Help for my budding animal activist

Hi everyone!

I know I don't post here often, but I do want you to know that this is my favorite "coffee break" site. I especially love reading about all of you with cats and constantly learn from you! One day when I've got a little more time, I'll update you on my two (Sunny Boy and Salem -- or Lt. Dan and Forrest Gump -- or The Prince and The Pauper -- or Bossy-Boots and Little Sweetums -- or the "Big 'Ol Boy" and the "Little Guy"-- they have many names, but Cute Cute Cute is probably the most common one for both of them!)

But today, my question is asking for help for my daughter. She is involved in a competition at school for a program called "ThinkQuest". Anyway, her team is doing Animal Cruelty. Their finished product will be a website that they submit to ThinkQuest and it will be posted if they win the competition. Since my daughter's the resident movie maker/slide show creater, that turned out to be her job. So, my daughter spent a lot of time searching the 'net for pictures to get her message across. It was difficult for her - she is only 13 and some things she found were extremely disturbing for her. She needed to use some "shocking" pictures, but took the least she could find. Most of her shots are more abandoned pets (and some of them are pretty sad indeed!) She created a slide show movie to a favorite song of hers (don't know the name but it's about not fitting in and always being left out) and the resulting show was extremely moving (moved me to tears, that's for sure :cry:). With the pictures she chose one could say she only scratched the surface of animal cruelty, but since she is a very sensitive animal loving 13 year old, I certainly wasn't going to push her to use more gory stuff. I think her message came across extremely well even if it wasn't full of gory graphics.

Well, she came home from school today a bit upset as was told that she must go to the source of each picture and get permission to use the picture. Since that will take hours just to FIND the sites she got the pictures from, it will probably be better to start over again. :sad:

Do any of you know of a site (or a couple of sites), where the folks running it would be fine with giving her permission to use the pictures for her project? This would really help her out! I'd hate for her to have to go throught all that searching again (I still can't get some of the awful stuff out of MY mind).

Thanks so much!

Cheers!

This site lets you if you give them credit .....

http://www.unchainyourdog.org/FactsPhotos.htm




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Since I work with so many children, I actually have heard and know of ThinkQuest (was a Judge one year actually to be honest). That said, the graphics and pictures really need to be ones taken by the kids themselves. That's why I suspect we see so many about cultural issues or a certain person and sometimes issues but issues - say like drugs where you can ask a local police force for help and doctors and that kind of thing.

It IS not good nor acceptable (I hate to say this but they do also want to assess the graphics and pictures and say swf (flash) and other video or JavaScript files). Has she asked any of these sites for permission - many of them probably would. Even some of the news agencies - CP for example- if she explained why she needs them - would likely be only too happy to help. Many of the sites that win do just that- bring in people to talk to the kids or communicate with universities and other organizations. So I think she could go to these groups- and local groups would be BEST - because it is a world wide event sponsored by the Global School Foundation and they look for local info to be included.

A video of a vet talking about an abused cat for example would be compelling - especially if she is talking as she performs surgery on an injured kitty. That would be material that the group could copyright. But I think she'd be surprised if she asked. Don't do something that has already been done *(animal abuse has been in the same way - by showing pictures and saying the same things). Do it differently and add some real incentive ideas! That would be my suggestion.

Good luck to her!

Thank you so much Rainbow and CK! :thumbs up

I think my daughter may use both your input. CK thanks so much for your advice - my daughter loved your idea of interviewing our vet -- we've asked him, but he has yet to get back to us. We will also ask our local HS. She's working on her interview questions and her team is excited with the idea too.

I really appreciate it and knew you guys would be the ones to point us in the right direction!

Anything from www.nopuppymillscanada.ca is mine and she is welcome to it, I also have other photos etc that I am happy to share if she needs it just let me know what she is seeking.... Just a thanks to the site is fine with me, I don't have a ton of photos on there as most people find them offensive! LOL but I am happy to e-mail anything you may need.

Looks like you got some excellent advice-yay BB :thumbs up-but just wanted to say that you must be proud of your daughter re: animal activism. It's a tough field to examine, especially for the sensitive, but good on her :angel:. If more youth felt as she does, we'd be a lot better for it...hopefully her project will influence some of her peers. Best of luck, and let us know how it goes!

Thanks again guys!

Mia, my daughter is delighted with your response. She will be checking out your site and will let me know if she needs anything extra. I will PM you if she does. If she uses anything from your site, she will, of course give you credit and thanks!

KK - you are right, I am proud of her. She's a great kid and I think she'll grow up to be a fine young woman some day. :thumbs up

First off give your daughter and her teammates a giant hug for me, I am so proud to see teens tackling such an important and very emotional issue! :thumbs up:grouphug:

I think CK's suggestion is great, an interview and true tales from an actual vet would be so interesting. As was said, the photos and horror stories are done often and I think seeing them on tv etc people start to be able to tune them out. But a vet helping an injured animal in real time would be hard to ignore.

Best of luck to your daughter for her project :goodvibes:, and kudos to you mom for raising her to care about others:highfive:!! I think the more children raised to love and respect animals, the better off we will all be one day.