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10 Times Genesis Butler Has Been a Hero to Animals

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Since becoming a vegan, teenage activist Genesis Butler has spent a *lot* of her time speaking up for animals.

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Young animal activist knows what it means to be left behind. Found in a basket at nine months and adopted at two, this now-14-year-old is committed to helping rescue animals

A 14-year-old animal advocate in California is dedicating her time to giving senior rescue dogs a forever home. She too experienced what it's like to be abandoned.

At nine months old, Meena Kumar was left in a basket on a college campus in India, spending a year in an orphanage before she was adopted by a family in San Jose, CA.

She was two years old when she came to California, already possessing "a passion for animals," the teen says. Her past left her with a strong empathy for animals left behind.

"I love dogs and I would like them to find a caring home and family just like I did," says Meena. "The people who cared for me worked with the agency in the US to find me a lovely home and I want to provide the same support for dogs in need."

At the age of eight, Meena got her first dog from the Humane Society. "I wanted more pets and kept asking my parents to adopt more dogs," she says. "My parents felt that adopting more dogs would be a lot of work and suggested that I think of other ways to help dogs."

One evening she met her neighbour, Dr. Kathy Stecco, walking an older dog named George. Meena discovered that her neighbour takes care of senior dogs from Muttville, and learned about the rescue's founder, Sherri Franklin, a 2016 CNN Hero. Meena has since become one of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue's "most passionate" supporters, says the rescue organization.

"I did some research and saw that most senior dogs have a tough time finding a forever home," Meena shares. "I felt that no dog should feel unloved and abandoned, and wanted to help them in some way."

Volunteering wasn't an option because Meena was a little too young, so she began brainstorming other ways to help, ultimately hitting upon an idea: "I decided that I would take care of dogs around my neighbourhood and donate all the money I earn to Muttville."

Meena started Pet Fairy Services, a dog-sitting service, in 2014 and has since donated $14,000.

"When I first met Meena I knew she was something special," says Muttville's founder Sherri Franklin. "She has great passion for the plight of senior dogs, and her contributions have saved many lives! We are so grateful. It's great to see a new generation picking up the cause."

Now working towards a $25,000 goal by the end of 2020, the teen has partnered with Pebble Naturals, a human-grade pet supplement company, for a fundraising campaign. 100 percent of the profits from each bottle sold will be contributed to Meena's fundraising campaign. (Use the code "MEENA" on pebblenaturals.com and 100 percent of the profit will be donated to Muttville.)

"Meena is a living example of how a business can be a powerful force for good. We're so impressed by Meena's big heart, and we're excited to be a part of her fundraising campaign," said Dr. Kate Mezan and Nayoung Susie Kim, the company's co-founders.

Meena says family has been very supportive in her work. "Without their full support and help, I could not have done this. My entire family including my parents and grandparents have grown to love the companionship of dogs."

Meena and her family adopted a Chihuahua Spaniel mix from Muttville that was found as a stray. "These old dogs often get euthanized just because they are older and they need more help than younger dogs at other shelters," says Meena. "I want to help them find a forever loving home, the same way I found my forever home," says Meena.

She encourages everyone to find ways to help animals and people in need "no matter what state they are in because it could sadly be you one day in their shoes," she says. "Many of the senior dogs at Muttville remind me of my grandfather who passed away last year. I want to take the best care of senior dogs, the same way I took care of my grandfather. I want to help them feel at home."

For more on Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, check out muttville.org.

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Orphaned Child Helps Abandoned Dogs - Modern Dog Magazine

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Young animal activist knows what it means to be left behind. Found in a basket at nine months and adopted at two, this now-14-year-old is committed to helping rescue animals

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Best Friends Animal Society - Save Them All

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Pets around the country have these kids to thank for making their lives better.

It's no secret that kids love animals, so it should come as no surprise when they go the extra mile to help pets. Meet some young people who are doing just that.

Full of inspiration and positivity, Best Friends magazine is full of uplifting tales, gorgeous photos and helpful advice.

When you become a member of Best Friends Animal Society by making a donation of $25 or more to the animals, you'll receive Best Friends magazine for a year. Inside, you'll read about what Best Friends is doing to save the lives of homeless pets nationwide.

