Looking for a humane way to get skunks, raccoons, or other animals out of your house?

First, make sure the animals have a way to get out. Look for holes; leave a basement window open if necessary, with a board leading up to it if the window is high. Then leave ammonia-soaked rags in the area. Resoak the rags every day. To determine whether the animals have left, sprinkle a light coating of flour near any access openings, refreshing the flour anytime pawprints appear in it. If several days go by without pawprints appearing, you can be reasonably certain the animals have left. At that point, seal up openings. Be careful that no young have been left behind! We recommend waiting until late spring to evict animals, when babies are not so small and helpless that the mother can't relocate them.

Everyday Ways to Help Animals

Easy things you can do on your own to help wildlife, animals in labs, companion animals, and more.

Farm Animals

If you live near Boston, try a vegetarian meal and meet new people—go to a Boston Vegetarian Society event.
Try a free sample recipe from one of the "beginner" vegetarian cookbooks listed at International Vegetarian Union, or one of the thousands of free recipes at Veggies Unite!

Wildlife

MSPCA's Living With Wildlife—Humane solutions to common wildlife conflicts such as mice in the house or a skunk under the porch.
New England Wildlife Center in Hingam, MA, rescues and rehabilitates wild animals.
Books:
- Living with Wildlife: How to Enjoy, Cope with, and Protect North America's Wild Creatures Around Your Home and Theirs, by the California Center for Wildlife with Diana Landau and Shelley Stump, published by the Sierra Club.
- Wild Neighbors: The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife, edited by Guy Hodge, John Grandy and John Hadidian, published by HSUS.

Animals in Labs

Companion Animals

Massachusetts Animal Coalition—"Working together to decrease the number of homeless, neglected, displaced and abused animals in Massachusetts."
Adopt a companion animal—see PetFinder.com. Mixed-breed dogs and cats make wonderful companions and family members. But if you are seeking a particular breed of dog, please contact one of these breed rescue groups rather than buy from a breeder.
Household Dangers to Companion Animals (TheAnimalSpirit.com)

Speak Out

PETA's Guide to Letter Writing
Get e-mail alerts so that you can write to your state and federal legislators to support pro-animal legislation and object to legislation that is harmful to animals.
- For Massachusetts legislative alerts, sign up for the MSPCA's Armchair Lobbyist program.
- For federal alerts, sign up for HSUS' HUMANElines, a weekly e-mail including contact information.
- For national and state alerts, join The Fund for Animals' Action Center.
For timely alerts on animal issue coverage in newspapers and television, complete with letter-writing contact info, join DawnWatch. Read the important E-Mail Etiquette section.
Support state and federal candidates for political office who are the most favorable on animal issues. Learn more at www.humaneusa.org. To sign up for the HumaneUSA-Massachussets mailing list, send your contact information to humaneusa_massachusetts@hotmail.com

Volunteer

Animal Protection Organizations in MA
World Animal Net list of animal-protection societies