Our Words Create Social Change, so let's use them!

Animal Balance
Oct 31
2 min read

Hello, for those of you who don’t know me, I am Emma Clifford, the Founder and Director of Animal Balance. Myself and the AB teams have been performing M.A.S.H clinics for 21 years. M.A.S.H stands for Mobile Animal Sterilization Hospitals. These are high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter clinics, or HQHVSN clinics.

We are an ever-growing team of dedicated, compassionate and determined people who help to create social change, helping all sentient beings live better and healthier lives through the impact of our programs.

To that point, the words that we use are incredibly important if we want to create opportunities for social change. What do I mean by that?

For 20 years or so, the US Animal Welfare movement has used the ‘No Kill’ strategy, language and philosophy. It's been a difficult, but much needed, shake up and restructure of traditional animal control. Whether you agree with it or not, things have changed in animal shelters in the last 20 years. Scores of thousands of animals' lives have been saved that otherwise would have been killed. Animal Welfareists have reframed animal sheltering, which is an incredible achievement.

Our Words Create Social Change, so let's use them!

Let's change the language and focus on the ‘No Birth Movement’. Yes, it's a play on words, but, the message is very clear: Animal Welfare in general needs to refocus on solving the over-population of cats and dogs using the most humane method available to us: surgical sterilization and contraceptives.

It is a very simple message. If we all use it #nobirthmovement, foundations will take notice and align their giving strategies to the solution, instead of the outcome of overpopulation.

We have the power to alter the direction of the animal welfare movement. Each of you holds tremendous influence. If we collectively start using the No Birth phrase and similar language, we will create the environment, or the opportunity, for social change to happen.

It will have a ripple effect. Your words are the stones, your impact is the ripple as more and more people use the words.