Generally, I skip animal charities. I like animals, but I feel obligated to help people more.
I'll do you one better: I actually support animal testing. I would murder ten adorable innocent puppies in order to save one homeless drug addict. Smear experimental lipstick into the eyes of a bunny rabbit, break a chimpanzee's legs to test medical devices, shoot a dog into space to die terrified and alone. We do these sorts of things every day to advance our own species, at the expense of other species I don't see how anyone can even object to these horrors, when we slaughter innocent animals by the millions just because they make our burritos tastier.
This is an interesting problem. For me, gut reaction says this:
Animal testing for medical purposes: OK
Animal testing to advance science: Case by case basis (this one can be tricky).
Animal testing for cosmetics: Not OK, this is unnecessary cruelty.
Killing animals to eat them: OK (provided it's done humanely)
Killing animals for clothing: OK (provided it's done humanely)
Killing animals to stuff them as tropies: Not OK, this seems unnecessary.
You're completely right regarding killing stuff, my gut reaction is not logically consistent. Killing a cow to eat it isn't any more necessary than killing a deer because you want some antlers to hang on your wall. There's no need to wear animals.
Yeah, ethics is always such a difficult thing to come up with "rules" for, isn't it. So easy to find ourself inconsistent based on our own personal experiences and beliefs, which often change back and forth as we meander through life and encounter new circumstances.
It's actually one of the reason I like MMM and this community in general. I think it's great to acknowledge that we are "a@#holes" occasionally and just do our best to be better and better each day.
I think it kinda goes along with the quote: The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
Given the choices, I'd rather be surrounded by a bunch of intelligent people who question their assumptions each day.
Ok, back on track, organizations I don't donate too...
Religious organizations - because they are often full of confidence about things they can't prove, and in ways that often very unkind towards others. for example... to say that gay people will spend an eternity of damnation, despite the fact that you can't even prove or disprove the existence of a higher power...no thanks. If a group is going to get my money, they're gonna have to do better than that. Disclaimer: I am aware that many INDIVIDUALS in these organizations do NOT espouse these beliefs, and that some things these groups do is in fact positive, but that's enough to earn my dollars.
United Way - pressure tactics.