In the age of memes, photo dumps, and communicating solely through TikToks, here’s how you can use your online presence to advocate for animals by helping to reveal cruelty, support rescues, and push for protection in legislation.

We know that social media can sometimes be a scary place. There are countless opinion pieces on the negative aspects of social media, but I am here to say: it’s not all bad! 

I have been lucky enough to build a career around using social media for good, and let me tell you, there are so many likeminded people out there who care about social issues and want to make a real change - for the better. 

At FOUR PAWS UK, we are proud to have a community of these such people. We have a family of animal champions who want to live in a world where animals are treated with respect, empathy and understanding just like we do, and together we are making a difference!

If you want to learn how to use your online presence for good and help us advocate for animals on social media, you’re always welcome to join us. 
Here’s how in five simple steps... 

It really is as easy as it sounds. Have a social media declutter and unfollow all the negativity. Instead, follow accounts that align with your views or that bring you hope for a better future (we’re on Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky and Threads if you’re an animal-lover!). 

A declutter could also mean stepping away from social media channels that don’t serve you or that make it more difficult to find those people. For instance, we are putting more time and effort into Bluesky as it’s more of a community-led and community-focused channel.

You have your passions; you have your people – now it’s time to join the community!

Get involved with conversations that are about things that you care about. Comment on a post showing support for a factory farm opposition, share a video of a rescued big cat on your feed, or reply to someone asking for advice on meat-free alternatives. All these things mean that you are participating in a movement!

Factory farming is an injustice. Wild animals being kept in inappropriate conditions is an injustice. Dogs being stolen in Southeast Asia and killed for their meat is an injustice. Foxes and mink being killed for their fur to be turned into trim on a bobble hat sold in the UK is an injustice. You can stand up against all of these things by signing petitions and encouraging your followers do the same.

This one seems obvious but for some it may not be.

For animal lovers, it can be the dream of a lifetime to see animals up close and personal. However, there is an incredibly sinister truth behind many of the tourist attractions that feature live animals. Always remember, if you can touch or take a photo with a wild animal, it has likely suffered some form of cruelty to make that happen.

Find out more about how you can Travel Kind here.

Being an animal champion can be taxing. We are making incredible progress and have seen some huge achievements with laws being introduced and societal shifts slowly happening. But sometimes it can feel like we have a mountain to climb. We get it, sometimes we want a break from fighting the good fight and we just want to consume heartwarming content, like adorable videos of animals living their best life.

Lucky for you, our brand new FOUR PAWS Global YouTube channel is now live and it's bringing MORE than ever before. There will be inspiring videos showing the global impact that we’re making together, to inspire you when you need it. There will be exclusive behind-the-scenes content from our sanctuaries, so you'll have all the adorable animal videos you need. And we’ll be sharing transformative before-and-after videos so that you can revel in the joy of seeing animals thrive again. Check it out here. 

By harnessing the power of social media, we all have the ability to make a lasting impact on animal welfare. Whether you're sharing stories, raising awareness, or supporting advocacy efforts, every post can contribute to a world where animals are treated with the empathy, respect, and understanding they deserve. So, start using your platform for good today — because together, we can create change that goes beyond the screen. They can’t speak for themselves, so we must Be Their Voice. 

We look forward to welcoming you into our community, animal champion!