World
Animal Day is an international day of action for animal
rights and welfare celebrated annually on October
4, the feast day of Francis
of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
AIMS
The mission of World Animal Day is "to
raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the
globe. Building the celebration of World Animal Day unites the animal welfare
movement, mobilising it into a global force to make the world a better place
for all animals. It is celebrated in different ways in every country,
irrespective of nationality, religion, faith or political ideology. Through
increased awareness and education we can create a world where animals are
always recognised as sentient beings and full regard is always paid to their
welfare.
HISTORY
World Animal Day was
originated by cynologist Heinrich Zimmermann. He organized the first
World Animal Day on 24 March 1925 at the Sport Palace in Berlin,
Germany. Over 5,000 people attended this first event. The event was originally
scheduled for 4 October, to align with the feast day of Saint Francis of
Assisi, patron saint of ecology, however the venue was not available
on that day. The event was moved to 4 October for the first time in 1929.
Initially he found a following only in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and
Czechoslovakia. Every year Zimmermann worked tirelessly on the promotion of
World Animal Day. Finally, in May 1931 at a congress of the International
Animal Protection Congress in Florence Italy, his proposal to make 4 October
World Animal Day universal was unanimously accepted and adopted as a
resolution.
It is sometimes cited,
incorrectly, that World Animal Day started in 1931 at the convention
of ecologists in
Florence, Italy, who wished to highlight the plight of endangered species.
Dutch children's drawing competition on the
occasion of World Animal Day 1969
In the Netherlands it is similarly well known as Mother's Day and Valentine's Day.
In Australia, celebrations have previously been organised by
the RSPCA.
Since 2002, The Finnish Association
of Animal Protection Associations (SEY) has organized various events during the
Animal Week and distributed material to schools.
Today, World Animal
Day is growing into a global event that unites the animal protection movement,
led and sponsored by UK-based animal welfare charity, Naturewatch Foundation since 2003.
On October 27, 2006,
the Polish
parliament adopted a resolution on
the establishment of 4 October as Animal Day.
In Argentina, Animal Day has been observed since 1908, when it was spear headed by Ignacio Lucas Albarracín, director of the Zoological Garden and president of the Animal Protection Association of Buenos Aires. Initially the day was observed on April 2nd, it was moved after Albarricín died on April 29th 1926 to coincide with this day