Happy World Animal Day!
In the spirit of World Animal Day, I offer you some animal friendly books from the worlds of cooking, philosophy, science, photography, fiction and memoir. But first, a bit of history. The first World Animal Day took place in Berlin on March 24, 1925. It was organized by Heinrich Zimmermann, a German author and animal activist. He wanted it to be on October 4, the feast day of Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals in the Catholic Church), but the Sport Palace in Berlin, which was large enough to hold thousands of people, was not available that day. More than five thousand people attended the first World Animal Day. The cause attracted a following in just a few European countries at first, but Zimmermann's tireless efforts to gain widespread recognition of World Animal Day were rewarded in 1931, in Florence, Italy. It was there, at an international animal protection congress, that the resolution to make October 4 World Animal Day was unanimously agreed upon. This social movement has grown with each passing year. It is estimated that there are now around a thousand World Animal Day events across the globe.
There is a basic assumption behind World Animal Day that may be a new concept to some – that animals are sentient beings and therefore have a right to protection and justice. Many different groups join forces on this day to bring attention to issues of vital importance to animals, such as the living conditions of animals raised for food, the plight of working animals and conservation of endangered species. It is a day to show our appreciation, our respect, our love, for the beings we share this planet with, and to take action to make their lives better.
Now to the books! Click on a cover image to read the summary, reviews and to reserve the book.
Book | ebook | e-audiobook
For more books, and some thought provoking movies on the topic of our treatment of animals, see my post for World Animal Day 2016, Some We Love, Some We Eat – Our Complicated Relationships with Animals.
4 thoughts on “Happy World Animal Day!”
Good choice of books! We have made some progress since March 4, 1925. People are more aware now! There is still a long way to go! Every step we take along that road is a step for animal rights! There is something in it for us too, improved health and a cleaner planet. I have been cooking vegan meals for over a year now and they are delicious. I use Pinterest to keep track of recipes I use, both vegetarian and vegan.
Glad you liked the list Mary. I didn’t know (until I was refining my list) that Booker Prize and Nobel Prize winner, J. M. Coetzee wrote fiction about animal cruelty and animal welfare. I’m looking forward to reading his, “The lives of animals” featured above.
Thanks for commenting.
Great post! I’ll have to check out the titles listed here, as “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer was very interesting.
It’s interesting that Francis of Assisi was the patron saint of animals. Pope Francis (who is his namesake) issued an encyclical in Feb. 2016 stating that animals will join humans in Heaven:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
This is an indication of how much society’s views of animals are beginning to change. I think Gandhi said it best: “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”
I really love the Gandhi quote. And I do hope you’re right about people’s views about animals beginning to change. There is so much room for improvement in the ways humans treat animals. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Thomas.