People bring their pets to be blessed at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi during World Animal Day in Zapopan, Jalisco state, Mexico on Oct. 4, 2023. (Photo: AFP)
Father Myron J. Pereira
Oct 9 2023
Scattered through our calendars are feast days or holidays, all of them deriving from that first Jewish “sabbath,” humankind’s primeval day of rest from work, and dedicated to ritual worship.
So religious feasts are our first “days of remembrance” in every culture, race, and people.
But there are other celebrations as important, usually related to the birth and development of a nation — Republic Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Days of Liberation, or Victory in War.
The United Nations through its various bodies has also chosen various themes of world significance and fixed an annual day for recalling their importance.
World Animal Day
We celebrated World Animal Day, also known as World Animal Welfare Day, on Oct. 4.It is a global initiative celebrated annually. The choice of this date coincides with the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
It serves as an international day of action, advocating the rights and welfare of animals, and fostering a sense of responsibility towards their well-being.
As such, it is linked to World Wildlife Day, celebrated on March 3, which has a wider extension as ‘wildlife’ includes plant life with animals, insects, and reptiles.For example, last year’s theme focused on ecosystems that nurture and protect several species of animal and plant life, such as the Gangetic eco-system in northern India, and the Sunderbans in Bangladesh.
The theme for World Animal Day 2023 was “Great or Small, Love Them All,” emphasizing the importance of acknowledging animals as sentient beings. It underscored the need to elevate global animal care standards and advocated animal rights universally.
Such advocacy may seem strange in a country like India, where the current obsession with preserving the life of cows takes increasingly bizarre forms.
But only a little reflection tells us that laws against cow slaughter have not ensured a safe and healthy environment for aged bovines; nor does the rampant poaching in wildlife sanctuaries keep animals secure in their natural habitat.
The main problem seems to be men and their desire to kill for pleasure or profit.
It is the mentality of the ‘big game hunt’ or the shikar that has been responsible for the depletion of animal species on every continent, a mindset which believes that man is the measure and ruler of all, and so is accountable to none other.
How World Animal Day came to be
World Animal Day was initiated by Heinrich Zimmerman, a prominent writer and publisher, in 1925. The inaugural celebration took place in Berlin, Germany, drawing a significant crowd of over 5,000 attendees.
In 1931, during the International Animal Protection Congress in Florence, Italy, Oct. 4 was officially declared as World Animal Day. This historical decision marked the global recognition of this event, emphasizing its significance in animal welfare advocacy.
Significance of World Animal Day 2023
* Global Participation: World Animal Day brings together passionate animal lovers from various corners of the world. People engage in diverse activities to promote animal protection and conservation efforts.
* Awareness and Education: The day serves as a platform to educate individuals about the need to improve animal treatment and welfare standards globally, through awareness against animal cruelty, neglect, and unfair treatment, encouraging informed action.
* Advocacy against Animal Cruelty: World Animal Day inspires collective action, reminding us of the power of unity in protecting animals from harm. This is especially so with regard to the care of pets in the confines of the home, and ‘draft animals’ in use in many countries where mechanized transport is too expensive: thus, horses, oxen, donkeys, camels, etc. In fact, it may also be asked, shouldn’t the practice of zoos be discontinued?
* Preserving Animals for the Future: World Animal Day serves as a poignant reminder that mankind lives in a continuum, in which the geological substratum of this earth is in constant interaction with its botanical, zoological, and human layers.
By preserving the habitats of the animal world, advocating for their rights, and ensuring ethical treatment, we contribute to a better world for animals and humans alike.
For we are stewards and trustees of creation, not its masters, far less its owners. – UCA News
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
