World Animal Day is today!

About World Animal Day

World Animal Day covers pets, farm animals, wildlife and working animals alike. Animal welfare groups, schools, shelters and individuals hold events, fundraisers, adoption drives and talks around the date, with the shared aim of raising welfare standards for animals around the world.

The idea came from Heinrich Zimmermann, a German writer and publisher of the magazine Mensch und Hund (Man and Dog). He organized the first World Animal Day on March 24, 1925, at the Sportpalast in Berlin, where about 5,000 people attended. He had wanted October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, who is associated with animals and ecology, but the hall was not free that day. The event first moved to October 4 in 1929. In May 1931, an international congress of animal protection organizations meeting in Florence, Italy, adopted his proposal to make October 4 World Animal Day worldwide.

The day is not a United Nations observance. In 2003 the UK animal welfare charity Naturewatch Foundation launched the World Animal Day website to help the event reach more people, and in 2007 it started an ambassador program. Volunteers in more than 70 countries now help organize local events.

Sources: World Animal Day: Origin of World Animal Day, World Animal Day (Naturewatch Foundation). How we check dates.

How to mark World Animal Day

• Donate to or volunteer with a local animal shelter, wildlife rehabilitator or farm animal sanctuary.
• Organize a small collection of pet food or blankets at school or work for a local rescue.
• Learn how the animal products you buy are produced and look for welfare labels you trust.
• Make your yard or balcony friendlier to wildlife with water, native plants or a patch left unmowed.
• If you have pets, book any overdue vet care and check that ID tags and microchip details are current.

World Animal Day dates