Everyone here at SupportStore has a cause or two that we hold close to our hearts. For our Jessica Chipkin, it’s animal welfare. We asked her to take a moment to share her passion for this cause as we introduce our new I Buy Cruelty-Free Animal Abuse Purple Wristband.

While most of us enjoy the companionship of animals and lavish our pets with love and attention, we seldom think about the cruelty inflicted upon millions of other animals every day.

Although it may be easier to turn a blind eye on how humans inflict cruelty on animals, speaking out against animal abuse makes us better people because we are extending sympathy to living creatures who cannot fend for themselves. Animals have no voice to protest their inhumane treatment and they need us to do it for them.

Sadly, there are way too many kinds of animal abuse. Here are some of the most pervasive:

• PUPPY MILLS: On these large-scale commercial dog breeding operations profit comes first. Dogs in puppy mills are considered commodities rather than living animals and their well-being is disregarded.  Unfortunately, most people have no idea that when they buy a dog from a pet store or on the Internet, that dog most likely came from a puppy mill. Confined to small cages barely larger than their bodies, these puppies live in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions and go without proper veterinary care, exercise, food and water. In spite of increased awareness, the U.S. still has about 10,000 puppy mills.
• DOF FIGHTING:  An abusive and heinous activity, dog fighting dates back to the 1750’s but started to gain popularity after the Civil War. In a dog fight, dogs are trained to attack each other until one of them can go on no longer. Although made a felony offense in all 50 states, dog fighting continues to flourish underground and is often associated with other criminal activity.
• ANIMAL TESTING: No one would argue that important medical advances have been made because of the use of animals in research laboratories. However, most would agree that we need to find alternative research methods that decrease the number of animals used in testing. As more people become aware of and protest the cruelty inflicted on animals in labs, companies have no choice but to give consumers the cruelty-free  household products and cosmetics they are now demanding.
• FACTORY FARMING:  Food animals are the most exploited and least protected group of animals on the planet. Most consumers who eat meat have little awareness of what happens to food animals before they get to their plate. Truth is, hundreds of millions of factory farm animals endure lifetimes of suffering. They are immobilized in crates and cages barely bigger than their bodies, pumped with growth hormones to the extent they can barely support their body weight, and subject to mutilation without anesthesia. While these practices are commonplace in industrialized farming, in the end, there is no difference between cruelty inflicted on a dog, cat or pig.
• CIRCUS ANIMALS. Most people associate circuses with childhood fun, cotton candy, clowns and clever elephants. But in reality, circus animals are not having fun. In fact, those who are aware of the abuses inflicted upon circus animals now think of Ringling Brothers as “The Cruelest Show on Earth”. Behind closed doors, circus animals live in extreme, monotonous confinement, are exploited and forced to perform in ways that cause stress and fear. Fortunately, public outcry is now forcing change and helping to end animal cruelty under the big top.

Animals need your voice. Please take a few moments to view our selection of Animal Abuse Awareness wristbands, ribbon magnets, and lapel pins. And, if you are interested in working to end animal abuse, start by checking out these outstanding nonprofits: The Humane Society of the United States, The Animal Legal Defense Fund, The ASPCA, and Mercy for Animals.