Seattle, Washington (NAPSI) - For the past 100 (human) years—nearly a millennium in dog years people have been focusing on how to help pets, farm animals and wild animals through American Humane Association’s “Be Kind to Animals Week®.”

Now, the country’s first national humane organization is launching a yearlong campaign to recruit a new generation of advocates to help solve the remaining challenges facing the world’s creatures. American Humane Association’s “Kindness 100” campaign includes a national media tour, visits to schools by its famed Red Star Rescue trucks, which save thousands of animals in disasters each year, and a new website, www.Kindness100.org, where you can find ideas on how to be kind to animals all year round, a series of pre-K-5 curricula to teach children compassion in all areas of life, a fascinating history of “Be Kind to Animals Week,” official downloadable proclamations for local, state and federal officials, and the online Kindness 100 Pledge with four simple things people can do to improve the lives of millions—actually, billions—of animals.

1,000,000 Challenged To Take Pledge

American Humane Association is challenging 1 million people to take the Kindness 100 Pledge online and build a better world for animals by promising that:

• I will seek out eggs, meat, and dairy products that are humanely raised, such as American Humane Certified™ products, helping to ensure the welfare of 10 billion U.S. farm animals each year.

• I will learn about conservation efforts, and teach my family about wild animals and the need to protect them by visiting parks, aquariums and accredited zoos.

• I will look for films featuring American Humane Association’s “No Animals Were Harmed®” end credit, ensuring the safety of hundreds of thousands of animal stars each year.

• If I choose to adopt a pet, I will do so from an animal shelter, saving the life of one of the 6 to 8 million animals that end up in shelters each year.

“The need has never been greater and the time has never been better to start a new Compassion Movement,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association. “To help all the creatures of the world, big and small, we encourage every American to celebrate ‘Be Kind to Animals Week’—not only for a week but all year round. By teaching our children the value of kindness and doing a few simple things, we may together build a better world for our animals...and ourselves.”

“Be Kind to Animals Week®” is the oldest commemorative week in U.S. history and the longest-running, most successful humane education campaign in America. This effort has touched hundreds of millions of people, and over the years has featured many famous spokespeople and advocates including President Warren Harding, Shirley Temple, Eleanor Roosevelt, Milton Berle, Doris Day, Porky Pig, Dennis the Menace, John Wayne, Lorne Greene, Carol Burnett, Clint Eastwood, Patty Duke, Betty White and many others.

To join the movement and celebrate the centennial of “Be Kind to Animals Week®,” please visit www.Kindness100.org. To learn more about how you can support American Humane Association, the first national humane organization and the only one dedicated to protecting both children and animals, please call 1-800-227-4645 or visit www.AmericanHumane.org.

What To Do To Learn More

The Kindness 100 pledge, a full pre-K-5 curriculum, and ways to protect animals all year long can be found at Kindness100.org.