Should you give to feed the children or the ASPCA?

Question

So I was watching that very sad commercial they keep playing for the ASPCA (I think that's right) where they ask you to donate to help animals. The commercial is so sad I can't watch it.

Anyway, as I was watching it my husband brought up a really good point (or question) if you had 20.00 to give shouldn't your money go to feed the children or some other charity that gives to humans?

Humans after all are more in need than an animal and plus if the humans are taken care of the animals would be too.

Now please don't get me wrong. I love animals and I think it's a sin to harm one of them through abuse, but shouldn't your money and my money go for better causes?

Also where you give your money is none of my buisness. I was just wondering how other people felt on this subject.

Answer 1

what people do with their money is more important than what people *say* or *feel*, because feelings only help the person feeling them.

me, i give around 50/50 to CARE and Audubon (birds).

as far as "the humans are taken care of the animals would be too." i don't know where you get that. people buy animals as gifts for other people who don't want them. people think animals (birds) will be like DVD players that will entertain them at a touch of a button, and when animals are noisy and messy instead they neglect, yell at, or even hit the animal. and THAT is pets. did you know that right now, we only have 1/3 of the species of birds that were around in the 1800's? the other two thirds are extinct.

hypothetically, i'd say the life of a human is more important than the life of an animal. i eat animals, i'm not a vegetarian. But practially speaking, by destroying animals humans are destroying themselves, and animals need a lot more help than humans do.

Think of it this way. there is one farmer in africa with 3 kids. if you leave it alone, 2 of the kids will starve and die. But if you give them 10$ a month or somthing they can all live.

now if they live, the other 2 kids will need farms of their own, OR they will continue needing hand-outs. yes, i wanna help people, but helping THEM will only make things worse for MORE PEOPLE in the long run -- and it will destory the environment so that there are now more people and less ways for them to live without help.

Right now, Brazil is one of the top creators of greenhouse gasses. you know what the source of it is? burning amazon rainforests. they are burning them so fast, their greenhouse gasses are equivalent to a developed nature.

if humans destory their OWN habitat (shopping malls, offices, houses) as fast as humans the houses and food sources of animals, humans too would be endangered.

that's why i think animals need help. it's not a choice between one human and one dog. on one hand you have humans that are growing like a cancer on this planet, on the other hand you have the life of this planet without which the cancer too would die.

edit: if only the animals-are-equal-to-humans PETA freaks would speak intelligently instead of ranting, they could actually make some headway against the animals-have-no-soul people, instead of just making everyone think that they are crazy foam-at-the-mouth people -- which they are.

Answer 2

Humans have only themselves to blame. Animals are completely blameless for the horrible situation they are in. The children have PARENTS.

Any fool who doesn't understand that animals have souls are clearly soulless themselves.

Answer 3

Your husband is right!  Humans are much more important than animals!

Answer 4

Are you talking about that Sarah McGlachlan ad? (I always butcher her last name).  That ad makes me crazy.  My folks donate to the ASPCA because that's where we've gotten our dogs from.

Personally, we have no desire to send money to other charities anymore because once you make a donation, they don't leave you alone and it gets rather annoying.

Answer 5

Well I want to be a vet, so I would spit the money in two (10 and 10)  and give to both of them!  But I love animals, but on another point... when an animal dies it goes to heaven, but when a human dies they have to be a Christian to go to Heaven!... Just a thought!

Answer 6

How I feel is VERY ANGRY that people like your husband choose to couch this issue in an "Either/Or"  frame.

Because it is NOT. How utterly stupid to posit the position that one cannot support one without discrediting the other.

Animals cannot speak for themselves, animals cannot defend themselves.

PEOPLE, on the other hand, should be practicing safe s*x and reproductive restraint.

Is it my fault that some families are having six and seven children in today's world of environmental degradation and overpopulation and world hunger? NO, it's not.

Tell your husband THIS:  

That there are people in this world, LIKE ME, who believe with every fiber of their being that animals are JUST as important as YOU.

And in some instances, they have MORE of a right to this Earth than humans. After all - name me an animal that $hits in his own back yard.

Nuclear acopolypse? Chemical pollution? Water and air and soil pollution? Murder? Violence against children? WAR? Pornography? Pedophilia? Religious hatred and persecution? Alcoholism? Drug addiction? Domestic abuse?