Some entrepreneurs are made; others are born. It's clear that Julian Lin falls into the latter category since he's been interested in business from the age of 4. That's when he got his first job at a fruit stand in New York City, handing out bags, restocking produce, and sweeping the sidewalk. Then, during the pandemic, he started a meal delivery service, called J's DINR, for his neighbors. But that wasn't enough for this youngster because he soon opened two seasonal food stands, J's Lemonade and J's Hot Chocolate, and he donates 30% of his net profits to pets in shelters. "I love animals," he says. "My goal is to end all world hunger and homelessness for people and dogs." And who's going to argue with a vision for the future like that? Certainly not us.

To help meet that goal, 8-year-old Julian has donated to several rescue groups, including Beastly Rescue in New York City and Best Friends, for which he raised $5,300. (Part of that, by the way, came from the donations he received after his stand was robbed.) In fact, a few months ago, he presented a check from his earnings earlier in the year to Best Friends' downtown Manhattan location. And since the Maui wildfires, he has raised more than $10,000 - donating a third each to the Maui Humane Society, the Maui United Way, and a friend who lost his home.

[Young entrepreneur brings generosity to adoptable pets]

So what sets Julian's lemonade apart? "I serve it with popping boba, fruity balls that pop in your mouth," he says, and he adds fresh mint or lemon slices. Plus, dogs who come to the stand get free treats. And his signature hot chocolate? Called the Hangry, it features whipped cream, two candy canes, three gingerbread men, four scoops of marshmallows, chocolate syrup, and Oreo cookie crumbles. "It's for when you're really 'hangry,'" he says.

To support Julian's business while helping Best Friends, you can purchase branded merchandise (30% goes to Best Friends) at julianbusinessman.com. If you want to know where his stands will be located, get on his mailing list by emailing ceo@julianbusinessman.com.

Tag, you're it!

After adopting a dog from a shelter in 2017 and another from a rescue group in 2018, Kenny Yip of Tampa, Florida, noticed they had something in common: Neither came with an ID tag. Of course, he rushed to a pet store to get tags in case one of his dogs got loose accidentally, but that inspired a thought. Kenny says, "Wouldn't it be great if they had come with tags, so we wouldn't have had to be in a hurry to get one?"

Fast-forward to the start of this year. Now 16, Kenny recognized that rescue organizations need free pet tags, and that's when he got the idea for Wags for Tags. The 501(c)(3) organization offers free custom-engraved pet ID tags to rescue groups and shelters that are registered 501(c)(3) charities. On the front, he engraves the organization's name and phone number, while the back contains Wags for Tags' information. "Because dogs and cats are most likely to get lost in a transitional period, my hope is that cats and dogs wear them to their new adoptive homes and while in foster care," Kenny says. "In case they do get lost, someone can quickly call the rescue or shelter they came from, and the animals can get the assistance they need."

In the short time that Wags for Tags has been around, 11 organizations in Florida, Georgia, and Illinois have signed up for free tags. Since April, more than 1,100 tags have been distributed. Kenny is able to fund them through donations and custom engraving. "I ask rescues to let new pet parents know that I custom-engrave and ship high-quality, stainless-steel pet ID tags for a $10 donation," he says. The purchase of one tag helps pay for about 15 tags for rescue groups.

Shelters and rescue groups interested in signing up for Wags for Tags can visit wagsfortags.org. Kenny asks anybody who has participated to give a shout-out to Wags for Tags on social media and share photos of their animal wearing the tag.

Scouting out their mission

For a decade, 11 girls have made up Girl Scout Troop 1019 in Madison, Wisconsin, and from the start, one focus has united them. "They've always loved animals," says their troop leader, Karen Ball. "We've spent a lot of time getting to know animals through horseback riding, zoo visits, and animal handlers talking to our group. Eventually, the goal became how we can help animals."

Throughout the years, the troop has worked with or visited their local humane society, Heartland Farm Sanctuary, Primates Incorporated, and the International Owl Center. "We'll do whatever these centers need, whether that's rehabbing enclosures, making blankets, or cleaning," Karen says.

