ARAN has launched a new poster campaign in the run up to Christmas to encourage shoppers and members of the public to mark one thing off their shopping list, animals. That’s right, every year huge numbers of animals are bought, animals ranging from cats, hamsters, rabbits and of course puppies. Whilst the intentions are good, the very people who buy these animals are most often unaware of the background to the poor animals that are being sold and the life they had before been bought, and of course the consequence of actually buying instead of adopting.

Whilst the recession has brought its financial problems to huge numbers of families across Ireland, animals will still be bought for their children this Christmas and years gone have proven that much of these animals are often surrendered to the many animal rescue groups who are already under severe pressure dealing with homeless and abandoned animals. The financial burden on families to look after animals is not always taken in to account when getting the animal, only for the problem to sink in weeks after getting the helpless animal.

ARAN’s campaign is encouraging members of the public to mark animals off their shopping lists. We are also encouraging people to head to their local reputable animal shelter or pound if they want to give an animal a forever home. We are also encouraging people to wait well after Christmas to get the animal and to re access their financial situation then and make a more responsible decision.

You can help to save the lives of many animals this Christmas by doing just two actions below.

 1.    Please send us an email and request a high-res copy of our poster, a low-res copy which is below. Print it out and put this up wherever people will see it. Schools, vet surgeries, community centres, local shops, and restaurants – anywhere people will see it.
2.    If you are on Facebook please use this link and hit ‘LIKE’ and ‘SHARE’ and show the many friends and family you may have about the new campaign and encourage them not to buy animals and to also ‘LIKE’ and ‘SHARE’ the new poster.

We’d like to credit and thank People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for allowing ARAN to reproduce this ad for the Irish campaign. We would also like to thank the creative designers at Littlebigdog.ie for their work on this image and for their longtime support of our campaigns.

2012 has been by far ARAN’s most successful year in terms of support, campaigns, media coverage, public education, outreach, animals’ lives helped and saved, and much more. To this end we are extremely grateful to each and every one of you who have made all of this possible. ARAN is needed in Ireland more than ever before.

Thank you,

ARAN

‘Fighting animal abuse across Ireland’

P.S. Please consider putting ARAN on your shopping list this Christmas by making a much needed donation to our campaigns and educational programs. Your donation will be used to fund our 2013 campaigns and educational work. Whilst we do a lot, there’s just so much more we want to do but we simply cannot and this is extremely frustrating considering the amount of energy and focus we’ve got standing by. You can donate online at www.ARAN.ie, set up a standing order, money transfer or send a check or money order.