Many people hear the words ‘animal advocacy’ and picture picket lines, or protests in the street, or petitions to ban trophy hunting, whale kills, or the sale of animal body parts, but the truth is that animal advocacy is so much more.

One great way to advocate for animals is through art. One project that ICARUS is currently involved with, and extremely excited about, includes multiple forms of art. Namely, photography, and body painting. We’ve been incredibly blessed to have photographer Melinda Caubarreaux and body painter extraordinaire Brittney Pelloquin join our cause. They’ve teamed up with our founder, Jessica James, as well as hair stylist Lindsey LeBlanc and several talented models, like Alyson Clark, for a project that is going to take both the art world, and the advocacy world by storm! Beneath Perceptions: The manacles the fleshed create to subdue the furred is shaping up to be an amazing experience. All of the artists involved have donated their time and hard work simply for the sake of the animal, and in the name of advocacy. I’m not at liberty to say too much just yet, but trust me, it’s going to be amazing! Until then, check out the these sneak peaks.

                                  

We’ll also be looking for a special someone to help us by lending their voice to our cause to help with a PSA which will be part of Beyond Perceptions. A voice is an incredibly recognizable and moving thing, and we would be immensely grateful if someone of note  was willing to help us by allowing us to ‘borrow’ theirs in the name of animal advocacy!

People have the ability to advocate for animals in virtually everything that they do. It’s simply a matter of how you do something, or, in some cases, of going just one extra step in order to make animal advocation a part of whatever you’re doing. It can be as simple as supporting groups like ICARUS, whom you already follow on social media, by sharing their page on your wall and inviting your friends to like them and share their posts. You can also donate money to support research, like that being carried out by members of the ICARUS team. Or, if you don’t have a lot of money to spare (and many of us don’t these days) you can help in other ways, like by donating sky miles. That’s what Melissa Olivadoti did recently. Because of Melissa’s generous gift of sky miles, the ICARUS research team is that much closer to the start of their journey toward better conservation! So if you’ve got sky miles lying around about to expire, consider following Melissa’s lead, and donating them to ICAURS. Supporting groups who advocate for animals is a great way to participate in advocacy. We couldn’t do what we do without the help of folks like you.

If you want to advocate for animals in a more direct fashion, there are plenty of ways to do so. When purchasing products, look to see if the companies from which you’re buying support conservation. Vacation in places where tourism helps to support conservation, but be careful that it supports it in a way that doesn’t exploit animals. Some groups which offer the chance to pet or hold wild animals under the guise of conservation when really, they’re just supporting themselves through animal exploitation. Sanctuaries, or rescue centers that do not allow the public to play with their animals are ideal. Or photo safaris can be immensely fun.

Some people prefer to work conservation into what they already do. For me, that’s writing. By joining the ICARUS team as the resident  wordsmith, I can aid conservation by donating my time and effort to writing blog posts for the group, or drafting letters or other written media. Even my novels tend to have advocacy worked into them, conveyed through the actions of the characters.

Stay tune for more updates about Beneath Perceptions! Until then, share our posts and spread the word about ICARUS, and be sure to check out the websites and pages of our incredibly talented cohorts in conservation, Melinda Caubarreaux and Brittney Pelloquin!

Author: Artemis Grey