Yet the stand-out activity might be volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. For five days last June, the troop did everything from pulling weeds and deep-cleaning several indoor areas to playing with the pigs and hosting a dog for a sleepover in the Sanctuary's cabins. "Helping the animals is important because I believe they're some of the purest souls on this Earth, and they deserve the utmost love and respect," says Lucy Beckett-Ball, 16, one of the troop members. "My heart hurts for any animal who hasn't been shown that, and Best Friends has done a beautiful job of helping those animals live a life full of love."

Music to their ears

If you've ever walked into an animal shelter, you know how loud the dogs' barking can be. Unless, that is, they're listening to Yuvi Agarwal's relaxing piano music. Every week for 45 to 60 minutes, 10-year-old Yuvi plays his piano for the animals in the Houston Pets Alive shelter in Texas.

Yuvi got the idea after watching his dog Bozo react to the piano. Even though he's a playful, energetic dog, Bozo relaxes as soon as Yuvi starts playing. "Bozo likes any soft, melodious music," he says, adding that he loves to compose music on the go, all of which is easy on the ears. That inspired him to create Wild Tunes, an initiative to bring music therapy to animals in shelters. "A lot of shelter animals have had a difficult past," Yuvi says. "Maybe they were abandoned, surrendered, or neglected, but they haven't done anything wrong and deserve as much love and kindness as any other pet or human."

When Yuvi arrives at the shelter, the dogs are barking, but they stop as they relax and listen to his music. There's a reason for this. "Research shows that music reduces stress in dogs," he says. "It lowers their cortisol levels, a chemical that makes them hyper and anxious and triggers restlessness."

To say that he's made a lot of canine friends is an understatement. Take Toby, for instance, a dog who came to the shelter with major injuries, including a broken jaw and a missing left eye. At first, Toby was shy, but the more he saw Yuvi and heard his music, the more he warmed up. Soon, Toby became one of the friendliest dogs at the shelter, which led to him being adopted. "My music helped him readjust to humans," Yuvi says.

Yuvi is hoping to spread Wild Tunes throughout the country. Shelters can visit wildtunes.org [wildtunes.org] to sign up for the program. Kids - and even adults - can then find a shelter in their area that's registered for Wild Tunes and volunteer to play music for the animals. "By using their talent, they can make a difference in the lives of shelter animals," Yuvi says.

Protecting pets via the law

Numerous cities have laws about companion animals being left outside. But in the town of Babylon, New York, the laws were lax. The Teen Wildlife Protectors club at Half Hollow Hills High School decided to do something about it. "We're all big animal lovers and have advocated for rescues and other organizations, but we'd never tackled the issue of animal abuse by pet owners," says 17-year-old Bennett Vogel, who first brought up the issue with the club.

In hopes of initiating change, the club members reached out to local legislators and got an immediate response from an official who put them in touch with the Babylon Animal Shelter. This issue had already been on everybody's minds, but "it was the club who pushed it over the edge," Bennett says.

[Help animals and start saving lives in your community today]

Thanks to the club's work, a new law was passed to give protection to companion animals left outdoors. The law states that in inclement weather, dogs can't be tied up for longer than one continuous hour in any continuous 12-hour period and must be given adequate food, water, and shelter while restrained. The restraint must have swivels at both ends that's an adequate length for the type, age, and size of the dog being restrained. Punishment for violating any part of the law starts with a $250 fine or imprisonment of up to 15 days.

"Our group is proud that we made a difference in the lives of animals," Bennett says. "It was very gratifying to be part of the legislative process to create a law that protects the things we love the most."

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets.

Shelter staff can't do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone's responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.

Make your community no-kill by 2025

Last year, hundreds of thousands of loving dogs and cats were killed in shelters around the country just because they didn't have a safe place to call home.

You can help save homeless pets

You can help end the killing in shelters and save the lives of homeless pets when you foster, adopt, and advocate for the dogs and cats who need it most.

Foster a pet

Fostering a homeless pet is a short-term commitment with a long-term impact. By opening your home to a cat for even a few days, you can save lives.

