What Were We Thinking? Animals Ponder Why Humans Do These 10 Things

Most of us strive day in and day out to make the right decisions regarding animals. We love our pets, sometimes to the point of mild obsession and read labels to make sure our favorite beauty products are cruelty-free. These things are awesome, but there’s a little more to the picture than that.

Though many people’s hearts are in the right place, they do some things on occasion that are totally ridiculous when it comes to animal welfare. Some of these things are way less obvious than others, which makes it understandable that sometimes people just don’t know any better. It is much easier to make the connection that a cute bunny is going to suffer if your shampoo is tested on animals than it is to realize that foods containing palm oil contribute to habitat loss and death for orangutans.

We can only start changing our behaviors once we really think about the impact those behaviors have. Let’s all follow the example of these animals and think some deep thoughts about the 10 most boneheaded things humans do to them and why we should, you know, stop it. Now.

1. With 70 million stray animals in the United States, people are buying dogs from breeders and pet stores instead of supporting their local shelter.

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2. Speaking of pets, there are still people that see an exotic animal and think, “Aw, look at that awesome little dude! I’m gonna kidnap him and keep him at my house. For real though, I am.”

FullyM

3. “Trophy hunting endangered species helps them out guys!” Said no actual conservationist, ever.

Cutest Paw

4. We buy products with palm oil, which contains a side order of orangutan extinction.

Pixdaus

5. When it comes to pets, you need to consider WWBB…What Would Bob Barker do. Spay and neuter your pets, people.

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6. We lock animals up in tiny enclosures and call it “education” and “conservation.” Facepalm!

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7. With a zillion faux alternatives, people still contribute needlessly to the fur industry.

Flick River

8. Ivory looks so much cooler on an elephant than in a trinket on a shelf, trust us.

Flicker

9. Mankind continues to encroach on natural habitats to meet our growing needs, effectively handing indigenous wildlife like the giant panda a big, fat eviction notice.

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10. People eat them. I mean, c’mon, see it from their perspective.

Green Lichen

Lead image source: Pixdaus.com