If you had $100,000 to donate to an organization that helps animals

[Seedersandleechers]

which one would it be? Upon my death I just donated $100,000 to the ASPCA, but I'm not sure if that is the best one. Anyone have any idea's?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. There are so many. I'm a cat lady, so my choices are biased that way.

Cat House on the Kings is a good one. http://www.cathouseonthekings.com/
I like this local one, Feline Rescue: http://www.felinerescue.org
Or this one, the Wildcat Sanctuary, http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/

[Seedersandleechers]

17. I am too. I resued this kitten in December

and have three other grown cats. I just LOVE my cats/kitten so much.





I think she's a Maine Coon.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. That is quite possibly the world's cutest kitten.

:loveya:

[kimi]

23. Awwww!!

Double AWWWW!!

She is stunning - look at that lil face! Thanks for rescuing her!

[Maru Kitteh]

33. She's Beeeeaaauuutiful! *hearts*

[REP]

2. Alley Cat Allies, probably

alleycat.org

Or maybe locally, Peninsula Humane Society (excellent low-cost spay/neuter program, and vwhile not a "no kill" shelter, only animals too sick or injured to recover are euthanized))

http://www.peninsulahumanesociety.org/

[Worried senior]

3. The elephant sanctuary in TN

[lukasahero]

4. Best Friends or PetsAlive animal sanctuaries eom

[RebelOne]

8. Definitely Best Friends.

I donate to them whenever I have extra money to give to a charity. I love this group because they provide shelter to all animals big and small. And they are no-kill.

[lukasahero]

15. Exactly - and PetsAlive is doing the same thing

just in different parts of the country. There are my charities of choice just for that reason.

[Seedersandleechers]

21. I shall look into that charity.

In the UK you can donate money to the NSPCA and upon your death they make sure all your pets have a home.

[emilyg]

35. Great place to donate.

[LeftyMom]

5. Is there a local shelter that does good work?

The ASPCA only runs one shelter, in New York. They do good work there, but I'd support a more local shelter or rescue.

[RebelOne]

19. I would also donate to Just Mutts, a shelter in Kennesaw, GA.

I have adopted a dog from them. They take in abandoned or homeless dogs, and members foster them until forever homes are found. They have Saturday pet adptions at PetsMart in Kennesaw. I used to help out and transport dogs to the adoptions, but have not done it for a while.

[Seedersandleechers]

22. Well you should get back into doing that.

Did it make you feel good or sad doing that?

[RebelOne]

26. That's when the price of gas went up and I was transporting

dogs and cats throughout the state and it just became too expensive.

[AngryAmish]

6. Ducks Unlimited

[RebelOne]

20. Why? It is sponsored by waterfowl hunters. Far from a humane group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducks_Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited, in keeping with its founders' intentions, also promotes the continuation of safe and regulated waterfowl hunting. The majority of DU's financial contributors and members are waterfowl hunters, and over 90% of those who read DU's magazine are hunters. The DU magazine contains many historical and practical articles on waterfowl hunting, and it obtains revenue from advertisements of waterfowling equipment such as shotguns, ammunition, decoys, and bird calls.

[AngryAmish]

28. No other organization (including nation states such as US or Canada) has done more to create ducks

If you like ducks, this is the organization to donate to.

[Maru Kitteh]

31. That's like saying factory farms are preserving/"creating" cows.

[pitohui]

30. hunters preserve habitat

no kill shelters, cat rescue groups etc. pollute habitat and increase the amount of area where wild birds and other small wildlife can't live

a successful hunt requires habitat, and a duck hunter helps pay for a wide area of land that houses not only the wintering/migrating ducks but an entire eco system

there is no question who does more good for the earth, the person who sponsors the "no kill" shelter and rescues cats is destructive to hundreds of species, the person who sponsors the duck hunt provides habitat for hundreds of species

i don't hunt but to disparage the contribution that hunters have made to preserving habitat is just not right

they are far more humane than the "feral kitten uber alles" contigent

[flvegan]

41. Sweet Jesus.

the facepalm is, as usual, strong with this one.

[lukasahero]

54. The Nature Conservancy does it better without all the killing

Ducks Unlimited: "Since 1937, DU has conserved more than 12 million acres of waterfowl habitat across North America." http://www.ducks.org/conservation/where-we-work?poe=hometxt

Nature Conservancy - Since 1951 "We've protected more than 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide — and we operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally." http://www.nature.org/aboutus/index.htm

[RebelOne]

59. The Nature Conservancy is also pro-hunting.

Believe me, I know all about these groups. I was a copy editor for 35 hunting and fishing magazines across the U.S.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. wildlife fund or something like that

[cherish44]

9. One that rescues kitty cats

I tried so hard to find homes for my cat's litter of kittens last year and could only get one adopted. And these are really coooool looking orange tie-dye kitties. So now I have 5 cats. My house is a little furry and cat smelling but I can't throw them out in the streets (And I got them all FIXED!)

[hifiguy]

10. The woman in Cali who runs a gigantic cat sanctuary

where the kittehs (literally hundreds and hundreds of them) can live out their lives peacefully, well fed and well-tended.

[provis99]

11. my local ASPCA.

Because I know they have good volunteer workers, and they need more space and food for cats.

[XemaSab]

12. Companion animals or wild animals?

If it's companion animals, then the local shelter could certainly use the money.

If it's wild animals, a local land trust might be a good choice. If there isn't a local land trust, Ducks Unlimited does great work.