Adopt a pet

When you adopt a homeless dog or cat from a shelter or rescue group, you're making a lifesaving difference for a loving and grateful animal.

Advocate for pets

You can inspire and create local change to save the lives of dogs and cats, and to help keep them out of shelters by working with others in your community.

Saving lives around the country

Together, we're creating compassionate no-kill communities nationwide for pets and the people who care for them.

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Pets around the country have these kids to thank for making their lives better.

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LibGuides: Student Activism: Abandoned Pets

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In 2009, when Carter and Olivia Ries of Fayetteville, Georgia, were just 8 and 7 years old, they founded One More Generation (OMG) to educate children and adults about the plight of endangered species. They first got interested in starting their own organization after an aunt presented them with adoption certificates for baby cheetahs from a rescue center in South Africa.

Eight years later, OMG is still going strong, and one of a growing cadre of youth-led organizations tackling tough environmental and animal welfare issues. In 2013, after collecting over 10,000 letters from kids around the world asking the South African president to stop black rhino poaching, Carter and Olivia delivered the letters in person to the South African government. Recently, they started the global Pangolin Awareness Art Campaign, to teach K-12 students about threats to pangolin species.

For Will Gladstone, 13, who runs the Blue Feet Foundation with his brother Matthew, 10, the spark was learning about extinction in 5th grade science at the Fessenden School in Newton, Massachusetts. He zeroed in on a species he felt deserved to maintain its foothold on this blue planet: the blue-footed booby. At first, Will didn't know how he could help. "Then one night before bed I was staring down at my feet and it just hit me. I could sell blue socks so everyone could have blue feet and I could use the money to help the bird!" The blue socks have been a hit. Today, all proceeds from sales go to the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos Conservancy.

Hannah Testa, 14, of Cumming, Georgia, says that "around the age of 10," she watched a documentary called Plastic Paradise. "I saw how birds, whales, and sea turtles were dying from ingesting plastic or becoming entangled in plastic. ... I knew I had to do something." She started Hannah4Change in 2014 to educate consumers and businesses about the global crisis of plastic pollution. Hannah has presented to thousands of adults and children around the country, as well as to the Georgia governor, on plastic pollution and practical ways people can reduce their plastic footprint.

Launching an organization or campaign before one even enters high school may seem daunting. What advice do these young leaders offer? Aidan Bodeo-Lomicky, 17, of Greenville, South Carolina, says budding activists should "find something that makes you want to drop everything and go help it." For him, it was the critically endangered vaquita porpoise. He launched V-log in 2011, a blog with news related to vaquita sightings, poems and facts about the vaquita, updates on gillnet regulations, news related to fishing in vaquita habitat, sustainable seafood promotion, and links to other organizations working to save the animal.

Thomas Ponce, 16, established Lobby for Animals in 2013 from his home in Florida to help animal welfare activists of all ages lobby elected officials and take action on issues affecting farmed animals, pets, animals used in entertainment, animal testing, and more. Thomas says preparation is key: "Do your research, formulate a plan and put it into action. Whether it is a campaign or an organization, having a well laid out business plan will definitely help you stay on track." He adds, "Don't be afraid to speak up and make your demands heard, politely and intelligently."

One need not go it alone or go big from the beginning, though. Olivia Ries says that "you can start by finding other organizations in your area that are working on issues that you care about and reach out to them and ask if they would like help." Hannah Testa offers similar advice: "Partner up with others ... until you build your confidence and knowledge base."

Will Gladstone cautions to be patient, as well. "We were really frustrated in the beginning because we had socks and a website and sold no socks for three months. We almost gave up but we didn't know what we would do with all the socks. So we kept trying different things and finally we got orders. Now we've had orders from 48 states and 16 countries!" Their Instagram and Facebook accounts are now filled with photos of customers sporting their blue socks all around the world, including in the presence of blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos.

Several young activists speak of not being taken seriously at first. Carter Ries relates the meeting he and his sister had with Chick-fil-A's director of sustainability: "At first he was like, 'Ahh, you guys are so cute, sure I will meet with you.' Then when we showed up with five concrete ways they could reduce their plastic footprint, he could not wait for the meeting to be over and he has refused to answer a single email or voicemail since. It really is sad... but that hasn't stopped us from trying to effect change."

