Try these 5 Ideas to Support Animals in Your Community Today

Our wildlife needs our help, so today, we’ll be going over some ways to support animals in your community. We cover topics like birdfeeders, invasive species, and many ways of reducing harm while keeping them manageable so there’s time left for your busy schedules.

Please read to the end to see suggested other posts like this one. Enjoy!

Support Animals in Your Community!

1. Buy a Birdfeeder

This first tip is something that nearly anybody can do, whether they live in a studio apartment or a large estate. Birds will flock to your yard (or balcony), making this an easy way to support the wildlife near you. Some birdfeeders on the market will have a bottom ring that can swivel, making it tricky for squirrels to use, and saving all the birdseed for its intended recipients.

2. Keep Your Dog on a Leash

Many of us have fond memories of our dogs splashing in the surf, or playing a good-natured game of fetch in our local park. But many dogs were bred for hunting, retrieving, flushing birds, and other activities that harm the local wildlife. If there isn’t a dog park or other enclosed outdoor space near you, it may be time to consider some puppy play dates or make more time to play and walk them during the day.

Or, try one of these extra-long leashes, so they can still go as far as they’d like, without you having to worry about the animals around them.

3. Invasive Species in Your Area

Most of the time, your local and national government will have a list of invasive species to watch out for, and resources about how to report sightings and eliminate them if they’re found. In my area, the Asian Longhorned Beetle is causing a lot of damage, and people are told how to report sightings after they’re found.

They may have anonymous form submissions, an email address, a phone number to call, or even an app to report the sightings. Look around and see what the options are.

4. That Baby Animal is Probably Fine

I’ve seen a few social media posts about people who have brought abandoned puppies or kittens into their local shelters, only to discover they were coyote pups or young wildcats. Not knowing what the wild animals in your area look like may mean those animals can never be reintroduced to the wild, or they may not be able to find their mothers once they’re released. Only call your local conservation authority, emergency/wildlife vet, or animal control if the animal is visibly injured, and follow their advice to the letter. Don’t pick up an animal until you are sure of its identity.

5. Be Kinder to Insects

This last tip may be the hardest to follow. Many people become squeamish or outright terrified near bugs, but it’s important not to let our personal feelings affect how we treat them.

Even if endangering our local bugs had no effect on the ecosystem, it’s important to recognize their right to exist. If it isn’t parasitic, venomous, or chewing through the beams in your house, you are not in danger, and it’s important to work through your fears enough to coexist with them.

All life on Earth depends on insects and other bugs for survival, so letting go of your fear, even just a little, could make a positive change for all of us.

Take Action to Save Animals

Supporting local animals will prevent more species from becoming endangered or extinct, and it isn’t always easy to know which steps to take.

Hopefully, this advice inspires you to take action and teaches you something new along the way. Not everybody can dedicate their lives to these causes, but we don’t have to be complacent. The jumping spider in the corner of your room will appreciate it as much as any other species, and unlike many, it pays rent by being your personal exterminator.

Do you have any ideas for supporting animals? Let us know in the comments!

For more information about supporting animals, here is some further reading: