The things you've done-

[orane]

For animal rights, just wondering =)

[sweetmedicine (deleted)]

.kept the kitchen counters clean so my room mates can't kill the ants....

[orane]

`Lol, I've thrown away poison at my college so they couldn't kill the ants. They were tiny and harmless, of course leave it to be people to kill tiny and harmless things!

[greenisgood]

`When I was a kid, I went to "fishing rodeos" and habitually set free all the live bait and caught fish of any fisherman who wasn't paying attention. In the woods around here there's alot of hunting in pretty compact wooded areas, so even to this day I've got a tendency to destroy, disarm, or just steal any traps I come across when I'm out for a walk. I've even released squirrels from two live-catch traps so far.

[veggiesaurus]

`I've turned my mom into a vegatarian (so proud of that!) and I've bought lobsters before, only to set them free in the ocean. I signed up as a member on PETA and am willing and ready to go to all PETA related events in the Massachusetts area, still waiting though! I donate money to each month to the ASPCA and hope to have more money soon, to donate money to more animal rights related organizations. There is NOTHING I wouldn't do to help save animals, nothing!

[orane]

`I'll post mine! I went vegan and liberated 7 rats (looking for new homes for two now) from feeder bins. I've rescued more but I had to pay for them. I convinced my friend to turn vegan (woo!) and am working on her family (her father is morbidly obese and sister wants to try vegetarianism) I've done a little bit of art (banners ect) for DIVAS (Dairy Industry Victim Animal Sanctuary) I also destroy rodent killing poison traps that =)
If I find any hunter traps I will be sure to put them where they belong! (in pieces in the trash)

[courtneyscha (deleted)]

`Vegan for 3 years now!!! Turned 3 people vegetarian and 2 vegan!!!! I have rescued 3 dogs and 2 cats from shelter. I have taken in 2 dogs from abusers and found loving homes for each. Also, part of catching and neutering and spaying local cats. MORE TO come!! I'm not DONE!

[mossytrail (deleted)]

`Just be careful when releasing live bait -- if it was brought from somewhere else, it may not be native to those waters, and you could be damaging the ecosystem if you release it there. Some forests in the Upper Midwest are already showing signs of damage from non-native earthworms brought in as live bait and released; likewise, some swamps in the South are being invaded by non-native crayfish from crayfish farming. Likewise, releasing lobsters is okay in the Atlantic, but as the ones sold live in markets are not native to the Pacific, you could be doing long-term damage if you release them there.

What have I done? All my life, every cat my family has had has been a rescue, either from the animal shelter or taken in off the street. This way, I am not supporting breeding. As my enlightenment has grown, I have come to see pet shops as slave markets. We hear about puppy mills and kitten mills, and the public gets all indignant; but what about hamster mills, guinea pig mills, parakeet mills, goldfish mills? Are not these animals mass-produced in the exact same way?

Now, I know that in the egg industry, "cage free" just means they are crammed into a big barn instead of battery cages. But I do cosider that a step in the right direction. Eggs are on their way out of my diet -- it can take me two months to go through a dozen -- and in the meantime, I make sure to buy only "cage-free" eggs.

Alas, I have been unable to make any converts. My mother is diabetic, and thus obsessed with protein -- she eats amounts of animal protein that would make me physically ill, and still claims to be getting just barely enough. With my family, I play up the health side of things, because I feel that is what they will be more likely to listen to.

I came into this through the back door, so to speak. My original reasons for becoming vegetarian were almost strictly environmental and health related; I was not thinking of animal rights. But the longer I have been a vegetarian, the more I have awakened to the rights of animals. When they look into my eyes, I see a yearning there. "All creation groaning," as the scriptures say -- I feel it every day.

[charles72vegan (deleted)]

I became vegetarian in 2004 and vegan in 2006. I also walk as much as possible and I do not drive at all and I hope it helps to reduce pollution levels at least a little bit. I donate to all the major animal rights organizations(PETA, WWF, ASPCA, Humane Society, etc...) as well as to local shelters here in El Paso, Texas but only if they are no-kill shelters. PETA sends me packets of stickers every month which I post all over the place during my daily walks. In fact, I've gone so far as to walk into places like McDonald's and posting them on the bathroom mirrors. I also make it a point to not kill any creatures that make it into my home. When I see a cricket or some kind of harmless insect inside my apartment I catch it and release it outside. In fact, on 2 occasions I have gently caught and released 2 lizards that found their way inside and which my mother, who unfortunately is nowhere near as kind to animals as I am, might have killed had she gotten to them first. Fortunately I scooped them up and released them back out into the grass. Oh, and of course my dog is neutered so he won't contribute to pet overpopulation. We all can do something and the main thing we can do is to be a vegan or vegetarian. That by itself helps TREMENDOUSLY.

