Animal protection, 7 ways to act for animal welfare.
One last word before returning to pamper our furry animals
Let's remember that there are no small battles, every action counts. Each of us can make our contribution and be an actor in a fairer world. This quest is very important to our team, simple respect and consideration of beings is the most important basis towards a more respectful world and way of life.
Thank you very much for reading this article! If you would like to share your opinion, the steps you take on a daily basis, do not hesitate to leave us a short message in the comments!
Ethically, at COG, we are among those who prefer to act than suffer, and the creation of our vegan brand is our own way of participating in defending animal life. Not only by offering shoes without leather (all our city shoes and sneakers are vegan) but also by communicating through our various relays and media around the consideration of living things.
If our brand is one of the ways of pleading in favor of animals...many other ways of doing so exist, depending on the sensitivity and possibilities of each person.
It is therefore up to you to express your sensitivity in this matter, or to join the numerous initiatives already in place to help our friends.
We hope this reading has been as enjoyable as it is enlightening.
“Let us give back to animals the fruit of the wonder that even when we were little, their vision aroused us, by reminding us that just like our lives, theirs is a jewel for this world, which is worth our effort. strives to preserve.” Omar
We don’t offer vegan shoes by chance!
If there is a subject that is close to our hearts at COG, it is the consideration given to living beings, with, we make no secret of it, a particular interest in the defense of animal welfare.
We fall for our little friends, and apparently we are not the only ones since over the last decade, beyond the videos of pet lovers which flood the web, animal respect has become a central subject in public opinion. According to a survey carried out by the IFOP institute in August 2020 for the Brigitte Bardot foundation , the French are increasingly in favor of new measures being adopted to improve their well-being.
Adopting a companion from a shelter, helping injured animals, campaigning for their rights, creating a vegan brand or a committed association, are all ways of expressing support for the animal cause.
Also, to tickle your altruistic impulses, we share with you our major initiatives and our small gestures to adopt to reach out to our friends of all feathers and hairs. Let yourself be guided, let's go.
Our list of books on animal protection.
Below is a selection of some readings for adults and children dealing with the question of considering animals as sentient beings, and the kindness to be shown to living species.
Adult books:
- Animal Liberation , by Peter Singer
- Plea for animals , by Matthieu Ricard
- Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rights , by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka
Children's books:
- Panic at the Zoo , by Gérard Moncomble and Frédéric Pillot.
- The Big Book of Animals , by Ole Könnecke.
- The Prophecy of the Frogs , by Jacques-Rémy Girerd.
But first, some figures reflecting this growing sensitivity on the part of the French:
- 91% of those questioned want access to the outdoors for farm animals to be made compulsory within the next 10 years.
- 82% of them are against hunting.
- 80% want a ban on all animal experiments.
- 72% are in favor of banning the sale of pets online or in pet stores.
- 73% want circuses to offer shows without animals.
Let's start with the beginning. Perhaps one of the best ways to be attentive to someone's well-being is to get to know the person in order to care about them better. The same goes for our animal friends, who, contrary to the contemporary twisted meaning of the term, are far from being hollow.
Fortunately, numerous publications - documentary books, studies, scientific popularizations, essays, reviews - are now available to us to better learn about them and perceive the extent (for what we know about them) of their complex and intriguing way of living and behaving.
Among these, the work “ Plea for animals ” by the author Matthieu Ricard, which invites its reader to show kindness towards all sentient beings.
🔍 And since childhood is often the period of our lives when we are most curious about the animal kingdom, we have also selected some children's books if you want to raise awareness among young people about animal protection:
- Free us! by Patrick Georges
- Wild by Katie Cotton
- Jefferson by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
- Like you by Jean-Baptiste Del Amo
- Hidden Animals by Lucile Piketty
- Animal rights by Jacqueline Aymeries
If we agree that nothing replaces a good book, not everyone is an informed reader, and even if we are, it's sometimes pleasant to sit on the sofa to devour pretty little programs cleverly concocted.
