20 things vegans can do to support the animal rights movement (or simply help other animals).

I recently realised that what I call activism may not even fall under the definition of activism. Sure, things like protesting and voting are parts of it, but adopting a dog from a shelter or putting water out for birds is not.

In my eyes, it all seemed maybe not the same, but in the same bubble at least. It was all done to help non-human animals, even if some acts were smaller and not in public.

While I still personally call it activism, I admit that people reading my posts may not see it the same way. So I decided to write a new one, where I can pool together all the things we can do to help other animals, normalise veganism, achieve animal liberation and change policies and attitudes.

You can take bigger steps or do tiny leaps, as long as you are moving forward, you are doing your part. I hope this list gives you ideas from which you can choose how you want to use your time, money, energy and other resources to help those in need. And if you get inspired, share yours in the comments!

I think it matters less how we call it, whether activism or advocacy or just acts of kindness. What matters, ultimately, is that we have stepped up from merely being a vegan and are using our knowledge and empathy for the greater good.

I’m aware that animal liberation may never come, but maybe if we stopped saying that it will never come, we would actually achieve it??? If all of us vegans decided to change the way we treat other animals, we could move the needle forward faster. The big, the small, the unseen, the private, the public… it all matters. These past few years have been so sad. Very few people still talk about animal rights and how to eat more plants, and just live a more ethical life.

Can we bring back the 2015-2017 era of veganism? Maybe if we start being active again, we can. Let’s start by picking one thing from the following list and accomplishing it in the next week, okay?

1. Volunteer with a vegan organisation by helping them organise events, run workshops, collect data, translate articles or anything else they might need help with.
2. Donate money to organisations, shelters and sanctuaries. Also, support your favourite vegan creators so they can continue doing live debates, talks, and interacting with people we can’t reach.
3. Support vegan authors by pre-ordering, buying and recommending their books. That doesn’t mean you buy everything, especially if it doesn’t resonate with you, but I’m sure you have your favourites. And in this day and age, it’s not even about financial support but about showing demand for this type of content. Always remember to leave a review and a rating if possible.
4. Attend a protest organised by an animal rights organisation or an individual. People protest for any fucking thing nowadays, so why not actually go on the streets to demand justice for those who deserve it the most? In a world that has people waving terrorist flags outside the parliaments, why not hold photos of slaughtered animals, show footage of what they allow, and wave the flag of unity and peace?

   

   

5. Financially support vegan brands by not only eating their products, but also gifting them, recommending them, promoting them, and talking about them. I do this often by mentioning Alpro in my posts, because they have the only plant milk I drink, and that’s something to shout about.
6. Adopt a dog or a cat from a shelter. Adopt a bunny, a mouse or a turtle. Instead of buying a living being and funding breeders, give a lonely, abandoned, sick or elderly non-human animal a new chance at life. Please, do make sure that you do this only if you can afford the vet care, the time to caregive, and the space to have them in.
7. Fill a bowl with water and put it on your garden, doorstep, window shelf, or hang it on a tree. Birds are not dying because they don’t have food. They are dying because they don’t have water. All wildlife is struggling due to water shortages and dry seasons. Instead of using water for ChatGPT, use it for them.
8. Use your creativity to talk about animal liberation and why it matters. Sing, play an instrument, act it out, paint it, sculpt it, draw it, write about it. When it comes from your heart, it will attract the right people who need to hear it from you. Don’t censor or pretend to be someone you’re not because being authentic and honest will show your message to those who can only hear it from you.
9. Volunteer at an animal shelter. Just because you can’t adopt someone from there, it doesn’t mean you can’t take them for walks and spend time playing.
10. Sign petitions created by respected individuals or organisations. I just signed one yesterday that will eventually go to the parliament!
11. Contact the offices of your mayor, prime minister, the president, or your favourite political party, etc. Ask them for their stance on various issues that relate to non-human animals, such as hunting and slaughterhouses. They exist to serve you, and the least they can do is listen, so to make sure they actually read it, demand an official response.

    

12. Share your meals on social media to show your followers what vegans eat. If you’re going to prepare a tasty dish, why not show everyone online that you not only eat ethically but deliciously, as well? I used to do this every day when I first started on Instagram, and while those posts are now long gone, I did get many people telling me it looked good and not all were vegan themselves.
13. Attend vigils and pay respect to the victims of the death industries. While we cannot stop what is happening inside slaughterhouses, at least not right away, we can bear witness and show we demand peace just by standing outside and letting them know we see them. There is evil inside done by humanity, but outside, we hear, we know, and we mourn.
14. Become a mentor to a younger or “fresher” vegan. Everyone needs a guide when they decide to go vegan because this shit can be really tricky when you’re faced with so many changes. I know that various organisations need volunteers during Veganuary, but you don’t have to wait for that one month to help other people. Go out there, market yourself and offer a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on.
15. Plant bee-friendly plants. I find that most people who talk about saving the bees are doing it so they can steal their honey. Vegans don’t do that, but we do rely on those who do this to protect them because “I’m not a beekeeper”. You don’t have to be. Just plant the bee-friendly plants.
16. Don’t kill insects, bugs, snails and arachnids. They are quite literally not trying to harm you, unless you strike first, and even then, it is only a response to a threat and not because they want to attack you.

    

17. Contact stores and ask them for more vegan products. I used to do this back in 2015, and I was so afraid that I would be cursed at because why am I contacting these people asking for plant milks? Unfortunately, no one ever replied, but I do like to imagine they at least read it and knew someone was keeping an eye on how they serve their customers.
18. Donate food, blankets and toys to shelters. If you cannot give money, you can give old items that belonged to your dog or cat, or if you bought 10 cans of food for your companion animal and they don’t like the first one, donate the rest.
19. DIY a bird or bat house and protect them from natural elements. I admit that I haven’t made bird houses myself, but I did buy them and paint them at home. My big dream is to create a giant insect hotel, but this will happen when I have my own house or at least a big garden. I love small individuals, and I constantly stop on the street to help them if they are thirsty, injured or in need of a safe place to die in peace.
20. Help hedgehogs and frogs migrate more safely by creating small holes in your fence. It may seem like such a small thing, but for the tiny creatures, it might actually save their lives. No act is ever too punny if it helps someone.

What are you going to start with first? I just signed a petition a few days ago, and right now I am writing more posts to teach people how to create a sustainable vegan life, and then I will probably fill a bowl with water and put it outside for the birds to drink. I think if my surgery goes well and I feel better, I might volunteer at the biggest vegan event in the summer.

I volunteered with this organisation once back in 2017, but I don’t like their leftist politics, and I really don’t want to be associated with them, although I always loved the event when I visited it. Maybe I have to put aside our differences and be the bigger person for other animals?

I’ve done almost every idea I wrote about. A handful of them are still to be experienced, but I used my personal circumstances for most. I’m also aware that as individuals, we are struggling with various issues, and some things can’t be checked off. For example, I have never protested because for decades I suffered from social anxiety, for which I went on antipsychotics to be able to function.

You may have something different. You might absolutely love to be in groups on the street demanding justice, but you cannot afford to adopt or donate or don’t even live near nature where birds are.

Different backgrounds, same purpose. Animal liberation.

Tanja