What is World Animal Day and why does it matter?
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World Animal Day is an annual, international event, held on the 4th of October to celebrate animal welfare and rights.
World Animal Day helps bring people together to increase awareness and improve education worldwide so animals can live the lives they deserve.
Why do animals need a global day?
Awareness days like World Animal Day help to highlight animal protection as a priority issue of significant importance as there is a deepening global crisis facing animals everywhere.
Every year, 80 billion land animals, including chickens, pigs, and cows, are farmed. This vast number does not even include the billions of aquatic animals who are locked in underwater factories - out of sight and very much out of mind. On factory farms, animals live in unnatural environments and endure extreme psychological and physical suffering.
Wild animals’ habitats are also destroyed to grow the crops to feed billions of farmed animals. At least 1.6 trillion wild animals are exploited as commodities for fashion, medicine, entertainment or as pets. Mink, bears, elephants, ball pythons and many other species experience unimaginable suffering through people’s actions every year. Every day we don’t act, thousands more wild animals are poached or farmed and sold into the global multi-billion-dollar trade.
How can I celebrate World Animal Day?
As an international event, World Animal Day is celebrated in different ways around the world. It doesn't matter where you live, or whether you’re an individual or business, you can celebrate by:
- Become an Animal Protector by regularly donating to end animal suffering.
- Sign up to volunteer for peaceful protests, leafletting and other opportunities.
How did World Animal Day start?
World Animal Day was started by Heinrich Zimmermann, a cynologist, who organised the first celebration at the Sports Palace in Berlin, which was reportedly attended by over 5,000 people. It was first celebrated on 24th March 1925 in Germany.
Why is World Animal Day celebrated in October?
World Animal Day is celebrated yearly on October 4th to align with the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology and animals. But no matter your religions or faith, everyone can be involved with this important global day.
Together we can change the way the world works to end animal suffering. Forever.
World Animal Day helps bring people together to increase awareness and improve education worldwide so animals can live the lives they deserve.