know I'm not." These were the people at work who were trying to stop the building manager from clearing the homeless cats from the parking lot; or the kids at school who didn't want to experiment on animals; or the folks who held up rush-hour traffic to rescue a stray dog on the highway. And I thought they were a unique group. My view changed after Best Friends commissioned Lake Research Partners to conduct a national poll to determine how people feel about animals. The results painted a whole new picture of how we, as a people, relate to our fellow animals. The most extraordinary result came when we asked people how they would rate the statement, "We have a moral obligation to protect the animals in our care." 78% rated the statement 10 out of 10, and 93% rated it at least an 8. When people rated the statement, "Animals should never be abused," 91 percent gave it a 10, and 97 percent gave it at least an 8. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, we were all shocked by seeing citizens of New Orleans being ordered to evacuate without their pets in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It was like millions of people were all saying, "Can I really be the only person who is completely horrified by this?" Conversely, billions of animals still suffer and die every year in factory farms and experimental labs, for sport, and even as homeless pets. Even so, given the option, most people would like all these bad things to stop. The most recent and obvious example was the success of California's Proposition 2 in the 2008 election. Californians voted to improve the conditions for animals in factory farms - even though it probably means that things like eggs are going to cost more. This trend is consistent with the Best Friends survey. More than half of those polled said they'd be more likely to buy food products from animals that were raised humanely, even if it cost more. The picture that emerges is that more and more people are saying, "Yes, kindness to animals matters. But you're going to need to lead the way and make it reasonably easy for us to follow." That's the way it's always been when it comes to social change. A hundred years ago, most people knew that child labor was wrong. But the practice continued until the Women's Humane Society of Philadelphia raised awareness, took a stand on the issue, and lobbied for the laws that would abolish it. (It's interesting to note that it was the people who cared about the animals who led the charge on behalf of abused children.) When it comes to helping animals, we can all make a difference. Here are three simple things we can all do:
Clearly, kindness to animals as a way of life has moved firmly into the mainstream.
Michael Mountain is the president and a founder of Best Friends, an organization whose prime message is that kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us. Michael lives with a motley collection of dogs and cats and enjoys hiking the national parks that surround Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Send your questions to Michael@smartnow.com |
