Strength in numbers
You may find that other students have the same interests as
you and when you work together as a team, you can get a lot accomplished. In many
schools around the country there are animal
clubs that meet to discuss animal issues that interest and concern them and they
work on projects together. In a group, each person has special skills and abilities
that will allow the group to be more creative and focus on issues in a variety
of ways. You'll need to brainstorm about what kinds of ideas and abilities your
members have. Working together, you can create posters, fliers or newsletters;
speak on a specific topic to your school; volunteer 
at an animal-related organization;
work on a hands-on project in your community; and raise money or collect supplies
to support an organization's cause. You may need to make small steps toward your
goal in the beginning, but it will give you the confidence to keep moving forward.
You'll need to choose an adult advisor who can help you organize the group and work with you on your goals. If your group is school-based, a teacher or faculty member can help you with this. If your group is community-based, your advisor could be a parent, community leader or staff member of a local animal-related organization. For more information on how to start an animal club, the Humane Society of the United States has a free "Student Action Guide" that provides step-by-step instructions and ideas. To obtain a copy, write to The Humane Society of the United States, Youth Education Division, P.O. Box 362, East Haddam, CT 06423-0362, or email them at teenscene@nahee.org. If your group is interested in companion animal issues, ask your teacher or youth group leader to call our Humane Education Program to find out more about our presentations on kindness and compassion toward animals, the responsibility of pet ownership and the problem of pet overpopulation. We can come to your school or group location or you can visit our Quebec Shelter for a tour.
The power of one
There are many things you can do on your own to make positive changes for animals, both on a daily basis, as well as long-term commitments to causes that are important to you.
If
your family has pets, you can be a responsible pet owner and help to make sure
your pets are healthy, safe and happy. This includes feeding your pets a healthy
diet, giving them plenty of exercise, reminding your parents to take them for
regular check-ups and vaccinations and spending lots of quality time with them,
so your pets feel like they're part of your family. You can help your family
make important choices about where you buy food and products for your pets,
as well as which veterinarian, groomer and boarding kennel to use. It's important
to support stores and facilities that you believe are providing quality products
and services for pets. If your family is looking for a pet, encourage them to
visit the Denver Dumb Friends League or another animal shelter.
Do you have any old blankets, pet toys, toilet seat covers or shower curtain rings laying around your house? These are great items to donate to the Denver Dumb Friends League, because we need them to help us care for the animals. You can also ask your neighbors, relatives and friends if they have some of these items to donate, as well.
You can also do your part to keep your neighborhood clean and safe for animals and people, by picking up any garbage you see. By carefully cleaning up items like glass and nails, you will not only be protecting pets that go for walks in your neighborhood, but also the numerous types of wildlife that could be injured by these items. You can also educate your family, friends and neighbors about how poisonous antifreeze is to animals. If an animal licks even a small amount of this substance it could kill them. You can encourage them to use non-toxic antifreeze.
Another significant contribution you can make is to recycle glass, aluminum, steel, plastic and newspaper. Some neighborhoods have curbside recycling where you can leave bins out on your driveway, and in other neighborhoods you need to take the products to your local recycling facility. By recycling, you're helping to eliminate a lot of items that would go into landfills and are helping to save precious resources. Landfills are dangerous places for wild animals that explore and they can get injured or eat toxic substances dumped there. Composting is another way of "recycling" fruit and vegetable scraps that would normally end up in a landfill. If you have a backyard, you can get a compost bin and toss all your fruit and veggie scraps in there, and eventually it breaks down into incredibly rich soil that you can use for gardening. To get more information about composting, call Denver Recycles at 303.640.1675.
If you know a neighbor or friend who's sick or having a difficult
time, you can offer to help walk or feed their pet. Your help could mean the
difference between them being able to keep the pet or having to give it up.
If you feel strongly about an issue, you can express youropinion througha letter or a phone call to your local government, such as the city council, mayor or governor, or to the federal government, such as your senators, representatives and other elected officials. You can urge them to support or oppose legislation that affects animals, ask them to send you a copy of legislation that you're interested in or just let them know your opinion on an animal issue that concerns you. If you call the League of Women Voters in your area, they can provide you with the names, addresses and phone numbers of your elected officials. The following addresses are for federal legislators and other government officials:
(Senator) (Representative)
The Honorable The Honorable
United States Senate House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515
President/ Vice-President
The White House The White House
Washington, DC 20500 Washington, DC 20500
The following organizations offer information about state and federal legislation regarding animals. The Humane Society of the United States lists state and federal legislative updates on animal laws and action alerts. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) website explains how a bill becomes a law, discusses animal issues and advocacy, tells you about recent legislative activity and allows you to instantly write officials about state and federal animal issues. The State of Colorado website lists bills that affect our state and lists the elected officials for Colorado.
If you're at least 16 years old, you can look into volunteering at the Dumb Friends League. All of our volunteers must go through an orientation and training and be willing to make at least a six-month commitment, three hours a week. Teen volunteers can be Assistant Kennel Technicians and exercise, socialize and feed the animals, as well as clean kennels in Adoptions, our Lost & Found Center and Surgery. This is a wonderful way to help the thousands of animals that we care for every year, as well as learn a lot and make great friends! You'll also develop new skills while exploring the field of animal care and acquiring hands-on work experience.
If you are between ages 12 and 15, dependable and responsible, have good communication skills, a willing to take on a variety of tasks and enthusiasm for working with people and animals, then our Junior Volunteer Club might be for you. Click here to learn more.
Another long-term commitment you can make is planting a garden at your home or school or being part of a community garden. Gardens beautify our communities and certain types of plants and flowers attract wildlife, which would give you an excellent opportunity to observe them. If you don't have a home or school garden to help with, call your local Parks and Recreation Department to find out about any community gardens in your area.