Less than 10 minutes: One of our favorite expressions is, "Knowledge is power." Educate yourself about the cruelty laws in your area. You can download a copy of Animal Cruelty Statutes by state. We suggest printing out the pertinent info for your state and keeping it handy. Note: Info is a PDF file. You must have Adobe Reader to view it. Click here to download Adobe Reader free.

Less than 5 minutes: Animal lovers all over the United States are working with their towns to update codes to change the term animal "owner" to animal "guardian." Why the fuss? By using more respectful terms, we decrease the mentality of animals being mere "property" and focus more on the invaluable companionship they provide. You can learn more about The Guardian Campaign and request information about simple ways to approach your government officials about changing the wording in their ordinances. There's always room for improvement with the cruelty laws and often, just one person like yourself, has been responsible for starting the governmental process rolling more in favor of the animals.

Less than 5 minutes: If you meet someone who cares about their pet but is having financial difficulties, making it hard for them to afford veterinary care, why not refer them to IMOM. This group has provided financial aid to thousands of guardians and kept their lovely animals from euthanasia or lives filled with pain. (Recipients must meet certain qualifications.) They also take donations too, even ten bucks!

10 minutes: If lawmakers in your state are preparing to vote on an animal-related issue, make sure your opinion is heard. Go here to find your U.S. Senators mailing and email addresses.

Less than 10 minutes: The Ezine Directory of Email Newsletters lets you search for and subscribe free to pet-related, online newsletters dealing with your topic of interest. A great way to stay up to date on issues and product warnings. A couple of cool ones who've given this site nice mentions are The Animal Spirit and Animal Rights Online. You can subscribe to these newsletters from their Web sites.