I’m an adult, but I’m not ashamed to admit: I love stuffed animals! I grew up with them, as so many of us did, and there’s still a pile of them on my bed at my mother’s house.  My stuffed animals were my friends and my protectors, and they are probably why I went on to love animals as much as I do today.

The other day I received a tweet alerting me to something called Unjust Plush. I was intrigued. Following the link, I learned that the Unjust Plush are adorable stuffed animals. But unlike the stuffed animals I grew up with, these guys are meant to teach young people about the various injustices that are committed on animals by humans. The toys are not gory or upsetting; and from what I can tell of the limited information available online, the toys realistically portray animal cruelty in an age-appropriate manner.

Unjust Plush isn’t available for the public yet; the company will be launching a Kickstarter campaign next month to raise the much-needed funds to get production off the ground. But the website shows prototypes for a rhino, an elephant, a whale, and a baby seal. Each animal has wounds and represents the cruelty that humans inflict upon animals, whether it’s dehorning, ivory poaching, clubbing, or harpooning. The sweet rhino, for example, has bandages over his horn.

Photo source: Unjust Plush, http://prefundia.com/projects/view/unjust-plush-spread-awareness-to-ugly-injustice-through-cute-plush-toys/2980/

What do you guys think about Unjust Plush? I think it has potential to really get kids thinking about the ways we use and abuse animals! And considering the dire situation that animals like rhinos and elephants are currently facing, the animals need all the help they can get.

For more information about Unjust Plush, check out the official website and Prefundia Project; and on social media: Facebook and Twitter.