The Book Corner:
Helping Animals Means Helping People
by Harold Hovel
There are many ways that people are harmed by mankind’s treatment of and disregard for wildlife, including human suffering and death. By contrast, people gain many benefits by respecting and helping nature and non-human life. When people do what they can to help and protect animals, we almost invariably benefit as much as or more than the animals we help.
NYSHA is proud to include author Dr. Harry Hovel among our board members. An engaging and popular speaker at our workshops and other nationwide events, Harry is also the author of several books.
When asked why he wrote Helping Animals Means Helping People, Harry explained that, although there are many people who care about animals and the natural world, there seem to be many more who don’t. The book shows why it’s in their best interest to care about what happens to non-human life, from impacting Lyme Disease and animal-car collisions, to avoiding food poisoning, increased infectious diseases, and the many negative consequences of climate change.
Amazon Review: There are many ways that people are harmed by mankind’s treatment of and disregard for wildlife, including human suffering and death. Accidents and fatalities can occur from hunting-related activities, while at the same time species are in danger of extinction due to both legal and illegal hunting (poaching) and to the illegal wildlife trade, including the demand for body parts largely focused in Asian countries. The wildlife trade also partially funds terrorist and criminal groups and often fuels corruption. Animals share the dangers of infectious diseases with humans and suffer the consequences of climate change along with us: heat waves, wildfires, and extreme weather. Wildlife (both vertebrates and invertebrates) also benefit mankind by helping to provide a healthy planet in spite of humans’ thoughtless efforts to damage it and in spite of what amounts to a “war on wildlife.” When people do what they can to help and protect wildlife, we humans almost invariably benefit as much as or more than the animals we help.
New York State Humane Association Humane Review, Vol.XXXII, Winter/Spring 2018.