This is good since today the achievements allowing you to get to know the friendly wild world are legion. Documentaries, feature films, and cartoons are each more immersive than the other, and allow us to better discover the infinite complexity of animal life, and perceive their ecosystems and hierarchies with a new eye. Behavioral studies, awareness of the precariousness of maintaining species, stories and fiction, are a thousand ways to learn more about their intriguing worlds.
Here you have selected a compilation of films and documentaries that are essential in our eyes:
- Cattle
- The cove: the bay of shame
- Cowspiracy
- Throat heart belly
- Bold Native
- Blackfish
- Okja
- Earthlings
- Live and let live
- Our planet
- Seaspiracy
On your screens, set, go! Do not hesitate to share your impressions of these achievements with us in the comments.
*The themes covered in these works can be difficult. They relate a reality and facts that can offend sensitivity.
For more information or to contact the shelters, please consult the following sites:
“ The problem is not that animals do not have a voice to make themselves heard, but that too often humans do not seek to listen to their needs in order to understand them .”
COG
The temptation was to call this paragraph “Order your pair of COG”, but we said to ourselves that this would not be very appropriate with all the other leading brands incredibly involved in the dissemination of an ethical and fashion model. of vegan products.
Consuming responsibly means giving your voice to the causes you defend. So dressing in vegan clothing, accessories and shoes is another way of taking a stand in the defense of animal welfare, and of associating yourself with the message defended by the brands engaged in this fight through their leather-free manufacturing charter. .
Well, however, nothing is stopping you from taking a look at our fantastic vegan sneakers for women or taking a look at our Chelsea boots for men certified Peta Approved Vegan ;)
We're sorry, but it seems that from time to time, a little product placement doesn't hurt :)
At COG, in addition to benefiting from PETA APPROVED VEGAN certification on all our models, we are proud to only use OEKO TEX 100 certified components in order to guarantee our customers that we do not use any toxic products or for them, nor for the environment.
Beyond our super brand, more generally, consuming ethically by paying attention to the composition of the items we buy and choosing to avoid those containing materials of animal origin, is also a way of preventing animal exploitation .
Like a vote, responsible consumption is certainly one of the most fabulous ways to express support for the causes defended by committed brands concerned with their manufacturing charter.
“ Turn like a lion in a cage” .
If the expression seems as old as time, it clearly expresses the reality of the ordeal experienced by animals born or placed in captivity. Zoos, animal parks, aquatic centers and even traveling circuses feature animals, to whom a routine is imposed, depriving them in many cases of their freedom.
Favoring the visit to places of entertainment without staging or exhibiting animals is an eloquent way of supporting the animal voice, and of avoiding the compartmentalization of individuals intended to be exposed to it.
Many other ways to meet wild animals without harming them exist:
- Nature reserves: these places are designed and developed to offer endemic species vast territories, without human interference, on which they can flourish in complete freedom in the wild. Visiting them can be an opportunity to observe them from afar and without interaction in their pristine habitat. In addition, the visits help to finance the maintenance of the spaces, and to amortize the remuneration of the staff looking after the reserves. If you have a taste for adventure, why not even take part in volunteer missions in nature reserves and refuges! The staff is always looking for volunteers who want to work for a good cause.
Eco-circuses: these circuses have chosen to put aside acts featuring animals. Among them, we include the prestigious Cirque du Soleil , the Eco Circus Bouglione , and the Roncalli Circus which, for its part, replaced wild animals with holograms larger than life. This is a great way to go to the circus without participating in the exploitation of animals - as desired by 73% of individuals surveyed by the IFOP -.
To approach plant-based cooking in a fun and relaxed way, many books give pride of place to vegetarian and vegan recipes and desserts .
Among the books to discover vegetarian or vegan cuisine:
- Vegetarian cooking for everyone , by Jean-Montée Albert
- Vegan , by Marie Laforêt
- My Little Vegetarian Kitchen , by Alice Hart
If like us, willingly or unwillingly, you have your eyes glued to a screen for around 25 hours a day, and you are familiar with social networks, you have undoubtedly seen petitions claiming to defend causes as diverse as they are varied. .
Among these, many denounce animal abuse and call for their rights to be heard. Taking note of, signing and relaying these citizen initiatives - in the same regard as certain political actions - is an eloquent way of offering support to the victims of the injustices denounced.
