If you strive to live an altruistic lifestyle, you know how challenging, yet rewarding the experience can be. Altruism means making sacrifices in order to meet other individuals’ needs, but it also involves receiving that love and sacrifice back into your own life tenfold. However, living an altruistic lifestyle doesn’t simply end with human beings.
Instead, it stretches and expands throughout every aspect of your life, encompassing others, your community and even animals. Caring for animals is an important part of living an altruistic lifestyle. Today we explore how you can live more altruistically with the animals in your day-to-day life.
Volunteer at a shelter.
One of the simplest and most exciting ways to care for animals is by volunteering at a local animal shelter in your area. Check with any shelters near you to see if they need assistance, and learn more about how you can get involved. Volunteer by raising money, taking care of the animals or even rescuing any pets in need. When you volunteer at an animal shelter, you make a genuine difference in an animal’s life and can serve as a positive force for good.
Adopt locally.
Speaking of animal shelters, if you or someone you know is in the market for a new furry friend for the family, why not adopt locally? Avoid the pet store and head straight for the shelter. Shelter animals can often come from harmful and distressing backgrounds, and spend a long time waiting for the right family to come around and adopt them. You can be a renewed hope for a little furball. Adopt an animal yourself or promote adoption to friends and family in your life who are looking for a new pet.
Watch what you eat.
You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to a live a loving lifestyle towards animals, but you can help make an impact by watching what you eat. If you’re not ready to make a drastic change in your diet, take small steps to ensure the wellbeing of animals for food. For instance, focus on buying meat products from local farms which come from cruelty-free environments. Or, lessen your intake of meat products and strive to live more plant-based. This way, you can continue to live the lifestyle you want, while still caring for the animals involved.
Go fur-free.
Of course, what better way to care for animals than by committing to going fur-free? Make the pledge to go fur-free in your day-to-day life and avoid fur and skin clothing items, such as mittens, boots or handbags. Faux fur has recently become more and more popular in the fashion world, and it’s all because activists have made a conscious decision to protect animals from harm. Be a part of this movement by committing to live fur-free.
Buy cruelty-free.
Following a fur-free lifestyle is the cruelty-free lifestyle. Across the world, animals of all kinds are blinded, poisoned and burned as human products like soap, shampoo and lip balm are tested on them. If you want to live a more altruistic lifestyle by caring for animals, take a stand against these harmful lab testings. Before you buy any beauty or personal care products, check the packaging to ensure they’re cruelty-free.
Encourage spaying and neutering.
Every year, animals of all kinds are put down in shelters or killed on the streets due to issues with overpopulation. You can help reduce these issues by spaying or neutering your pets, and encouraging neighbors and friends to do the same. Learn more about spaying and neutering and search for affordable options in your area.
When it comes to living a more altruistic lifestyle, compassion doesn’t simply stop at human beings. Instill altruism throughout your entire life by consciously taking a step to care for the animals around you.
