Top 10 Ways to Speak Up for Farmed Animals!

If you're looking for the best way to help animals, you've come to the right place! The food industry kills more animals than laboratories, fur farmers, trappers, circuses, and hunters combined. Cutting meat, eggs, and dairy products from your diet makes an enormous difference—you will save more than 100 animals every year just by switching to a healthy vegan diet. We'll show you how to multiply your impact many times over by encouraging people in your community to follow your lead.  

We need the help of compassionate people like you to speak out for farmed animals! You can draw people's attention to farmed animals' suffering every day with a few simple acts that require little time but make a big impact. Below, we've listed tons of exciting ways for you to get involved, ranging from quick, easy actions to bigger projects:

1. Speak up! When people ask you why you don't eat animals, don't just call it a "personal choice." Instead, paint a vivid picture of cruelty and explain how easy it is to go vegetarian!
2. Speak out! Within earshot of the shopper ahead of you in the queue at the market, talk with a friend about the video you saw on factory farming. Have loud conversations on the subway or on the bus about how great it is to be a vegetarian or a vegan. Be sure to carry animal rights literature with you so that you can give people instant information when they ask you questions. People eavesdrop all the time—why not take advantage of that to help animals?
3. Download our powerful videos and stream them to your personal Web page or blog. Ask your friends and family members to watch them with you. Tell them that it will take less than 20 minutes.
4. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for animal-related issues and write a letter in support of animal rights to the editor of every magazine or newspaper that you read. The letters page is the most popular section of most daily newspapers and magazines, and one published letter could reach tens of thousands of people! For tips on how to write great letters and get them published, check out the PETA U.S. letter-writing guide.

5. The next time you're in a restaurant that lacks animal-friendly choices, politely ask the manager if he or she would consider offering vegan foods. Be sure to mention why offering vegan foods is important: A vegan option is a good way to reach out to health-conscious and vegetarian diners, people who are allergic to eggs or dairy products, or anyone with religious dietary restrictions. Also, be sure to direct the manager to VegCooking.com for recipes and tips on how to work with vegan products.
6. Work with your school or office cafeteria to ensure that more vegetarian options are available on their menus. This is one of the most effective ways to help stop the abuse of animals on factory farms—every vegetarian meal served is a victory for animals. Providing information about vegetarianism to classmates and coworkers while making sure that they have access to cruelty-free food is a sure-fire way to effectively promote compassion!
7. Set up an information table during community events and gatherings—anywhere that there are people to talk to about animal rights. Ask permission to set up tables at places like the local shopping mall, concerts, street and craft fairs, and area schools. Stock your table with leaflets and factsheets (available from local animal rights groups, or e-mail us for a free supply), and get ready to educate!
8. Take yummy vegan food to the next office or dinner party. What better way to promote veganism than by showing your colleagues or friends just how tasty cruelty-free dining can be?
9. Spend an hour handing out leaflets. Personal interaction can have a big impact! Choose an area with lots of foot traffic and approach passersby with a smile and a leaflet. Ask them, "Would you like free information about vegetarianism?" Be friendly, and be prepared to answer some commonly asked questions. Don’t waste time on those who just want to argue with you, but continue to be polite because rudeness will only alienate people who overhear it. Briefly clarify your position, express regret at the disagreement, and then turn to the next person.
10. Join PETA's Activist Network. PETA will link you to activists in your area and alert you when quick action is needed on national, regional, or local animal issues.