1. Farm Animals

The Challenge
‍Billions of cows, chickens, goats, pigs, sheep, and turkeys are killed each year to provide meat.

How You Can Help as an Individual:

Integrate plant-based cooking

Use one of many online plant-based meal planners to begin integrating plant-based cooking into your weekly diet.

Attend Meetups

Attend Indianapolis Veg MeetUp gatherings to try out plant-based food, meet people who enjoy - and make - plant-based food. There are several other groups that bring vegans together, including Indy Veg Women and Plant Based Women in Indy, and groups outside of Indy, such as Bloomington, Lafayette, and Muncie.

Dine at plant-based friendly restaurants

Check out the Indy VegFest restaurant guide for plant-based friendly restaurants in the Indianapolis area.

Visit Guide

Attend Indy VegFest

Come to the annual Indy VegFest to try dozens of items from plant-based-friendly restaurants.

Subscribe to vegfest news

Donate time and resources

Give of your time and financial resources to places like Kanda Farm Sanctuary, Uplands Peak Farm Sanctuary, Erin’s Farm, and 1834 Sanctuary, which are not only providing a safe home to farm animals, but are serving as incredible educational venues for people of all ages to develop a deeper appreciation of farm animals as sentient beings.

Support IARA

Support groups like the Indiana Animal Rights Alliance, which hosts periodic events that help viewers appreciate the scale and brutality of factory farming, and learn about compassionate alternatives.

Visit IARA.com

Contact your City Councilor

Tell your City Councilor about the fact that the City Council passed a Meatless Monday resolution. Encourage your City Councilor to personally go meat-free once a week (or aim higher) to set an example for their constituents.

Find My Councilor

Contact your State Lawmaker

Tell your state lawmaker to make any type of animal fighting or racing (e.g., pigs, roosters, dogs) in Indiana a felony crime.

Find my State Lawmaker

2. Companion Animals

The Challenge
Many cats and dogs face neglect (e.g., being left in the heat or cold) or abuse, or are killed due to overcrowding at shelters.

How You Can Help as an Individual:

Report Neglect or Abuse

Contact 311 to report on neglect and abuse.

More Information

Adopt from your local animal shelter

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Report animals left outside in extreme weather

Report on animals that are being kept in inhumane temperature conditions (above 90 degrees and below 20 degrees), which is against local law (in Indianapolis). Please reach 317-327-4622.

call 317-327-4622

Get assistance for dogs kept outdoors

Make a family member, friend, or neighbor aware of Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside (FIDO), which provides assistance to people who need help taking care of their dog; they can be reached at 317-221-1314.

Visit FIDOIndy.org

Contact your State Lawmaker about animal welfare laws

Strengthen local and state animal welfare laws; here’s how to reach your state lawmaker.

Find my State Lawmaker

Urge your City Councilor to support animal care funding

Urge your city or county councilor to support adequate funding to county animal care and control agencies.

Find My Councilor

3. Wild Animals

The Challenge
Many squirrels, opossum, and deer lose their lives each day on Indianapolis roads. Countless birds are harmed by balloon releases, plastic being littered on our sidewalks, and by inadvertently crashing into buildings. Thousands of animals lose their homes when their habitat is plowed over to make way for new subdivisions and strip malls, even when existing, developed land is not reused. Invasive plants can kill off native plants on which native birds, mammals, and insects depend.

How You Can Help as an Individual:

Pick up litter

Pick up litter (provided you are careful) whenever you run across it. You could save the life of a bird or insect.

Learn How

Call a wildlife rehabilitator if you come across an injured animal

Contact a wildlife rehabilitator if you see an injured animal.

Find a Rehabilitator

Get your back yard certified as wildlife-friendly

Find out How

Volunteer for clean up days

Volunteer with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful or Friends of the White River to be a part of half-day clean up days.

Help remove invasive species

Urge your City Councilor to support animal care funding

Urge your city or county councilor to support adequate funding to county animal care and control agencies.

Find My Councilor

Ask the Zoo to close their dolphin show

Write to the Indianapolis Zoo and urge them to ban their dolphin show. You can reach the Indianapolis Zoo by email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact the Indy Zoo

4. Horses in Downtown Indianapolis

The Challenge
Horses are inhaling hours and hours of toxic car exhaust. They are forced to pull heavy loads hour after hour, day after day.

How You Can Help as an Individual:

Educate your friends and family about 'working' horses

Discourage friends, family, and your social networks from using this service.

Urge your City Councilor to support a ban

Urge your City Councilor to support a ban on these carriage rides, as has happened in multiple cities across the U.S.

Find My Councilor

5. Animals Used for Entertainment

The Challenge
Animals used in circuses and rodeos are often coerced and abused, such as with whips.

How You Can Help as an Individual:

Educate your friends and family about circuses and rodeos

Discourage friends and family from going to circuses that use animals as well as from rodeos.

Contact City Council

Urge your city council to ban the use of animals in circuses.

Find My Councilor

Animals in Indiana Suffer in Countless Ways:Here’s How You Can Help

1. Farm Animals

2. Companion Animals

3. Wild Animals

4. Horses in Downtown Indianapolis

5. Animals Used for Entertainment

6. Livestock in Cities

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