Fortunately, other adults do take these young people seriously and are inspired by their tenaciousness. Josiah Utsch and his friend Ridgely Kelly of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, were 11 when they founded Save the Nautilus to call attention to how the shell trade threatens these animals. The boys now raise money to fund the nautilus research of Drs. Peter Ward and Greg Barord. "When I first met them in American Samoa in 2013," says Dr. Barord, "we had just traveled from a research trip in Fiji that was difficult. Instantly when meeting Josiah and Ridgely, my resolve quickly hardened and they motivated me to continue to work even harder." Dr. Barord says the boys have "invigorated the nautilus scientific community." The work has borne fruit: In October 2016, all nautilus species were listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, thereby restricting trade.

Dr. Barord probably sums it up best with respect to all these admirable young leaders and their work: "When it comes to change, age is irrelevant. What is important is to provide opportunities and expose not just younger individuals, but everyone, to what is going on in the world around them. With knowledge in hand, change and action can have significant impacts on the world."

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Young Activists All In on Animal Protection

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PETA Awards Teen Who Raised $17,000 for Animal Shelters

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Despite battling cancer, this 14-year-old has dedicated her time and energy to raising money for animals. Her work is an inspiration.

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LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A 13-year-old animal rights advocate in Long Beach will soon be a hero in the Disney+ series "Marvel Hero Project" thanks to her activism.

Genesis Butler has been a real-life hero to many four-legged creatures in her local community for a while.

The 13-year-old girl is an animal rights advocate who continues to make strides in addressing the protection of animals.

"Animals are like the same as us. They have feelings. They have emotions and they feel sadness," Butler said.

Soon, her advocacy work will be featured on a Disney+ original series where Genesis turns Marvel hero.

"I didn't think I'd be on Marvel ever, but I think this is really cool that I'm able to be a part of this," Butler said.

She spends a lot of her free time volunteering, speaking at public events and fundraising for her nonprofit Genesis for Animals to donate to animal sanctuaries.

Her journey began back when Butler was just three years old. That's when the toddler discovered, in order to have chicken nuggets, chickens have to die. Butler and her family went vegetarian.

A year later, while mom nursed her little sister, Butler asked about the milk the rest of her family drank.

"She told me how we had to get it from mom cows. I didn't want to drink it ever again so my whole family ended up going vegan," Butler said.

Butler took her message all the way to the Vatican last year where she tried to ask the Pope to go vegan for Lent.

"We got a lot of other people to go vegan for lent and it brings a lot of awareness about veganism," Butler said.

Butler's work then caught the attention of folks with Marvel's Hero Project.

The show features young, real-life heroes who make a difference in their communities.

Genesis and her family got a big surprise: a jacket complete with a Marvel patch and a comic featuring Butler inspired by the young activist's work.

"My dad was actually put in it and my dog," Butler said.

The teen also got her very own episode on Marvel's Hero Project, which is scheduled to air on Disney+ on Feb. 21.

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13-year-old animal rights advocate in Long Beach named Marvel hero

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A 13-year-old animal rights advocate in Long Beach will soon be a hero in the Disney+ series "Marvel Hero Project" thanks to her activism.

