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Love is in the air, so what better time to show the depths of your vegan compassion by sharing the love with our animal friends? Valentine’s Day is a chance to spread the vegan message, and to remind others that love, in its purest sense, surely involves inflicting no harm on others. We all agree that animals need more love in this cruel world, so here’s a quick rundown of some ways you can help make them feel less hated. You might even have some fun, too.
Don’t eat your friends
An obvious one, but a sure-fire way of losing a friend is by killing and eating them.
Showing your love on Valentine’s Day by giving gifts of dairy chocolates or a meat dinner is hardly loving to the victims.
So, make sure you are choosing compassionate vegan food and gifts. Then, why not share the amazing food and gifts via your social media feeds to show how easy and delicious they are?
Create a Love Garden
We all know about the decline in the bee population, but you can care for all the bees, birds and bugs by creating a themed Valentine plant display or area of your garden. Even a window box can attract the creepy crawlies and provide them with good nourishment. Why not present your loved one with seeds, pots and advice, or make a display yourself? Think of making “seed bombs” with wildflowers that attract butterflies. Now is the perfect time to plant bulbs and the seeds that will make a beautiful spring or summer display.
Get dirty (at a sanctuary)
Get down and dirty on one of the dozens of vegan sanctuaries and charities that offer care for injured, abandoned, or sick animals. Some offer accommodation. Many offer vegan food and sell vegetables. The animals will thank you for it, and you’ll create a day to remember. Just don’t forget your wellies.
The Gift of Life
A quick search reveals dozens of charities that offer care to all sorts of animals – from snails and hedgehogs to giraffes and rhinos. You can adopt or sponsor any one of a number of different animals – whether it’s endangered whales and dolphins, a symbolic adoption of a Costa Rican sloth, or a pig at a UK sanctuary. The gift of adoption or sponsorship helps saves lives and provides a thoughtful, enduring gift.
To know them is to love them
We are all keen to spend time with animals, but how about taking it a step further by enrolling on an animal psychology course? We approach our love for animals from a human perspective, and perhaps the world would be a better place if we all viewed things from a different angle. There’s lots of courses in subjects like animal welfare and behaviour that are free online. Alternatively, take the opportunity to show how much you care for animals by studying a course in animal first aid, which could make a huge difference one day.
Bake it, don’t fake it
Why not spend some time around Valentine’s Day selling homemade vegan animal treats for a local animal charity of your choice? It’s cheap and easy to rustle up biscuits, for example, and might encourage humans to adopt a more compassionate lifestyle, too. There’s room for a little advocacy served alongside your wares.
Valentine’s Day should be a day when we show love and compassion to all, not just our significant other human. So get out there and use the opportunity to remind others of the need to show more love and thought for the animal world and for the planet.
