What's your favorite animal/nature-related charity and why? Mine's Big Cat Rescue, a charity that helps endangered large cats like lions and tigers that have been harmed by humans in some way and also raises awareness of issues surrounding them.
The Nature Conservancy. This organization buys-up ecologically-sensitive land and preserves it for future generations.
I'll say the WWF, only because a friend of mine works for them. I really don't know much about animal charities, though.
Mine is a local pet rescue that operates a no-kill shelter. With most nonprofits, I prefer what I can actually SEE and know that they're doing something good.
WWF has realized that the best way to help animal species is to not be an animal charity, but to be an environmental organization. Working on the environment saves those species better than any species-specific program could. All of their branding has veered this way.
The WWF and the Nature Conservancy. My father did a lot of pro bono work for them in years past. The family continues to contribute to both. On the local level, the Humane Society is my favorite. That's where I got my last cat from and I would urge all pet owners to support their local Humane Society.
I give to the Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Club, but I think of those as environmental organizations. My animal-specific money goes to two major rescue shelters: Bideawee and North Shore Animal League. Also, I make an annual donation to the Maryland SPCA, which runs a no-kill shelter in Baltimore, in the form of a March for the Animals pledge.
Same here. My local organic grocer issues tokens to patrons who bring their own sacks rather than the store bagging their purchase. The tokens are based on a percentage of the total bill. My son always grabs the tokens and places them in the Second Chance Animal Sanctuary jar. I adopted a dog from Second Chance once, and he was a great pet.
PAWS Chicago, the largest no-kill shelter in the area. I volunteered there for awhile and feel like I can't possibly do enough to help those poor animals. The people there are great and motivated though, and I try to donate to them when I get the chance.
St. Francis of Assisi. They do incredible veterinary and adoption work in my area and have for many, many years. I have tremendous and undying love and respect for those people and what they've done to make the lives of domesticated animals around here a little better and happier.
Can I say "anybody except PETA and the Humane Society of the United States"? Eh, I probably shouldn't. Except that I just did. I donate happily and gladly to my local human society/animal shelter, but PETA is just too nutty (it's far more anti-human and pro-publicity than pro-animal) and the HSUS spends almost allllllll of its money on lobbying ($1 out of every $200, or so I've heard). Hardly any of it goes toward saving animals. And that just ticks me off big time. I also like the work of the Nature Conservancy. But like Alpha, animal charities are not where most of my money goes. No disrespect intended, but everybody has to spend her charitable money where her heart leads, and my heart generally leads me in other directions.
I've donated to a couple local dog rescues/shelters. I've also donated to the National Park Service. Not an animal charity per se, but I spend my vacations touring the parks and love the wildlife there.