13 New Year’s resolutions for animals
Trying to decide what your New Year’s resolutions will be? How about including a few that can affect animals, both in our homes and farther away? Here’s a quick list of ideas, some easy-to-achieve, some a bit loftier:
• Adopt, don’t shop. OK, that’s an obvious one coming from us, but it really does make all the difference for an animal in need when you adopt a pet. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, about 6.5 million pets enter United States shelters every year.
• Play, play, play with your pets. Whether it’s digging out the cat wand that’s been stuck in a closet or getting a good game of tug going with your dog, playing often with your pets gives them exercise, mental stimulation and strengthens the bond between you.
• Include your pets in your disaster plans. Here in California, we’ve learned hard lessons about wildfires recently, and most people have disaster kits and plans. Make sure your pets are a part of them.
• Practice peaceful coexistence with wildlife, including coyotes, by removing things that attract them to our neighborhoods like pet food left outside, unsecured garbage and small pets left unattended.
• Sign up your kids for classes, clubs or camps (virtual for now) that relate to pets, wildlife or the environment. Children who grow up with an awareness of the wonderful creatures around us become more compassionate adults.
• Never use rat poison. Seek alternative solutions so rat poison doesn’t end up in the wildlife food chain. Few things are more heartbreaking than a baby owl dying a slow death after eating a poisoned rat.
• Keep your dog’s paw on the right side of the law and get a license. All dogs living in Marin County that are at least 4 months old are required to be licensed. It also provides another form of identification should your buddy become lost.
• Take a dog or cat behavior class or workshop. Marin Humane offers an array of classes for you and your canine buddy, from basic obedience to scenting to agility. For kitty conundrums, we offer workshops like feline enrichment and even how to train your cat (yes, it’s possible).
• Speaking of kitties, think about buying or building an outdoor enclosure or “catio” to keep your cat safe from cars, dogs, other cats and coyotes.
• Consider participating in “Meatless Mondays.” Consuming less meat means fewer animals used in factory farming, which is not only inhumane but also incredibly harmful to the environment.
• Don’t patronize companies that use animals as entertainment. Swimming with dolphins and riding on elephants sound like a dream come true, but it’s often a nightmare for the animals involved. They’re deprived of their natural habitat, social structure and companionship. They’re often kept in inhumane and unsafe conditions. Consider a visit to an accredited animal sanctuary instead. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries’ website lists them by state and country.
• Use cruelty-free cosmetics and toiletries. A complete list can be found at leapingbunny.org.
• Sponsor an adoptable animal at Marin Humane. A great way to support animals in Marin and get them adopted more quickly is to pay the adoption fee of a pet looking for a home.
Thank you for the efforts you make, big or small, on behalf of animals. And a happy new year from the critters — and the people who love them — at Marin Humane.
Lisa Bloch is the marketing and communications director at Marin Humane which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal- related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community.
Go to marinhumane. org, Twitter.com/ marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane. org.