For those of you preaching that "humans are superior to animals" man oh man you could not be more wrong.

Answer 7

Personally, I give to both. The answer is, of course your personal decision. Give where your heart and conscience lead you to give. I will say though, that the assumption that if people are taken care of animals will be too is wrong. God put mankind as husbandmen over the earth and it is our responsibility to care for all inhabitants of the earth. The plight of animals is such that they desperately need help as well as humans. Personally I don't give to one to the exclusion of the other.

Answer 8

ASPCA is a non profit in which much of the money used is made to directly benefit the animals.

However, there are many non profits that make profit. Look to make sure that who ever you will donate to takes less than 12% for administration costs. And then assess how the other money is spent, if you like how they spend their money then do it.

Answer 9

I agree with you completely... i to am an animal lover but i do believe a human life is worth more then an animals...

I did find a great website called freerice.com, you give the definition of a word and with every right answer you get they donate 20 grains of rice to feed the hungry..a word of warning...it's addicting!!! you build your vocabulary and feed the hungry..it's a win/win situation

Answer 10

To The ASPCA. your money to the feed the children probably will not reach them.

Answer 11

If you felt moved to give to both, you could give proportionately more to the human charity, say 80/20.  Humans have a soul and cannot be exterminated to put them out of their misery.  I personally would pick the human charity if I could only pick one, although I also love animals.  In any case I would try to do things locally as much as possible, because I think less money is used up administratively (or on lobbying and buying TV advertising) that way.

Answer 12

I give to many different causes.  I have a soft spot in my heart of animals, so I always give to the ASPCA and NWF.  I disagree with your husband... most people are taken care of here in the states and it does NOT stop the abuse of helpless animals.

I give to people and to animals. :)

Answer 13

A lot of people feel the way your husband does.  Most people, probably.  And that's why the animals need so much help.  Because no one thinks they're worth saving.

The truth is, there are a million worthy causes out there, and they all need money: cancer research, disaster relief, education, protecting the environment and endangered species, helping the needy.  They're all important.  Who's to say one cause is better than another?

Everyone feels drawn to certain issues, so that's where they put their money; and naturally, they hope everyone else will, too, because it's important to them.  But if everyone gave all their money to, say, feeding needy children, all the other problems would go unsolved.  If you feel a desire to donate money to a certain cause, you shouldn't let anyone make you feel guilty about it.  Every cause is worth it.

I give my money to the ASPCA, Humane Society, and other animal-related causes; because I love animals and I know that they need my help.  If I don't do it, who will?

Answer 14

my favorite charity is either saint jude hospital (they offer the best cancer care at no cost to the families, regardless of income)  or make a wish fund (whats more heart melting then a dying child making his final wish) .  i would rather give to a human charity if i had to give.

Answer 15

Ultimately, it's up to you.  These areboth worthy organizations and causes - it's up to you to decide which is more important to you.

A few things to consider:

-Humans are capable of thinking logically about their condition, and of helping themselves.  A homeless person could, in theory, with a little assistance, find work and provide for themselves.  An animal in a cage/leash/pen cannot free itself or improve its condition - it is dependent on humans for care, and on humans to pass laws for humane treatment.  

-"Greater need" is a vague term.  A hungry child may have a home, but not have access to enough food.  A cat on the streets does not have dependable access to food, water, OR shelter; a dog in an animal shelter may have temporary access to all these things, but faces euthanasia if not adopted within a certain period of time.  No sane person would advocate the euthanization of a human child simply because they are hungry, homeless, or orphaned.  So does the greater good lie in changing a human's life, or saving an animal's life?

A simple compromise would be to donate money to one cause, and time to another.  You could donate your $20 to Feed the Children, and spend one weekend a month volunteering at a pet adoption fair; or donate to the SPCA and spend one weekend a month at your local food bank.

Answer 16

Hello.I usually give a smart a--answer to most of the questions here , but yours really deserves some respect.Here is what I think.Enough of my tax dollars already go to needy humans , all over the world , but none go to needy animals.So my money goes to the truly meek.And yes I donate to several including DISABLED VETS and PARALYZED VETS.Thank you.

Answer 17

donate to your local food pantry!