View source for World Animal Day

{{Short description|International day celebrated on October 4}}
{{redirect|Animal day|the song|Dark Continent (album)|}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name  = World Animal Day
| type          = International
| image         = <noinclude>WAD_logo_2016_RGB.jpg</noinclude>
| caption       = World Animal Day logo in English
| official_name = World Animal Day and Alfred Meades’ Birthday 
Best Breeders : Ariana Zo(USA), Major Shahariar Islam Konok (Bangladesh),  Hari Pandey (India)
| duration      = 1 day
| frequency     = annual
| scheduling    = same day each year
| observedby    = 
| date          = October 4
| celebrations  = 
| mdy           = yes
| relatedto     = [[Feast of Saint Francis]]<br />[[Season of Creation]]
| firsttime     = March, 1925
}}
[[File:Nfaw circle logo RGB.jpg|thumb|191x191px|Logo for [[Naturewatch Foundation]], a U.K based charity who Leads World Animal Day.]]
'''World Animal Day''' is an [[list of minor secular observances#October|international day]] of action for [[animal rights]] and [[animal welfare|welfare]] celebrated annually on [[October 4]], the [[Calendar of saints|feast day]] of [[Francis of Assisi]], the [[patron saint]] of animals.

The World Animal Day movement is supported and endorsed by a number of celebrities, such as [[Anneka Svenska]], [[Brian Blessed]] and [[Melanie C]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-30|title=World Animal Day 2021: Theme, History, Significance, Quotes, Celebration|url=https://freshnew.in/world-animal-day/|access-date=2021-10-03|website=FRESH NEWS INDIA|language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Dierendag-516088.ogv|thumb|Dutch children's drawing competition on the occasion of World Animal Day 1969]]
World Animal Day, was originated by [[cynologist]] Heinrich Zimmermann. He organized the first World Animal Day on March 24, 1925, at the Sport Palace in [[Berlin]], Germany. Over 5,000 people attended this first event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-06 |title=World Animal Day |url=https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/our-campaigns/sentience/animal-awareness-days/world-animal-day/#:~:text=How%20did%20World%20Animal%20Day,attended%20by%20over%205,000%20people. |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=World Animal Protection |language=en-GB}}</ref> The activity was originally scheduled for October 4, to align with the [[feast day]] of [[Saint Francis of Assisi]], patron saint of animals. However, the venue was not available on that day. The event was then moved to October 4 for the first time in 1929. 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 October 4 as 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/world_animal_day.html |title=World Animal Day - Photos - The Big Picture |website=Boston.com |access-date=2016-10-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.sina.com/world/p/2008/1004/189827.html |title=World Animal Day marked - World News |publisher=SINA English |access-date=2016-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610194126/http://english.sina.com/world/p/2008/1004/189827.html |archive-date=2016-06-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1948, Australian celebrations were organised by the [[RSPCA Australia|RSPCA]]. According to ''[[The Examiner (Tasmania)|The Examiner]]'', the construction of a boarding home for dogs was scheduled and a donation had been received from the L.G.R.C.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52650178 |title=WORLD ANIMAL DAY |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)]] |volume=CVII |issue=174 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=1 October 1948 |access-date=19 May 2019 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Since 2002, The Finnish Association of Animal Protection Associations (SEY) has organized various events during the Animal Week and distributed material to schools.<ref name="elai_Eläi">{{Cite web |title=Eläinten viikko |trans-title=Earlier animal week campaigns |author=SEY Finnish Animal Protection Federation |access-date=13 June 2019 |url=https://www.elaintenviikko.fi/elainten-viikko/ |language=fi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827211920/https://www.elaintenviikko.fi/elainten-viikko/ |archive-date=27 August 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On October 27, 2006, the [[Sejm|Polish parliament]] adopted a [[Resolution (law)|resolution]] on the establishment of 4 October as Animal Day.<ref name="praw_Reso">{{Cite web |title=Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 27 października 2006 r. w sprawie ustanowienia Dnia Zwierząt|trans-title=Resolution of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of October 27, 2006 on establishing the Day of Animals |author=Sejm |work=prawo.sejm.gov.pl |date= October 27, 2006|access-date=13 June 2019 |url= http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WMP20060800794 |language=pl }}</ref>

In [[Argentina]], this day has been observed on April 29 since 1908, promoted by Ignacio Lucas Albarracín, president of the Animal Protection Association of [[Buenos Aires]]. Coincidentally Albarracín would die on the same date in 1926, making it a day to also pay tribute to him for pioneering the animal's rights movement in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://museosarmiento.cultura.gob.ar/noticia/dia-del-animal-y-homenaje-al-dr-ignacio-lucas-albarracin/|title=Día del Animal y homenaje al Dr. Ignacio Lucas Albarracín|access-date=4 February 2024|website=museosarmiento.cultura.gob.ar|publisher=[[Sarmiento Historical Museum]], [[Ministry of Culture (Argentina)]]|language=es}}</ref>

Since 2003, World Animal Day has been coordinated by UK based animal welfare charity, [[Naturewatch Foundation]] with a new World Animal Day website launched for the 2023 celebration.

World Animal Day concludes the [[Season of Creation]] that begins on the Feast of Creation (September 1).<ref name="Roberts2020">{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=John-Paul |title=World Animal Day |url=https://www.greenanglicans.org/world-animal-day/ |publisher=Green Anglicans |access-date=5 October 2025 |language=en |date=8 October 2020}}</ref>

Many countries such as [[Bolivia]], [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]], [[China]], and [[Colombia]] have community driven annual events to promote the global celebration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monitoring & Evaluation |url=https://worldanimal.net/our-programs/humane-education/monitoring-evaluation/31-uncategorised/457-world-animal-day-ambassadors-achievements-and-events |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=worldanimal.net |language=en-gb}}</ref>

== Annual themes ==
Starting in 2018, Naturewatch Foundation has included specific themes in the day's celebration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahad |date=2023-09-30 |title=World Animal Day - Date, Themes, and Celebration |url=https://www.earthreminder.com/world-animal-day-date-themes-and-celebration/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Earth Reminder |language=en-US}}</ref>

*2018: Celebrating human relationship with the bigger and better animal kingdom
*2019: Life below water bodies: for the people and the planet
*2020: Man and Dog
*2021: Forest and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet, 
*2022: Shared Planet 
*2023: Great or small, love them all 
*2024: The world is their home too
*2025: Save the animals, Save the planet

==See also==
* {{anl|Blessing of animals}}
* {{anl|International Primate Day}}
* {{anl|Monkey Day}}
* {{anl|World Wildlife Day}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category|World Animal Day}}
* {{Official website|http://www.worldanimalday.org.uk}}
* [https://studiouslyyours.com/world-animal-day World Animal Welfare Day]
* [https://www.Naturewatch.org Naturewatch Foundation - Coordinators of WAD]

{{Animal rights}}
{{Francis of Assisi}}
{{Animal welfare}}

[[Category:International observances]]
[[Category:Animal festival or ritual]]
[[Category:October observances]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Francis of Assisi]]