While it's fun to go see dolphins up close doing tricks, these parks separate baby dolphins from their mothers, keep them enclosed in tanks, feed them drugs, and force them to breed at exceptionally young ages. They've also been accused of unsafe work environments for humans and dolphins alike, making parks like SeaWorld dangerous and unethical. Don't support them. The biggest thing you can contribute to the cause of dolphins is your voice. If you care about keeping dolphins safe, shout it from the rooftops and learn everything you can about the dangers that face the dolphin population in your area. Subscribe to dolphin watch organizations to keep up-to-date on current efforts and legislation that you could contribute to and encourage others to participate in. BlueVoice is an ocean conservation organization that works to save dolphins and whales, specifically by tracking and fighting dolphin hunts in Japan and Peru. You can join BlueVoice by signing up here. Devote a considerable amount of your social media presence to dolphin causes and making others aware of what's going on in the oceans. The more people know what to avoid and are aware of the threat that dolphins face, the more changes can be made. . In the 1970s, the government passed a bill designed to keep dolphins and other marine mammals safe, but it wasn't until the mid-80s that stronger guidelines were put in place, specifically related to tuna fishing. The impact of these regulations made a huge difference then, in the short term, but little has been done in the decades since. It's time to revisit the issue, so you should let your representative know you mean business. Get in touch immediately. Most communications happen online, so you can usually visit your senatorial or congressional representative's website to learn more about how to get in touch directly. Draft a letter laying out a specific plan of action and demand results, or deny your vote during the next election cycle. Changes specifically need to take into account the commercial and industrial pollutants and the way these contribute to the deaths of marine mammals. Lots of organizations are already in place, fighting the good fight against pollution and ocean injustice. They're often in dire financial straights, however, making any assistance you can offer extremely valuable. This is an especially great way to contribute if you're busy to participate directly, but feel passionate about the cause. Organizations like the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Greenpeace, BlueVoice, and other groups are all devoted to saving the lives of dolphins and they all would appreciate financial help to continue the cause. . Avoiding products and making smart purchases is a good step for you to take alongevery single person makes a differencebut if you can rally the troops and make a more significant impact with larger numbers, your contribution will be much greater. Try to work on changing your own household first, getting everyone you live with to contribute to the proper consumer choices, then start holding open meetings at a community center or church to share what you know and get others on board. Getting in touch and spreading the word with letters to your local paper, sharing links on social media, and even making up posters can do a lot to share your message and let people know how they can make a difference. . If you've got a growing group of like-minded people concerned about the plight of the dolphins, consider starting your own activist group to organize protests, boycotts, and stage information-disseminating meetings so that more and more people will become aware of the issues. The more people involved, the more the government will have to listen and make the changes necessary to take action. Media is the strongest source of defense for fighting against the threats that harm dolphins. Declare your organization with the IRS and apply for non-profit status if you grow large enough to have significant operating costs and want to start collecting donations from visitors to the site.

Summary: Boycott marine theme parks that keep dolphins in captivity. Get the word out and make it loud. Encourage your congressional leader to strengthen the Marine Mammal Protection Act Donate to marine wildlife foundations. Organize more significant boycotts in your area Start your own activist group

The younger your birds, the more quickly they'll adjust to you and your home. Younger birds will only ever be familiar with you and your space, and they shouldn't have to overcome any bad experiences with previous owners. Mature domesticated pigeons should eventually learn to trust you as well, but they may require a little more time and patience. Pigeons are extremely social birds who need constant companionship. If your pigeons choose to court and mate, they'll be together for life. Plan on keeping at least two birds. If you have room, consider creating a small flock of four to six pigeons. If you end up with a mated pair, you may need to keep the pigeons from breeding. Female pigeons lay eggs every month. Once they've laid two eggs, remove the eggs and replace them with warmed-up wooden eggs. Both pigeons will continue to sit on the wooden eggs until they realize they won't hatch. Destroy the real eggs by leaving them outside for other animals to eat. This process will need to be repeated each month. If your female bird is sitting on a fake egg, it won't continue to lay eggs. Laying eggs too often can result in calcium deficiency and death. Any female bird can lay eggs, though without a male bird they will be infertile. You can find fake eggs online. For example, try http://theeggshop.com/. There are many domesticated pigeons without homes located at animal or bird shelters and rescues. While adopting may not allow you to choose the exact age or breed of pigeon that you'd like, you'll be helping out a bird in need. Adoption is also a generally less expensive option than purchasing birds through breeders. Most adoption services will cover any initial vet bills. They sometimes also allow you to foster your birds to see if you make a good match. Adopting may provide you with birds that either require more time before they're tamed, or that never become fully comfortable being touched or handled by you. Be ready to spend lots of time building trust. Find reputable breeders by contacting them directly. Ask how long the breeder has been operating, and see if they'd be willing to send photos of their facility to make sure their birds are well treated. Breeders can allow you to choose younger birds, or racing, homing, and other types of unique pigeons. They'll also be able to provide you with a pair of birds that's used to spending lots of time with people. Birds from breeders may be ready to be handled more quickly than rescued birds. However, they'll likely cost more than rescued birds. If you find a lost or injured wild pigeon, take the bird to a wildlife rescue that won't kill the bird. While wild pigeons may eventually become comfortable as pets, they'll likely never be as tame as domesticated pigeons. It's also not fair to the wild bird to prevent it from enjoying its previous lifestyle. Before you take the pigeon to the rescue, call the facility to be sure they're prepared to care for and then safely release the pigeon. You can find a map of bird-safe rescues located in the United States here: http://www.pigeonrescue.org/resources/some-pigeon-dove-friendly-rescues-in-the-us/ Most animal rescues will not kill the bird unless it is beyond saving or has a low quality of life.
Summary: Adopt or buy young birds for easier taming. Pick pigeons in pairs or groups to keep your birds happy. Adopt your pigeons to save homeless pets. Find a breeder online to buy a specific type of pigeon. Avoid adopting wild pigeons.