From our music vault…
World Animal Day is a day of action for animal rights and welfare that falls annually on October 4. It was created by Heinrich Zimmerman, a German writer and publisher for the magazine Mensch und Hund (translated to Man and Hound) in 1925. After many years of hard work and activism, Zimmermann persuaded the world’s animal protection agencies to declare October 4 World Animal Day in 1931. October 4 was chosen to pay honor to the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, which includes animals.
There are other days that draw attention to animals, such as World Day for Laboratory Animals on April 24 and World Wildlife Day on March 3. The difference is that World Animal Day “embraces all animals and the unique concerns of each, in every country.” It unites the animal welfare movement, making it a global force for change. Participation grows every year. In 2003, 44 events were held in 13 countries, and it is now estimated that there are 1,000 events in roughly 100 countries.
Take this day to do something special for those creatures we love that don’t have their own voice. For more information on how to get involved make sure to check out the World Animal Day website.
While you can create a playlist where each song highlights a different animal, you could get more specific with this theme and have a barn, zoo, or safari playlist, or perhaps you want to make it animal specific. We’d love to hear how you plan to use your ideas in the comments below.