make the holiday cruelty-free

We, the undersigned environmental, animal welfare and animal rights groups together with concerned organizations, would like to encourage the general public to adopt a compassionate celebration of the Holiday Season. We have drafted the following suggestions for those who would like to make this season more meaningful not only for
their loved ones but also for the rest of the creatures we share the planet with:

*Show kindness to animals and please don’t give them as presents.

Animals are not toys. It is unfair to give an animal to anyone unless you are absolutely certain that the person wants that particular animal as a companion and is willing and able to give a lifetime of proper care. Intentionally or not, some children and adults are cruel to animals. Small children may unintentionally torment and/or harm animals. Adoration may turn to indifference or even hostility when they lose interest, leaving the animals without necessary care. If you are going to give someone a pet as a gift, make sure that the recipient will be a responsible pet owner.

*Think green

Recycle! Using newspapers to wrap your gifts, it’s original and earth friendly! Reduce waste by segregating garbage and recycling reusable materials and aim to buy organic and local produce to support the local farmers. Look for locally made gifts: many gifts in today's marketplace come from halfway around the world, and the impact of transportation contributes significantly to greenhouse emissions and global warming. Local craft fairs and artisan shops are a good source for gifts that come without the added costs of transportation. Also, choose gifts made from recycled sources - many individuals and small businesses have developed great products using recycled materials. Supporting these businesses helps reduce the waste stream while promoting the concept of making best use of available materials. Give 'battery-free' gifts to the family kids: about 40% of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Discarded batteries are an environmental hazard. Even rechargeable batteries find their way into the waste stream eventually.

*Have a compassionate meal!

Share a delicious and nutritious vegetarian meal with your loved ones and give animals something to celebrate by having a meatless Christmas Noche Buena. Celebrations without suffering make family gatherings all the more meaningful – and can save both animal and human lives. There are plenty of delicious recipes that will please every palate and make it easier to give up the lechon, giving everyone – including animals – something to be thankful for this holiday season.

*Make it a Merry Christmas for animals! Boycott places that exhibit live animals and take your family out to the movies to watch animal-friendly flicks instead!

Watch fun animated movies where no real animals are used. Great examples of movies featuring cute animals are Madagascar , Ice Age, Ratatouille, and the list goes on! Boycott all live animal exhibits such as dolphin shows and zoos. Most animals in aquariums and zoos are kept in grotesquely inadequate conditions and suffer myriad problems, such as neglect, abuse, malnutrition, incompatible social groupings, unsuitable climate, and insufficient veterinary care. At home in the ocean, whales and dolphins may swim up to 100 miles a day, but in captivity, most are confined to tanks that are 60 feet long or even smaller. Because dolphins navigate by echolocation – bouncing sonar waves off other objects to determine shape, density, distance, and location – the reverberations from their own sonar bouncing off the tank walls drives some dolphins insane. Dolphins can live up to 50 years in the wild but more than half of all captive dolphins die within the first two years of captivity; those surviving that long live an average of only six years. What children learn when they look at animals act in captivity is how they act in captivity and that it is acceptable to cause wild animals to be bored, cramped, and kept far from their natural homes.

*Offer your help to the ones in need

Volunteer at your local animal shelter and consider giving an ethical gift this Christmas by donating to charitable groups. Not only will you be supporting a charity’s lifesaving work but helping those in need.

When it comes to feeling love and happiness we are all the same, human and non-human alike.

Happy Holidays to All!

Signed,
Earth Island Institute
Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

KALIKASAN-People’s Network for the Environment

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Bangon Kalikasan

Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC-Phils.)

Agham-Youth

League of Youth for the Environment (LYFE)