to think giving money to animal charities is wrong?

[armani]

ok so i just want people to know that i do like animals - im not a pet hater!

however today, whilst out shoping, i was approached by someone working for an animal charity. he was asking me if i could set up a monthly direct debit to help them. i politely declined, as i already give directly to 3 different charities and made my way home.

this has been playing on my mind all day. if everyone who gave money to animal charities instead gave it to charities helping sick/vulnerable people/children, then surely alot more aid would be available. i mean i do like animals but think human quality of life should come first.

AIBU?

YABU. It's not either/or. What a silly thing to think!

When I was bullied, terribly, as a kid my only friend was my cat. They even tried to take him away from me but luckily he was wary of everyone except me. Thats why I will always donate to animal charities.

SouthMum, that was my point. People do at times feel their animals are their family and rely on them.

It doesn't have to be and either/or, but it often is.

And my point all along has been if you are presented with two collecting tins to put the percentage of your monthy income you set aside for charity (and you all do that, of course) in, and you choose an animal charity over a human one then your judgement is skewed.

I can't believe how much interest some people have in what others do with their money.

Keep your collective noses out,and donate to the charities you're comfortable with donating to,and leave us to donate to the charities we wish. It's none of your damned business anyway,and your priorities don't have to be mine.

And if we're all so interested in each other's business,then what's the opinion of people donating millions to the NSPCC while other smaller charities,with less popular causes,struggle?

Hear, hear LetThereBeRock-we should sort ourselves out and leave it entirely to others. I would alsways give to people, rather than animals, but if someone wants to leave their entire fortune to a cat's home they have every right to do so!

I give to charities for people or animals who can't help themselves.

So I give money to

Kids Company (helping disadvantaged and abused children in the UK),

Sightsavers (eye operations in third world countries so people can work to support themselves)

& occasionally an animal charity which looks after overworked donkeys in third world countries.

I don't give to overseas aid charities on principle, as so much already goes to them out of my taxes, and I strongly suspect a lot of it is wasted anyway.

'... the percentage of your monthy income you set aside for charity (and you all do that, of course) ...'

Actually, I don't, I just give as and when. I'm not mean, just disorganised.

For all the black-and-white thinkers out there - what if you're having a sleepover and there's a fire? Whose child do you rescue first?

I also agree with those who make the point that we are dependent on the environment along with animals. If people are working to save species, they are also working to save environments. The less environmental destruction there is, the fewer natural disasters there will be and the fewer humans will starve, drown or have everything they depend on ripped away in hurricanes.

YANBU, my dog is curled up at me feet right now and I love him to bits and my DC are happily playing.....I would rather donte (and do) to make sure that other children can be taken care of, maybe that makes me shit, but walk around any hospice and then go visit a dogs home, I know where I'd rather my money was spent.

I donate quite a bit to suppport plant conservation. Does that make me even lower than the people who support animals?

When you earn my wages you can tell me (and judge me) what to do with my money.

I give to animal charities - particularly Cat's Protection (I won't give to the RSPCA like a lot of people, and I won't give to any charity who uses chugger methods of collecting). The other charities I'll give to are ones concerned with infertility and miscarriage... they're the causes that matter to me. Without CPL, the wonky moggy that's given me the love and affection that has kept me (semi) sane through all the infertility and miscarriages - would have died from an infected damaged beyond repair leg. Just an animal to you - but part of our family to me.

In fact - it's attitudes like the OP's wanting to charity-police that deters me from giving to children's charities to be brutally honest. I refuse to be brown-beaten and emotionally blackmailed where charities are concerned - so people trying those kind of stunts can walk away with nothing. Hence I don't give to the NSPCC because their chuggers have tried the public yelling after you "Oh so don't you care about the childrennnnn" line... they lost out directly because of that. The more shit people try to throw about how you're morally abhorrent or whatever because of how you choose to give the bit of you and your income they see you giving - the more I'll actively do it to piss them off to be honest.

MrsBanana that is ridiculous. So it's wrong to donate to an animal charity because people are suffering, but it's ok for you to spend money on dog food and vets' bills while people are suffering?

I honestly can't believe how thick some people are on this thread. It's like having to explain a really basic principle to very young children.

