World Animal Day is essential to highlight the importance of animals in our lives. It is necessary to stop cruelty to animals and provide better living conditions for them around the globe.

When is World Animal Day 2021?

The international day to commemorate the importance of caring for animals is observed on October 4th every year. The day is very significant in caring, protecting, and spreading awareness of the need to stop the cruelty. It brings people together on the grounds of humanity and an exhibition of love for animals. Worldwide celebrations are sponsored by a UK-based organisation named Naturewatch Foundation, working for the welfare of animals.

History of World Animal Welfare Day

In English countries, a very formal feast day is organized and celebrated for world-renowned spiritual preachers. Amongst them was Francis of Assisi, a noteworthy saint who worked for the cause of animal protection. Francis of Assisi saw around him with painful eyes about the misery of animals. He understood their plight and wanted to heal their pain. In this regard, he spoke to people about not harming animals. He went around propagating messages of love and care for the welfare of animals.

He took up various initiatives to help people understand the need to care for animals. He strived to share his love and concern for them and was a prominent champion cum patron of animal welfare during his time. World Animal Welfare Day is celebrated in commemoration of Francis of Assisi’s birthday. In 1931, an international conference was held in Italy by a group of expert environmental scientists.

They spoke at length about the effects of global climate change and various measures to tackle them. In this convention, a common understanding was sought out in favour of animals, and October 4th became the date for future world animal day celebrations. However, digital awareness within the online community came much later in the year 2003. A dedicated website exclusively representing animal welfare activities was first started by the Naturewatch Foundation.

World Animal Day 2021 Theme

·         The theme for World Animal Day 2021 is “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”.

·         The year 2020 theme was “Man and Dog”.

·         2019 focussed on underwater animal life, the idea for that year was “Life below water bodies: for the people and also the planet”.

·         2018 came closer to animal care and protection themes. It read, “Celebrating human relationship with the bigger and better animal kingdom”.

·         The idea of 2017 focussed on a bigger and better approach and gave wings to the animal welfare movement. The widespread progress made a global force push the ceiling and make room for better living conditions for animals.

·         The year 2016 presented a broad theme that read, “Efforts to raise the status of animals so that combined strategies could lead to increased welfare standards”.

Significance of World Animal Day 2021

Naturewatch Foundation is a fundraising organization that pools resources to fund animal welfare programs. Many charitable events and money-raising awareness programs are initiated as part of World Animal day to help people understand their various outreaches and the work that they are involved in.

They put in efforts from all corners to gather people and understand the need to protect animals. The delicate balance that animals help preserve the ecological life cycle is necessary to keep the world alive and moving. Due to animals, the food chain is active and balanced at every stage of the plant-animal life cycle.

If a particular animal species is wiped out from the chain, the disturbance it creates has far-reaching effects, and a whole series is brought down in the chain. Many new species arrive on the scene with evolution, yet endangered animals also need to be preserved from extinction. The animals that are becoming scarce, but even the popular animals around, need homes and social care.

Cruelty to animals is the most inhumane thing we see today, right from pelting stones to beating and caning, using them for wrong things, etc. Hence World Animal Day is celebrated to bring awareness in this regard.

World Animal Day 2021 Celebration

There are no fixed quarters of celebration ruling the day, as animal day throws open a huge theme for the entire globe.

·         Event organisers can be hired to create an animal-based theme to create public awareness on various aspects of animal protection, preventing animal cruelty, harassment, etc.

·         Naturewatch Foundation offers a beautiful display of its website with fully loaded information and logo designing. Themes matching current year trends are showcased on the site and draws an audience from all over the globe.

·         Many animal welfare organizations tie-ups to organize events, including animal awareness walks, marathons, sponsored runs, etc.

·         Running events for pet animals and their owners to display the benefit of having pets at home.

·         Raising funds on world animal day to better place strays and provide shelter to homeless animals is another significant initiative taken.

·         Almost all newspapers and magazines cover animal-related news on this day, making it a popular event.

·         The adoption of pets forms a vital part of the day’s activities.

·         Animal care organizations arrange conferences and seminars to hold talks and discussions on various aspects of animal protection under the law.

·         School kids can bring about a variety of programs in their respective educational institutions and raise public awareness.

Way Forward:

It’s been nearly a century since the first World Animal Day was held in 1925. The goal then was “to raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.” Today, the message is the urgent need to re-evaluate our relationship to, and care for, the myriad species with whom we share this planet.

·         Habitat destruction and the expansion of human land use for industrial agriculture and urban development has wiped out entire ecosystems. Climate change has bleached our coral reefs. One study estimates there is more plastic in the oceans, by weight, than fish.

·         Those of us who have been active in animal welfare and environmental campaigning have seen the ominous warning signs for decades. And yet our leaders are still taking us down the same destructive path. The greed of the multi-national agricultural, food processing and distribution corporations, with their insatiable demand for growth and ever more profit, is poisoning the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. Ironically, our way of life is killing us. 

·         And when it comes right down to it, we are in this predicament precisely because of our mistreatment of animals. 

·         If we had more respect for animals, we would not destroy their habitat. We would not risk the massive biodiversity loss and damage to ecosystems on which both depend. We would not push billions of sentient creatures into an industrial farming system that not only causes untold misery, but also increases the risk from an ever-expanding list of new and deadly zoonotic diseases – apparently including the current COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world. And we would not take wildlife from their natural habitat, to abuse and misuse, driving entire species to the edge of extinction, purely for our own, mindless amusement.

·         It’s clear, if we are going to survive, we need to change our ways. 

·         the only way to achieve lasting change is to engage and work together with all stakeholders involved in the practices that affect animal welfare – even with those who may hold wildly differing views to our own. It can be a long hard road. It takes courage, tenacity and respect. But it can be done. It must be done.