Good Earth is home to all living creatures, great and small, bright and beautiful and wise and wonderful. Can you imagine a world without animals, who provide many necessities of life for us and add humour, laughter and joy in their own inimitable style? Remembering them and act for their welfare on the World Animal Day should form a habit with us.
Simply said, the celebration of the World Animal Day may sound unfamiliar to many of us. It is an annual event celebrated since1931 globally in many countries irrespective of nationality, religion, faith or political ideology on October 4, the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi-the patron saint of animals. The principal aim of the day is to raise the status of animals in order to improve their welfare standards around the world, strengthening animal welfare movement, mobilizing it into a global force to make the world a better place for all animals.
What animals need is a respectful relationship with humans but awfully this is lacking in our day to day life. The result has been catastrophic with half the world’s mammals are declining in population and more than a third are threatened with extinction. The need of the hour is, therefore, empathy, compassion and love for animals because they are one of the greatest gifts given by the god. But many of us don’t care about them and sometimes become cruel. It is a point to remember that they also feel like us, they suffer a lot as we do.
Their life is as hazardous as ours. They also fight for survival. Needless to say, we have to create an environment through increased awareness and education where animals are recognized as sentient beings and paid full regard for their welfare.
The celebration of the World Animal Day should be a pathfinder for global happiness and welfare. There are many ways to celebrate the day. To begin with, let us catch the young mind at schools and form animal lovers’ forum in schools. To attract the public gaze and appreciation of animal and human relationship, it is worthwhile to quote some quotable quotes by eminent men for animal welfare activity. Mahatma Gandhi had said that “The greatness of a nation and moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. Similarly according to Louis Camuti, “Love of animals is a universal impulse, a common ground on which all of us may meet. By loving perhaps, we humans shall come to understand each other.” German physicist Albert Einstein said,“If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals.” Dalai Lama expressed his feelings for animals thus “Killing animals for sport, for pleasure, for adventure and for hides and fur is a phenomenon which is at once disgusting and distressing.
There is no justification in indulging in such acts of brutality.” “An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language” said Martin Baber. “Dogs never bite me. Just humans,” said Marilyn Monroe- the famous cine artist. “You think those dogs will not be in heaven! I tell you they will be there long before any of us,” said famous writer Louis Stevenson.
According to Charles Darwin, “Besides love and sympathy, animals exhibit other qualities connected with social instincts which in us would be called moral”.
x“Let us remember that animals are not mere resources for human consumption. They are splendid beings in their own right, who have evolved alongside us as co-inheritors of all the beauty and abundance of life on this planet,” said Mark Bekoff.
Potential of animal power in the words of Irene M Pepperberg was: “Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.” Woodrow Wilson, a former president of America, is quoted as saying, “If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.”
Famous British veterinarian Dr James Alfred Wight (James Herriot) in his inimitable style had said, “If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than lot of humans”. Trisha Mc Cagh said, “Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural”. “Animals are such agreeable friends- they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms,” according to George Eliot.
These quotes will amply distinguish our psyche with that of animals.
Let us pledge to project and protect the animals as a gift of the god with show of love on the World Animal Day. Let us understand them, be in the wild, stray or domesticated state. Let us pledge to be kind to them and act for their right and welfare as much as we do for ourselves. It is the right occasion to start with and be proud to start the day as an animal lover.
(Dr Mohanty and Dashsharma live at A/E-192, VSS Nagar, Bhubaneswar-7, M-9437113581, 8984007600)