Rachel Barter ’27

by Rachel Barter ’27 on November 9, 2023

In Rhode Island, we have an almost perfect record of saving animals from kill shelters and any other types of unwarranted death. Among the states in the U.S., Rhode Island has one of the best animal welfare policies, ranking fifth. We should take pride in these efforts to protect animals and their rights, which they cannot fight for. However, we must be self-aware and humble enough to admit the downfalls, or areas for improvement, of our country and our state. In the U.S., some states have killed over 95,000 pets in one year and are still listed as states with good animal welfare policies. There are over 2,000 kill shelters in the United States alone, not to mention the amount globally. As voters and upcoming voters, we need to push our state, and even more importantly the federal government, to stop the harming of animals through testing and kill shelters. Another step would be to advocate for large corporate businesses, such as makeup brands, to eliminate their testing on animals if they want to sell it on the U.S. market, no matter where it was made. These are all noble ways to get involved in politics and activism, but how can we start to make a difference on a small scale? We can start by supporting animal shelters rather than breeders, and by working to help others through donations of food or money to keep their animals out of the shelter system or the streets.