Ask Cholly

Got a Question about Saving Animals?

Dear Cholly,
When I go to Florida on vacation, I want to swim with dolphins. Can I do it with a clear conscience?
—Dolphin lover, Madison K., Baltimore, Md.

Dear Madison,
Too bad for dolphins that they always look like they’re smiling because dolphins who are used in swim programs aren’t always happy. Many of them have suffered the stress of being captured in the wild, chased by boats and snatched from their family "pods." Those who survive are forced to live the rest of their lives in a depressing tank. Dolphin swim programs can be dangerous for people, too. Frustrated dolphins have been known to injure human participants.

Better to drive past facilities that use captive animals and head for the beach. Nothing compares to the sight of dolphins leaping out of the ocean as they frolic in freedom!

 

Dear Cholly,
My dad is gung-ho to go fishing. How do I tell him I don’t want to hurt fish?
—Tongue-tied, Brett D., Vancouver, Wash.

Dear Brett,
It’s dandy that Dad wants to spend some quality time with you, but the old standby of fathers and sons going fishing can be really upsetting for today’s kinder generation. You’re right to worry that fishing hurts—it does. It hurts the live "bait" speared on hooks, and it hurts the hungry aquatic animals, tricked by a tasty lunch that leaves them with mangled lips and tongues and gasping in the bottom of the boat. Imagine if you reached up to grab an apple off a tree and suddenly a giant hook stabbed your hand and pulled you up into the tree!

It’s not doing fish any favors to catch and release them, either. Fish who are "played" on a line and then thrown back in swim away stressed and sore—many slowly die from trauma or become easy prey for predators.

Why don’t you tell Pops to take a hike (with you, of course) or suggest that you both sign up for sailing lessons? Put your mind to it and you can think of dozens of constructive—not destructive—ways for you and your father to spend time together. Be straight up with him that fishing is just not for you.

Dear Cholly,
A puppy on my block is always chained outside. I feel bad for him because it's getting cold, and he seems lonely. How can I help him?
-Kristin L., Milwaukee, Wis.

Dear Kristin,
Pupsicles turn my stomach, and there seems to be at least one in every neighborhood. It's one of the cruelest things people can do to pooches-tie them up outside to "guard" the house or to keep them from peeing in the house. Dogs are very social-they want and need to be with their "pack". To be left out in the cold is well, cold! Winter means frostbite and dehydration when the water bowl freezes-it also can mean hunger because dogs burn more calories when they're shivering all the time. Backyard dogs often bark all the time because they are lonely and frustrated.

You might be this puppy's only chance for a better life. Visit HelpingAnimals.com to find out if his shelter measures up to legal standards and for ideas about how to help his "parents" realize that with love, patience, and training, he'll be an angel, and they'll want to make their home heaven on Earth for him. Good luck!

Dear Cholly,
I love animals, but I'm confused-aren't zoos helping animals? Many animals wouldn't be alive if they didn't live in a zoo, right?
-Ben M., Syracuse, N.Y.

Dear Ben,
Criminals get sent to the slammer because our society has decided that it's the best way to punish those who rob, cheat, and hurt others. But animals who are put behind bars in zoos haven't done anything wrong. They're put in prison because they're "cute" and/or because there are so few of their kind left. I say it's weird/and wrong! Learn more here.

Dear Cholly,
How can a kid like me, who has zero money, make a difference for animals?
—Wondering, Baton Rouge, La.

Dear Wondering,
You don’t need money—just a lot of heart. Start by going vegetarian—the single most important thing you can do to help animals. Visit VegKids.com for tips on all the pluses of meatless eating. Educate classmates by using animal issues as topics for school projects. Start an animal rights group and organize a fundraiser, like a walk-a-thon or car wash, and donate the proceeds to your favorite animal protection organization. Volunteer at your local animal shelter and urge others to adopt animals instead of buying from breeders or pet stores. Letter-writing is a great way to help. Read your local newspaper and write letters to the editor about animal rights issues—and check out the “Action Alerts” page on PETA’s Web site for the latest animal issues.

Visit PETAKids.com for more ways to help and to sign up for PETA Kids E-News. You’ll receive monthly updates and alerts about special contests and offers.