[Ohio Joe]

13. I would give an equal amount to each of the local "No Kill" shelters

I think they deserve it :D

[Initech]

14. My local German Shepard rescue society.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

16. I would donate it to direct action groups -

who do hands on work with animals. Groups like the national ASPCA and Humane Society and IDA spend too much money in administrative and salary costs. Your money is better spent to orgs like Best Friends, Farm Sanctuary, and other rescue groups where the money is spent on the care of animals first and foremost.

[femmocrat]

24. The local shelters.

They are always short of funds and have too many animals.

[rug]

25. The rug no-kill cat sanctuary and spa.

pm me for details.

[flvegan]

27. Liberators only.

Mercy for Animals, Sea Shepherd, Farm Sanctuary.

[Maru Kitteh]

32. Farm sanctuary :-)

If I was stupid rich, they would get a windfall of epic proportions from me.

[flvegan]

39. Gene and Lorri are both friends of mine.

And Gene is just about as outspoken as me about "yeah, this animal was suffering and I took this animal...what about it, fucker?"

Love them.

[auburngrad82]

55. I second Farm Sanctuary.

We've been to the farm in NY. They do a great job rescuing animals that most of us never even think about. They are also politically active to try to pass animal protection laws all over the country.

[pitohui]

29. it depends on if you mean real animals or domestic animals

considering that you plan to just give your money to the ASPCA i have to assume that you don't care about preserving the habitat or lives of species that are truly in need, but that you prefer to take care of those animals (cats and dogs) that are already here in over abundance

in that case, it would probably be better to give the money to a spay/neuter organization

or else not to give the money to an animal cause at all

$100K will not make a dime's worth of difference to dogs or cats but that kind of money could secure entire habitats for genuine wild species in central or south america, it has even made a difference in purchasing habitats in cheaper areas of the united states (such as elmer's island in grand isle)

if you want to make a difference, look into the wild animal species -- i could suggest several good organizations if i thought you were sincere

$100K will disappear into uselessness if spent on cats

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

34. "$100K will disappear into uselessness if spent on cats."

I beg to differ. Cats and dogs are "real" animals, just as real as wild ones. What did you think they are, stuffed toys? We are responsible for their domestication and their dependence on humans; therefore we have an obligation to care for them. I am all in favor of supporting wildlife organizations, and I contribute to the World Wildlife Fund. I also contribute to a shelter for cats. These are not mutually exclusive.

[emilyg]

37. Thank you.

[Maru Kitteh]

38. +1 agreed.

[flvegan]

40. Where is the useless shit button for this?

Yeah, this will get deleted but still...$100k even locally here for me to ACT or Cat Call would turn tides.

Useless...look in the mirror.

Waves before this gets deleted.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

42. + a million.

:applause: to you, before deletion.

[flvegan]

43. *tip of the cap*

To you before said deletion.

Thanks, and I agree with what you said upthread.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

44. That bullshit comment upthread has inspired me to send an extra contribution

to the good folks and cats at Feline Rescue. http://www.felinerescue.org

[flvegan]

45. thumbsup

[solara]

36. Best Friends, for sure.

Not only are they 'no kill' but they rehabilitate animals who have been mistreated, raised in puppy mills or trained for dog fights. They also make sure the homes they go to are right for them. If they cannot place an animal they will keep them for the rest of their lives.

I like that kind of commitment.

:hi:

[Seedersandleechers]

50. Thank you for the suggestion

I shall look into "best friends" as it sounds like a good animal charity.

[BillStein]

46. Anyone but PETA

worthless

[thatsrightimirish]

47. Bats

I don't know of an organization in particular, but the bat population is being wiped out in the northeast by white nose syndrome. bats play an important role in insect control and pollination. There is a lot of research going on to try to find a cure for the disease, it's something to look into.

[Rob H.]

48. I give to Bat Conservation International

There may be others, but someone mentioned BCI here on DU (hat tip to whoever that was) and I signed up that day to be a financial donor. They're fascinating animals--I loved reading about them as a kid and hate to think about how they're being devastated by white nose syndrome now. :(

[GoCubsGo]

56. I was going to suggest that, too.

In fact, I'm planning on making them one of the beneficiaries of my 403b if I drop dead before I retire. I'd rather they get that money than my niece, who would piss it away on shit, or my nephew, who is showing the sad signs of wing nut brain-washing.

[Seedersandleechers]

51. I love bats

In the UK it is against the law to kill any bats or mess with their habitat. I had a bat visitor in my place about a year and half ago (for about several months) and I loved it being there. I wouldn't mind having a few of them in my home to feed on insects. They are so cool.

[GoCubsGo]

58. Put up a bat house.

Check out Rob H's link to BCI. They sell them. You can also find plans to make your own, and instructions on the best placement of such houses on the web. Just search "bat house".

[Rob H.]

49. I would donate to local shelters

I give to them occasionally, but I'd drop a great big money bomb on the particular shelter where I adopted my kitty if I could. They're all staffed by volunteers who're passionate about what they're doing, and imo, people who rescue animals are some of the finest people on the face of the planet. :):thumbsup:

[Skittles]

52. WWF

[LuckyTheDog]

53. My cat could use some new toys

For $100,000, I could get some really good ones. Just sayin'

[GoCubsGo]

57. Does it have to be just one organization?

ASPCA is good, but so many others here have also been mentioned, like Best Friends and Bat Conservation International, and Alley Cat Allies. The National Audubon Society is also a good one. Good for wildlife, and good for cats, too. They promote "Cats Indoors", which protects the kittehs, as much as the birds and other potential prey.