INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL RIGHTS DAY
Each year on December 10th during International Animal Rights Day, animal rights advocates around the world seek to persuade people that kindness and respect are owed to all sentient beings. This, of course, includes animals.
Most people understand that animals can feel pain. Many also believe animals can feel and perceive feelings. For these reasons, it’s important to realize that like humans, animals deserve to have rights. To do everything they can to guard animal rights, activists believe humans should:
- Stop thinking of animals as human property and think of them as companion animals instead of pets.
- Abstain from all animal use, which includes meat, leather, milk, wool, and silk.
- Stop experimenting on animals.
- Stop using animals for entertainment and sporting events, which includes rodeo, greyhound racing, horseracing, using them in movies and in the circus, and putting marine animals on display.
- Animal rights activists also believe that humans should not hunt, fish, or wear fur.
HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalAnimalRightsDay
Animal lovers around the world celebrate this day by holding candlelight vigils. This is to draw attention to the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights. This declaration states that animal rights are a logical progression from basic human rights. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) encourages individuals to participate in this day by not eating animals. They also encourage people to adapt a vegan lifestyle. PETA states that by doing so, 100 animals per year will be saved.
Other ways to participate in this day include:
- Write an editorial to your local newspaper about animal rights
- Teach your children and others to always be kind to animals
- Boycott companies that do testing on animals
Be sure to share this day on social media with #InternationalAnimalRightsDay
INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL RIGHTS DAY HISTORY
The animal rights association, Uncaged created International Animal Rights Day in 1998. It was their goal to highlight all forms of violence against animals. Founders of the day stated that since animals can’t vote, protest, or lobby for their own protection, humans have to do it for them. Uncaged has its headquarters in Sheffield, England. They specifically chose December 10th for International Animal Rights Day as it coincides with Human Rights Day. It’s their desire to extend these same inalienable rights to all living creatures, even if they are a different species than humans.