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An animal shelter, by definition, is: an establishment, especially one supported by charitable contributions, that provides a temporary home for dogs, cats, and other animals that are offered for adoption. An establishment that temporarily provides a home until the animal is adoptable. Sounds good, right?
However, this definition is more in line with no kill animal shelters. These shelters will either keep animals as long as possible, or give them to some other organization that can attempt to adopt out the animals. They will do all in their power to find a great new home for animals that may have been homeless, abused, or a victim of hoarding. Through these types of organizations and charities, animals are given a second chance at life, love, and happiness.
Not only do the animals benefit, but those who adopt them do as well. They can receive some of the best animals and friends from places such as these, (as I know from experience.) While animals may come from any condition, if they are healthy, and great with people, even if it so happens to be as a result of many months or years of training, they will get another chance to be happy and to know love like they should.
Programs like these are great and can really help people in many conditions. There are many success stories out there that will make one want to go adopt every single animal from a shelter that they can, or at the very least, help them.
On the contrary, when comparing no kill shelters to ones without the same beliefs, the results often are not so 'successful.' These shelters may take in animals from the streets, and give them what they need, if only for a little amount of time depending upon their policies.
To clarify, there are some shelters that will let an animal stay for two weeks before euthanizing it. Others give only 3 days. According to research, some shelters may give an animal 3 days, then an additional 7, should the owner come looking for the animal. Meanwhile, other shelters may give the animals a few months, a few weeks, a few days, or even just an hour.
These particular shelters may have excuses, such as "we don't have enough room, we don't have enough money to keep them alive, or they aren't young or 'cute' enough and nobody will want to adopt them." While it may be true that there is no room for the animal or not enough money, the shelters could give the animals to a no kill shelter or an adoption organization.
I personally believe that all animals, no matter what age, as long as they are healthy and gentle, are "adoptable." The excuse that the animal is not young or cute enough has no support, seeing as many ages and kinds of animals are adopted all the time.
Animal shelters that do not have no kill policies don't give the animals enough time. It may take more than 3 days, 7 days, or even a couple of weeks for someone to come to the shelter. But the people coming to adopt are not to blame, because the shelter could put out fliers or notices that there are adoptable pets waiting to find their 'furever homes.'
Though some shelters may do this, and may even genuinely care about the animals, there are always those who just look at the animals as profit. Maybe they think keeping the animals alive is too much money or that there's less hassle with less animals, but clearly, the animals' best interest is not in mind, as it is at a no kill shelter.
Sure, maybe this is the first time in the animal's life that they've had shelter or food and water, but is it beneficial if the animal will not even get a fair chance at life? The animals don't know what's going on, and they may be scared from the past, traumatized, or extremely shy, but they haven't done anything at all to deserve to die.
So while not all shelters can 'afford' to keep the animals, they could find people who will foster the animals until adoption, or some other, positive alternative. Why, if an animal is not a harm to others, should it be killed without any choice? The animals can't speak for themselves. Their fates depend on us to be their voice. Are you up for the challenge? I know I am.

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Animal Shelters: another chance at life or death

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An animal shelter, by definition, is: an establishment, especially one supported by charitable contributions, that provides a temporary home for dogs, cats, and other animals that are offered for adoption. An establishment that temporarily provides a

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This teen makes adorable bow ties to help get shelter dogs and cats adopted | CNN

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A 13-year-old from New Jersey has embarked on the cutest mission ever. He sews tiny bow ties for cats and dogs to help them get adopted.

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How many pets are in the United States? How many animals are in shelters?

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Melissa L. Kauffman, Group Editorial Director Catster/Dogster

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Meet the Teen Animal Activist Who Took Two Shelter Dogs to Prom - Dogster

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Dogster is a publication where dog lovers come together to get the latest expert advice about dog behavior, health, news and entertainment.

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You've probably heard that Albert Einstein was a vegetarian, and it's common knowledge that Steve-O, Ellen Degeneres, and Emily Deschanel love to share how their love of animals has lead them to adopt a plant-based diet.

While these famous animal activists are influential in their own right, it's equally inspiring to learn about what young people in our own communities are doing to speak up for animals. They might be young, but they are driven, passionate, and successfully normalizing this ideology that was once considered radical. And unlike our friend Albert, these individuals are part of a young generation, setting a more compassionate and determined precedent for generations to come. These young activists demonstrate that age is but a number: their own commitment to animals will inspire you to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

1. Phoebe Goldstein

When she learned that her school was organizing a trip to SeaWorld, this eighth grader came out strongly opposed to the annual event. Goldstein took to the school administration, explaining the suffering and isolation inherent in whale and dolphin captivity, and successfully convinced her school to cancel the trip. Given the recent exposés surrounding SeaWorld's treatment of its animals, Goldstein will no doubt be at the forefront of this movement in years to come.

