Start Planning These 8 Animal-Friendly Fall Activities

Posted by Calvin on September 26, 2024

It’s finally fall! 🍂 Seasonal changes can be exciting for us, but they also mean animals are at risk of being exploited in different ways. The cooler temps can lead people to bundle up in a dead animal’s fur or fill their stomachs with soups made of animal corpses. Plus, some folks use fall holidays as an excuse to make animals miserable for their amusement. Here’s the good news: Making a few simple tweaks to your fall plans can help prevent countless animals from suffering.

Check out our list of eight harmful activities to skip and some animal-friendly fall activities to enjoy instead:

1. DON’T Eat Animal-Based Soups

DO Eat Vegan Soups

What could possibly be appetizing about slurping up boiled bones and ligaments, chunks of chicken flesh, and cream made of milk from cows who were forcibly impregnated?? If the thought of that made you gag, stay away from bone broth, chicken noodle soup, dairy-based soups, and any other animal-derived soups. Instead, eat delish vegan soups made with hearty ingredients like carrots, potatoes, corn, rice, and beans. 😋

2. DON’T Bake With Eggs, Dairy, or Honey

DO Bake Vegan Treats

We’re all in on fall baking—just make sure everything you bake is vegan. You’ll help prevent chickens from being squished into a tiny, crowded cage for their eggs, cows from being forcibly impregnated for their milk, and bees’ legs from being ripped off for honey. Try replacing cow’s milk with almond or oat milk, eggs with applesauce or tofu, and honey with date syrup or maple syrup in any recipe that needs tweaking.

3. DON’T Ride in a Horse-Drawn Carriage

DO Go Apple Picking

Animals don’t deserve to suffer and die for people’s amusement, yet that’s exactly what happens in the horse-drawn carriage industry. Horses can get hoof infections, breathe in exhaust fumes, die from heatstroke or dehydration, or get hit by cars when they’re forced to pull carriages. 😨 For a fall activity that’s legit fun for everyone, go apple picking and make a tasty vegan apple pie or some apple sauce using your selection.

4. DON’T Go to a Petting Zoo

DO Go to Pumpkin Patches, Get Lost in Corn Mazes, and Take Hayrides

Get those classic fall vibes by planning some outings to enjoy pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and hayrides. But pick a place that doesn’t also have a petting zoo or another animal attraction—it’s no fun for the animals to be locked up and gawked at or touched by strangers.

5. DON’T Put a Dead Bird on Your Table as a Centerpiece

DO Create a Beautiful Floral Arrangement

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with your loved ones—so why would anyone want to decorate the table with a dead animal who was ripped away from their loved ones? Turkeys are amazing birds who love socializing, gobbling along to their fave tunes, and cuddling together. 🥰 They’re at major risk of being killed this time of year, but you can help save them by having a beautiful floral arrangement instead of a corpse as a centerpiece.

6. DON’T Knit With Wool

DO Knit With Vegan Yarn and Make Animal-Friendly Crafts

Fall is the perf time to pick up a new indoor hobby like knitting—but your crafts shouldn’t come at animals’ expense. Some yarns are made of wool from sheep. In the wool industry, these gentle animals are mutilated, punched, kicked, and violently killed. Don’t support this cruelty—buy only vegan yarns made of materials like cotton, Tencel, and bamboo, and make animal-friendly crafts using leaves and pinecones.

7. DON’T Go Hunting or Fishing

DO Enjoy the Outdoors Humanely

Tmw someone says they hunt or fish right after saying they love nature. 😑 How could injuring and killing wild animals and leaving babies orphaned be considered connecting with the natural world? There are sooo many ways to enjoy nature without hurting anyone, like hiking, bird watching, rock climbing, and collecting leaves to press in books.

8. DON’T Harm Animals to Get Cozy

DO Use Our Vegan Hygge Guide

Getting comfy in chilly weather is one of the best feelings ever—but your mood will do a 180 if you realize that your coziness comes at the expense of sheep, goats, bees, ducks, or other animals. Don’t end up in this situation—use our vegan hygge guide, which has tips on choosing vegan blankets, pillows, candles, and other essentials for a cozy fall.

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Halloween shouldn’t be a scary time for animals. 🥺 Follow these tips to keep your animal companions safe and happy on Halloween: