World Animal Day, a global initiative for animal rights, is celebrated on October 4 every year. This international event is aimed at ensuring better standards for animal welfare and raising awareness about their importance in nature. On this World Animal Day (also known as Animal Lovers Day), here’s all that you need to know about this endeavor:
WORLD ANIMAL DAY: HISTORY
The date, October 4, was chosen in honour of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. This international day of action falls on the feast day of Francis of Assisi.
On March 24, 1925, at the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany, the very first World Animal Day was commemorated by Heinrich Zimmermann, a cynologist and animal protection activist. There were around 5000 who had attended the celebration to lend support to the great cause.
Basically, he wanted to observe it on October 4 (in honour of Francis) but due to unavailability of the venue, it couldn’t happen. In 1929, after incessant efforts of the cynologist the event was celebrated on October 4.
In May, 1931 at the congress of the International Animal Protection Congress in Florence Italy, Heinrich’s World Animal Day proposal was unanimously accepted. Later on, since 2003, it is the UK-based animal welfare charity, Naturewatch Foundation that supervises the international celebration.
WORLD ANIMAL DAY 2021: SIGNIFICANCE
Animals are an integral part of our ecosystem as much as humans and plants. The role of animals is insurmountable in our scheme of life. Right from maintaining ecological balance (decomposition, furnishing nutrients, carbon, nitrogen cycle, environmental protection) to bringing about human wellness, animals are crucial.
The event aims at ensuring rescue shelters for the animals, launching animal welfare, raising funds, and conducting activities to spread awareness and better conditions of animal living.
To summarize their significance, in the words of Richard Gere who rightly said: “As custodians of the planet, it is our responsibility to deal with all species with kindness, love and compassion. That these animals suffer through human cruelty is beyond understanding. Please help to stop this madness”.
WORLD ANIMAL DAY 2021: QUOTES AND WISHES
- If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals. – Albert Einstein
- When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble. –Buddha
- He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. –Kant
- Killing animals for sport, for pleasure, for adventure, and for hides and furs is a phenomenon which is at once disgusting and distressing. There is no justification in indulging in such acts of brutality. – Dalai Lama
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