And it would be wrong to think that his voice is insignificant in ensuring the success of this type of approach, if we judge by the beneficial actions carried out thanks to these petitions. The example of bird slime hunting, which thanks to the support of nearly 320,000 signatories, was banned in the European Union in 2020.
Forewarned is forearmed; the growing notoriety of its citizen initiatives inspires certain ill-intentioned people to create false petitions. But don't panic, we have selected for you a small list of very well designed sites listing this type of petition:
https://www.mesopinions.com/fr
Our plant dressing View all
But ethical fashion is not limited to sneakers without animal leather , and today, many players are positioning themselves in many sectors, to market cruelty-free items. Vegan clothing, belts, bags and vegan accessories; it is now possible to dress from head to toe, while considering animal life, the planet, without of course neglecting the respect due to the people making the vegan fashion items .
With the same desire, many brands of cosmetics and other health products have also emerged to take care of oneself without animal exploitation.
Finding out about the labels obtained by brands helps ensure that the products sold are made in compliance with animal protection standards.
Acting, xe does not necessarily mean being the person brandishing a banner at the front line of a procession to denounce short-term hunting.
Once again, there are as many ways of assuming one's convictions and defending animal respect as there are characters.
Do you also want to get involved? You are doing well, because there are many organizations that will gladly accept your help.
Indeed, if you have a little time to give to a cause that is close to your heart, you could become a volunteer. Shelters and association centers are often looking for additional members, and if you are interested, simply contact the SPA closest to you as well as the shelters and associations in your department . Becoming a volunteer means advancing the fight for the animal cause!
You can also join an association and participate in the events it organizes. Meeting people and discussing is an opportunity to learn and exchange with people who have perhaps been involved longer than you and who will be delighted to rally you to their cause.
To find out about events organized near you, you can look on the associations' Facebook pages or go to the website of your city's tourist office. You can also consult the calendar of upcoming events near you on the L214 website.
Also, the fact of making the needs that animals in distress may have heard, but also on the contrary, evoking the positive and benevolent initiatives carried out in their favor, or even evoking the little-known specificities that characterize each species, which can give people who are not educated on this subject the chance to become interested and to commit themselves to defending animal welfare.
Everyone therefore has their own way of discussing these themes according to their affinities and the opportunities given to us to do so, always of course with patience and kindness.
Campaigning within associations:
Taking part in demonstrations or peaceful actions alongside community groups allows people who want to get involved in a more committed form of activism to surround themselves with people, in order to carry out larger-scale projects, and to be better advised and supported to succeed in carrying them out.
Support a political party that defends animal rights:
Just as politics has the role of organizing the exercise of power in a society in the interest of its citizens, it has the duty to defend the rights of animals as individuals and sentient beings in their own right.
Also, supporting or joining a political party with a particular affinity with animal defense remains a way of making their voice heard, and of hoping for a better esteem of their status as sentient beings.
The choice to adhere to a diet partially or even exclusively of plant origin would be that of more than 5% of the world population, and a growing position.
It is an à la carte menu that everyone composes according to their desires, tastes and sensibilities. Moreover, you only have to take a look at the variety of alternative diets to realize the range of possibilities and nuances that exist today.
Aware of the phenomenon and its scale, manufacturers have not missed the boat. The shelves are filling up with alternative products that meet the demands of these new consumers. From a taste point of view, the advances in the agri-food sector are also astonishing since today there are vegan versions of practically all foods of animal origin that we invite you to discover here .
It also helps save lives, it’s still not nothing to think that we also have this power!
If we consider our wallet as a ballot paper and the revision of our mode of consumption as a political act, we immediately realize the insane powers we have. It remains to be seen how we will use them.
Moreover, looking at it more closely, don't we all share somewhere common concerns with those who lead this movement?
Many cosmetics, fashion and even travel brands are now taking on the respectful challenge of veganism. To save you from searching too much, here we share 3 of our favorite vegan brands: La Canopée (cosmetics Made in France, 100% natural) Arsayo (eco-responsible backpacks), and Upswing (vegan shoes for children)!