Over the past year, I've been working towards regular tithing of my income towards charity giving. I aim to give about 10% of my after tax income regularly in a planned way to charities. Of course, I also give on a spontaneous level, and do things like sponsor friends occasionally if they are doing a walk say, but it is more effective for the charity concerned to receive a little income ona regular basis. I think this level then addresses Hope's point about what else you spend on - of course in practice I often end up spending more than that since at this time of year I might also buy gifts from a charity for instance, or even buy a membership/subscription as a gift. I also give a substantial amount of time to voluntary work - think this is an important part of the equation too, especially if like me you don't have a very big income. For someone who is cash rich and time poor it might be better to give more financially - I think the key is though to find charities that each person feels fits with their own particular ethics and priorities. These can change for individuals over time and can reflect wider events and trends.

Yabu. If everybody stopped giving to all the other charities, and only gave to the RSPCA, they would achieve A LOT. I am sure ALL animal suffering would evaporate.

A good point has been made that human suffering should be an issue for the government rather than charities. I totally agree with this but we have a government that would rather spend money on weapons and war while people in the 3rd world can't feed their children. They then give themselves a huge pat on the back when they give what is a relatively small amount of financial aid to these countries some of which are being screwed hand over fist in other ways by the west.
I am appalled when I hear about animals that have been beaten black and blue or starved. I am more appalled though when this happens to children and no matter what anyone says, if it came to the crunch, I doubt there is one person who wouldn't put the life of a child before that of an animal so they are not equal.
If someone is choosing to donate some of their spare cash to charity and they choose an animal charity over a human charity imo that is wrong. Of course I can't tell people what to do with their money but I can have an opinion on it. I also think that people who waste money on unnecessary/designer stuff or don't donate to charity at all even if the can afford to are wrong. I think everyone should. If you can't donate money you can donate your time.

OP, YABVU.

I give to animal charities.

That is MY choice and something I feel strongly about.

Anyone who doesn't respect that can kiss my dog's bum.

YABU people can give to whatever causes they wish.

Ho hum ... don't see how you can say that giving to animal charities is wrong, surely it's better to give to charity than frittering your money away on crap for yourself that you don't really want/need.

However, if there was an either/or situation I'd always choose to donate to a charity that helped vulnerable and needy humans rather than an animal charity, so understand where you're coming from.

Charitable donations are an individual act and so they will reflect our individual choices and preferences. My preferences may not be the same as others but that does not mean that they are better or that the causes I choose to support are more worthwhile than others. I would give money to human causes over animal ones but I respect others choice to do opposite without judging them.

YABVU

I give and fundraise to/for a variety of human and animal charities.

I give regularly to Clic Sargeant and Candlelighters as they were brilliant when DS had cancer, tho I do sometimes have problems with Clic's marketing techniques. Having had a child with cancer I really don't need letters from them with heart rending stories about how horrific it is to have a DC that ill. I know!!

I also give to The Children's Society as I think they do excellent work and their client group will be in ever more need of their support as government funded services are cut back in the coming months.

Like others here I refuse to donate to the RSPCA, primarily because of the court case they fought, lost, appealed and lost again last year over a disputed will which cost them hundreds of thousands in donations that should have been put to better use. And also because I do not know anyone who has ever received help from the RSPCA when they've asked for it. They've all been knocked back and advised to visit a local vet at their own expense when it wasn't their animal.

I also give to The Blue Cross, Cats Protection League and Elizabeth Svendsen Donkey Trust when I can afford to, who not only rescue donkeys but then use them to help children with special needs. Animals and humans coming together!

I spend my working life earning a pittance helping humans who are suffering, always have had.

I spend my spare time working for animal charities as a volunteer.

If I donate goods, time, or money, I donate to animal charities. But if people I know are struggling or suffering I help them too.

Guess that makes me a skewed, misguided barstard then [blink]

Or maybe other people should mind their own business about what I do with my own time and my own money.

Sit holding a dog that has been horribly abused and tell me you wouldn't put 50p in a collecting tin to help it.

It's not either/or so YABU as far as I am concerned.

I previously only gave to children's charities, SPCA, WSPA.

Now that I have had dcs, I will only give to human charities. Humans are really more important than animals. It took me having dcs myself to realise that.

But I won't begrudge anyone who gave to an animal charity. Someone has got to help them even if I don't prioritise animals anymore.