PETA2

2. Thomas Ponce

This 12-year-old activist is making a name for himself within the Animal rights community and beyond. Founder of Lobby for Animals, a lobbyist organization that advocates for protection of animals and activists, Ponce received the Young Animal Activist Award at last year's Animal rights national conference, and has been recognized by PETA. With a smart and motivated leader like Ponce, new generations will surely have a new reverence for our animal friends.

PETA2

3. Elora West

After watching films such as Sharkwater and The Cove when she was 15, West's perspective was forever altered. She began learning to scuba dive, and soon after moved to Taiji, Japan with her father to more directly help the dolphins there. There, she started the Cove Guardiancampaign with Sea Shepherd. Her work has inspired many supporters and has earned celebrity and diplomatic Support throughout the world.

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4. Tayler Jensen

Tayler Jensen has wasted no time spreading the message of Animal rights. At 14-years-old, she has distributed leaflets at her school, encouraged her friends and family to make the transition to a plant-based diet, is petitioning to add a veggie burger to her school's cafeteria menu, and has started her own vegan club at school with more than 70 members and 30 sponsors!

PETA2

5. Jasmine Polsinelli

At 11-years-old, Jasmine Polsinelli knows more about the fur industry than most adults learn in their whole lives. Last year, along with 40 other protesters, Polsinelli stood in front of the Canadian Goose headquarters 5,000 signed postcards objecting to the use of real coyote fur in the clothing company's jackets and hats.

Huffington Post

6. Kat Graham

Kat Graham's mission in life is to end the use of beagles in laboratory research and testing. This inspiring 11-year-old has teamed up with the Beagle Freedom Project (BFP) to create her own website, Kids Against Lab Beagles. The website serves as a fundraising platform for BFP selling her paintings that depict these friendly dogs.

Kids Against Lab Beagles

7. Genesis Butler

A Vegan Child's Journey/Facebook

When she was just three, Butler became a vegetarian, she switched to a plant-based diet just a year later. Now seven-years-old, Butler is a strong advocate for a vegan lifestyle, even maintaining a Facebook page aptly titled, A Vegan Child's Journey. Last year this young activist won the Young Vegan of the Year Award from Vegansarecool.com. With these early successes under her belt, Butler's future looks promising.

8. Kevin Storm

Not only is Kevin Storm a vegan and advocate for homeless animals, but he also happens to be New Jersey's youngest radio host! Storm and his mother saw a posting for radio DJ at a local station and in no time at all, this young teen was set up with his very own show. You can hear his broadcasts on TuneIn, a radio app for smartphones, or by listening to WNJC 1360AM Philly between 12-12:30 PM EST.
Green Monsters! Do you know some awesome young activists? We'd love to hear about them!
Koreandogs.org

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

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8 Young Rockstar Activists Leading the Way for Animal Rights

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Check out these young rockstars who are changing the world for animals!

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Animal Population Control - American Humane Society

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All cats and dogs adopted from animal care facilities should be spayed or neutered Pet “overpopulation” encompasses two primary factors: (1) allowing cats and dogs to reproduce with little chance to find homes for the offspring and (2) pets being relinquished by owners who can no longer keep their animals, or who no longer want […]

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Our relationships with the animals we keep are highly personal. They provide us with unconditional love, and we take on a personal responsibility for making sure that they are well cared for. But when the bond between an animal and his guardian is broken, as when an animal is lost, abandoned, or surrendered to a shelter, who then has responsibility for the animal and his care?

Most people would say it's the local animal shelter's responsibility. And that's true. We take on the function of caring for animals other people don't want or can't care for. And we acknowledge our special role in speaking for the voiceless and upholding the moral status of animals in our communities. But if you were to ask the people at the shelter whose responsibility it is to care for lost, mistreated, and abandoned animals, they'd insist that it's the community's as a whole.

That's because we can't do this work by ourselves. Animal shelters rely on the community for funding, homes, volunteer help, and most importantly, we need people to care for their animals properly and not contribute to the problem. That's why we insist that animal welfare is a community responsibility and that success in this field comes through partnerships with people outside of the shelter.