[jits2806 (deleted)]

I am vege and love animals, but I think some of you push the boat out too far. My mother is very understanding and as long as she doesn't see needless killing, she is very open minded. Not all my family are vegtarian but we don't ostracize them for their choice. Vegetarianism, just as being carnivorous, are lifestyle choices. Do I think vege life is better...of course. But it wouldn't make me stop in the streets and throw paint on someone because they are wearing a leather jacket. There is a fine line and certain organisations (naming no names, but one which sounds like the first name of the Chelsea goalkeeper) cross it.

[tzimxoneet]

`I try to encourage life where ever I am. I avoid hitting animals on the road. All of my past pets have been neutered and spayed. My last to were rescues. I share my understanding with people as I can and why I understand it that way.
From God I began my vegetarian walk some 20 years ago. We once spoke often to one another. He told me that man is arrogant to believe that he was the only one made in Gods image. Animals also are made in the image of God. So what is that image? That image is simply and plainly alive. For there is no likeness under heaven or in heaven above unto God. So God told me that all creatures want to live. This wanting to live and showing fear at the prospect of death is proof enough for man that all creatures are self aware. If they were not self aware, There would be no fear at the prospect on their own death. As far as intelligence go's; Its funny how a kitten can learn the cat box within a few short weeks and dogs within 6 months but human babies cannot feed themselves or use the proper place of defecation outside the diaper in almost 2 years. Most animals understand us when we communicate to them some simple idea, but humans lack the ability to understand the animals when they are speaking to us. Back to why I became a vegetarian. God and my Love of God. In Genesis we find God had created all of the creatures and their habitat and He found it all good. He like them and found joy in them. Then he said let s make man to take care of these creatures and this Habitat. So he did. And shortly after that he brought forth a woman. And He found them pleasing too. then God says from every tree bearing fruit and from every seed bearing plant; God gives this to man and woman as their food. The same for animals. So it has always been from the beginning Gods will that we humans eat fruits and vegetables. So all along I have been misled into eating animals. I was probably the number 1 carnivore. I once ate every kind of creature. Except human. Now I am sorry for my ignorance. God opened my eyes and showed me that I was killing and eating what thing God had Loved with great affection. Because I love God. I dont want to harm a single creature. Later my knowledge increased to include as for health benefits and then my heart turned to have great affection as God does for His creatures. I Love them. I talk to them. And sometimes they talk back. Some people think that I am weird; but its a secret that I share between God and me and the animals. So now to account for the later chapters where God laid out the Kosher laws. Well through 1000's of years of conversation and varying degrees of relationship with God, Finally man has fallen to a point where Man ----s for the taste of flesh. In the hardness of his heart, Man would not give up or stop eating meat. So because God knows what man is capable of becoming and for the affection that God has for man, God gave man the Kosher laws. Some to protect the animal and some to protect the man. But I think that this is also another way for God to discover who really loves God and will conquer his own evil inclinations and ----s; If not for self then for Him. So some of us arent naturally smart enough to overcome our environment and upbringing; some of us need God to speak directly to us about such topics. I am one who needed God to show me the way. But He didn't give me any tasty recipes or any information on where to get the recipes. I had to discover recipes on my own. and I had to learn to like vege's on my own. Because I had not known any vegetarians to show me how to be one. No mentors. I was the first one that I ever knew and I didn't know how. I started by not eating no land animals and finally gave up tuna also. Recently I have finally given up milk products and cheese. Except for my leather belt and my leather boots, I am now a vegan. One day I hope to find a belt and boots to replace the leather. But they must hold up to the rigors of my profession.
Back to the topic of this forum. In the past I have captured hornets in my living space and set them free outside. I think that some of them hornets think they are my friend. I gave one some O.J after catching it roaming around my place in the winter just after its hibernation. So I gave it energy and then put it outside to go back into hibernation until the warm weather comes. I used to save baby birds who have fallen from their nests. I used to feed the squirrels and birds more than I do now. And I don't get mad when they get into my garden for a little something to eat. My canine buddy Shane used to go the garden and pick tomatoes to snack on in the middle of the yard. No problem. Man has bull dozed over all of the natural food and habitat for most of the animals. I plant berrie trees and gardens where I can for them. I also put up bird houses and allow for brush piles and such for animals to build dens in. Some day I hope to own land where I can build bat houses and bird sanctuary and grow food for the critters to eat as they wish. kind of like an animal sanctuary. Hopefully the land that I get will have water running through. Animals need water too.