Karen Hirsch
Looking for ways to support animals in 2026? Discover five practical ways to help—from adoption and advocacy to ongoing support.
There’s something about the start of a new year that makes people a little braver. More willing to ask, “What do I actually want to stand for?”
In January, hundreds of people will gather at Animal Activism Collective’s LA Convergence to focus on helping animals in need. Some will come with years of experience. Others will be there for the first time. What brings them together is simple: I want to do something that matters this year.
If you’ve had that thought, you’re not alone. In the fight against animal cruelty, it often starts with choosing one real thing and following through.
Here are a few ways to do that in 2026.
Give an animal their “furever” home
Bringing an animal into your life is a big decision. For many people, it begins with a simple visit to a shelter or rescue. No expectations. Just a few introductions. Then you meet one animal who looks back at you a little differently than the others. And suddenly you know—you found each other.
Across the country, millions of animals are waiting for that moment: for relief from overcrowding, cruelty, and unstable conditions. Choosing adoption helps ease the strain on shelters, and animals get the chance to start again with someone ready to care for them.
What follows is ordinary in the best way. Life settles into something shared and steady. A rhythm of companionship that just feels right. And before long, it’s hard to imagine life without her.
One decision that changes more than one life.
Find your flock and take action
Early on a cool September morning in Clifton, New Jersey, neighbors and advocates assembled outside their local Stop & Shop—an iconic Adam Sandler film location. People gathered in small circles, warming their hands on coffee cups and swapping stories. A few had stood outside stores like this many times before. Others were here for the very first time, curious how showing up can make a difference.
Shoppers walking by slowed to read the messages: a call for Stop & Shop and its parent company, Ahold Delhaize, to follow through on their long-overdue promise to spare hens from battery cages. People handed out flyers, shared stories about why animal welfare felt important to them, and welcomed questions from onlookers.
No one expected the world to shift in a single morning. But the energy was real. The kind that sends people home tired in the best way. Being part of a group changes the experience. You’re no longer carrying the weight alone.
If you’re looking for a place to start, volunteering is one way to step in. Whether you have a little time or a lot, there’s always room to show up.
Join the Fast Action Network, act in real time
Some of the most effective moments for animals happen in the margins of the day. A quick check of your phone while waiting for your coffee. A few minutes between meetings. One small action—like calling on food companies to end the worst forms of abuse—taken at the right time.
That’s how the Fast Action Network works. When a key moment comes up, supporters step in together—sending a message or making a call when needed. You don’t have to follow every campaign closely. We’ll let you know when your voice can make a difference.
If you’re looking for a way to support animals that fits into real life, this is one place to start. You’re just a click away from.
Show up for animals month after month
Monthly donors make consistency possible. Their ongoing funding backs investigations, negotiations, and the long stretches of work that don’t always make headlines—but matter just as much for animals.
Those monthly donors form The Heart Beat, our community of supporters whose gifts help spare hens from cages month after month. Sometimes it takes as little as 50 cents per hen.
Becoming a monthly donor at The Humane League is a way to support animals—reliably, thoughtfully, and with impact that builds over time. It’s one less decision to make each month, and one more way to help animals.
Converge in LA for the cause
Advocacy often asks people to do hard things: start conversations they’d rather avoid, stay present when progress feels slow, and keep going when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
At the Animal Activism Collective’s LA Convergence, a ten-day event in Los Angeles focused on hands-on animal rights work, trainings, outreach, and coordinated campaigns. People get to practice those moments together, not in theory but in action. They try things out, learn from one another, and build confidence in situations that usually feel intimidating alone.
Animals aren’t in the room when decisions are made, but people are. And sometimes those people are facing big companies, seasoned PR teams, or leaders who would rather avoid the conversation altogether. Confidence helps advocates hold their ground in tough conversations, so animals stay part of the discussion.
That practice carries forward into moments that directly affect animals. It changes how people show up long after the event ends.
A good year to step up
As you look ahead to 2026, there are so many ways this year can be better for animals.
That might mean opening your home. Or lending your voice when timing matters. Or supporting the work behind the scenes, month after month.
However you choose to show up, it counts. Animals feel the difference when people like you decide to stay engaged—even when it’s hard, even when progress takes time.
If this feels like the year to do something that matters for animals, trust that instinct. We’re glad you’re here. And we’ll stay right beside you (megaphone in hand) along the way.