In fact, just a few weekends ago we had an amazing adoption event -- a real example of community partnership. We got 65 animals into new homes in just two days. We kept our adoption trucks moving back and forth from the shelter to their temporary station in front of Friendship Hospital for Animals all weekend.

This private veterinary hospital, the largest in the nation's capital, understands the need for community involvement in animal welfare. Thanks to them, we have a thriving humane education program, ready veterinary interns and staff to help for events and patient care, and now... 65 new homes for our animals. It's exactly the kind of partnership we're always looking for.

With the help of that hospital, we made a lot of new friends and found many new homes. The astonishing thing to me though, was not the number of adoptions. We'd like to do that every weekend. It's the fact that by simply bringing animals to where our adopters live, and not keeping them in our shelter, which, let's face it, is not exactly on the beaten track of metro D.C.'s population (most shelters are tucked away near landfills, railroad tracks, airports, and other well-healed neighborhoods!), we literally tripled our adoptions for the weekend. One obvious conclusion -- we've got to get out more!

And that's exactly what we bought our new adoption truck to do -- bring our animals literally into the waiting arms of adopters. Easy enough to say, but not so simple to do. Especially in a city like Washington, in which parking a 22-foot truck has its challenges. So we need partners: businesses like Friendship Hospital for Animals that can host adoption events and provide us with venues to meet the public and tell them about our work.

At the same time, it's incumbent upon us in the animal welfare business to make our shelters welcoming places that the public doesn't have to be afraid to visit. So many times I hear from donors or other supporters that they love what we do, but don't want to visit because it's so sad to see all those animals without homes or hope.

But that's exactly what you won't see at the Washington Animal Rescue League or in any of the new "breed" of animal shelters being built all over the country. What you'll see at the League are contented dogs and cats acting like dogs and cats. That means you'll see them playing, eating, sleeping, and wagging their tails or stretching their paws in greeting. You'll also see funny bowls and buckets holding treats and messages from our behavior staff asking you to toss a few treats to help train our dogs to be household pets.

Every shelter needs to become a place of hope, education, and engagement -- not despair. They should be places where you can bring kids to adopt a pet, learn about the animals, or just practice compassion for all living things. But above all, places where you can teach responsible animal care, which includes spaying and neutering and adopting from shelters, not from Craig's List. Places where they are taught kindness and that it's important to be part of the world's solutions. Which includes ending animal homelessness. Put us out of business -- please.

November 6-12 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. (But you knew that already, didn't you?) It's a great time to get to know your local animal shelter and show them that you're ready to become part of the solution. Every shelter needs adopters, donors, and volunteers. But here are few other ways you might get involved:

1. Help publicize the animals who are looking for homes. Hang a picture and description of an adoptable animal at your workplace or school. You can pull them straight from the shelter's website.

2. Consider donating used towels, blankets, toys, and treats to the shelter. Shelters go through a lot of these. You might even use your neighborhood list serve to organize a drive.

3. Host an adoption event at your work, school, or community group. Even if the event doesn't manage to find too many homes for animals -- and some are more successful in this regard than others -- you will introduce lots of people to the shelter and the work it does.

4. Learn about the services that your local shelter offers -- spay/neuter programs, low-cost vaccination clinics, dog training classes, help for feral cats, and the like -- so that you're ready to talk to friends and neighbors about how they can find help caring for their pets properly.

5. Offer to organize a tour of the shelter for a group of young people. Almost every shelter will happily talk to children about what they do and introduce them to their animals.

It's all about community. What Friendship Hospital showed us this weekend was that community partnerships work. Animal shelters need community support. And this starts by taking good care of all of our own animals. But if it's easier for the mountain to come to Mohammed, we'll do that too, like we did last weekend.

Because when the problem of animal homelessness becomes all of our problems, by spaying and neutering, giving proper veterinary care and teaching compassion for all living things, the animals will finally win. Sixty five dogs and cats who got to sleep in their new beds last week can attest to that.

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Animal Welfare abandoned animals animal shelters dc homeless-animals

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Animal Homelessness Is a Community Challenge

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November 6-12 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. It's a great time to get to know your local animal shelter and show them that you're ready to become part of the solution.