Humane Gifts for the Holidays

They say it’s better to give than to receive. This year, if you make the right gift choices, both you and your recipient can feel good about it. So let your holiday spending be a statement of compassion toward everyone who shares the planet with us. Here are some animal friendly and humanitarian gift giving ideas:

Adopt an endangered animal through Defenders of Wildlife. This is one of my favorite gifts to give–the Defenders of Wildlife have 30 endangered animals you can choose from to adopt. You can adopt a single animal or an entire family. Adoptions are a wonderful way to protect endangered wild animals and share the importance of conservation. I have given this as a gift to young children and they love it! With the adoption you receive a cuddly plush animal, activity booklet, personalized certificate of adoption, 5×7 photo, animal fact sheet, and eco-friendly reusable tote. Named “America’s Best Wildlife Charity” by Reader’s Digest, Defenders of Wildlife has been a leading innovator in developing the most effective ways to conserve imperiled wildlife and wilderness for over 65 years. Your adoption donation will immediately be put to use where it is most needed to achieve these goals. For more information on adopting an endangered animal, visit wildlifeadoption.org.

Shop at the Animal Rescue Site store, each item you buy also helps fund food and care for animals–at no extra cost to you. For each item purchased, 3 percent to 50 percent of its retail price is kept aside for charity partners through GreaterGood.org. Funding goes to their charity partners on the ground: The Fund for Animals and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and Rescue Bank. Together, they’re making the world a better place for rescued animals. For more information, visit theanimalrescuesite.