GREAT OR SMALL, YOU LOVED THEM ALL ON WORLD ANIMAL DAY 2023!
World Animal Day is the only day of the year that’s dedicated to all animals. From the tiniest tadpole to the biggest blue whale, we want to make sure that they’re all treated with the compassion and respect they deserve – not just on October 4, but all year round.
So, our chosen theme for 2023 was ‘Great or small, love them all’, and we enjoyed your interpretations of it! Animal lovers from all walks of life united to raise the status of all animals.
CHANGING IDEAS INTO ACTIONS
As October 4 draws to a close each year, everyone at World Animal Day HQ is staggered by the dedication shown by animal lovers around the globe.
Due to a website revamp, our events page opened later than usual but, as soon as it was up and running, a wide range of fantastic events were submitted to the new map!
Activities included…
- An event to promote working horse and donkey welfare, and provide treatment and vaccinations, from Nowzad in Afghanistan.
- Making bird feeders, from OŠ ‘Knez Sima Marković’ school in Serbia.
- A low-cost spay and neuter clinic, from ‘Stop Animal Suffering – Yes!’ (SASY) in Costa Rica.
- A market stall and postcard campaign, from Townsville Against Live Export Inc. (TALE) in Australia.
- An animal blessing at a senior living centre in the USA.
- A one-day animal welfare conference, from Animal Protection Organization of Nigeria (APON) in Nigeria
- Stray animal feeding and on-the-spot treatment, from People for Animals Siliguri in India.
- A musical event to raise funds for an animal shelter in Tbilisi, Georgia, from Ukrainian musician Roman Bulakhov (in collaboration with American pianist, Elijah Fox and German drummer, Silvan Straussevent).
- A virtual ‘World Animal Day and Me’ event for schools from The Pet Education Partnership in the UK.
- A feeding programme for 200 starving monkeys and 120 hungry street dogs, from Voice of Animals Nepal.
As the coordinators of World Animal Day, Naturewatch Foundation headed to Wales on October 3. They were invited by our newest Ambassador, Vanessa Waddon, from Hope Rescue, and were joined by fellow animal welfare charities (including RSPCA Cymru and Greyhound Rescue Wales), Members of the Senedd (MSs) and officials from the Welsh Government to celebrate the progress that has been made for Welsh animals – and to highlight some of the important welfare issues that we all need to work together to tackle next.
We can all make a difference as individuals but, together, we can achieve even more!
MAKING ANIMALS FRONT-PAGE NEWS
Animals should be at the forefront of our minds and World Animal Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of welfare issues that are close to our hearts. Media coverage is a fantastic way to reach a wider audience and gain support for your cause.
A small selection of our event organisers’ mentions…
- In Ireland, Dublin Live shared an event from a group of animal welfare organisations, who came together for a peaceful march to highlight challenges such as shelter overcrowding and pet theft.
- Dr. Sulaiman Saeed, our Ambassador in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, had a busy day, appearing on several TV and radio shows, as well as at an online meeting and a panel discussion.
- In Lebanon, Roger Saad featured on Radio VDL and MTV to speak about saving resident and migratory birds from illegal shooting and trapping.
We’ve included advice on promoting your own event in our useful toolkits.
GETTING SOCIAL FOR ANIMALS
This year, World Animal Day reached 82 million people online from October 3-5! Its popularity on social media is largely due to mentions by celebrities like William Shatner, the actor. But, while their support for animals is welcome, we think lesser-known animal advocates, like you, are even more important.
If you celebrated World Animal Day online in 2023, check out our ideas on how to go a step further next year!
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT WORLD ANIMAL DAY
World Animal Day is for everyone!
It’s clear from the wide variety of events this year that World Animal Day can be whatever you want it to be.
- If you’re an individual, you can use it to show your favourite charity how much you appreciate their work by organising an event on their behalf. Get your family and friends involved too!
- If you’re an animal welfare organisation, you can use it to raise funds, promote a campaign or recruit new volunteers and supporters.
- If you’re a teacher or youth worker, it’s an ideal opportunity to highlight the importance of treating all animals with kindness, not just the cute and cuddly ones.
- If you’re a business, show your customers and team members how compassionate you are on October 4!
- If you’re a community group or club, why not choose an animal welfare organisation to be your sponsored charity and raise funds for them throughout the year?
- Do you work at a veterinary practice? Your World Animal Day activities might depend on your location. You could reach out to local residents to share advice or offer free sterilisation clinics, like some of our Ambassador organisations.
Whoever you are, and wherever you live, you’ll find an idea to suit you on World Animal Day’s get involved pages!
KEEPING THE BALL ROLLING
There are plenty of ways to play your part throughout the year!
- Sign up for occasional emails from World Animal Day HQ – we’ll let you know about upcoming competitions and the latest news.
- You might have your own interesting news to share on our website. Articles may be submitted here. (Please note that your article will be checked and, if necessary, edited by our team before being published.)
- Do you know someone incredible who works for an animal welfare organisation? Point them in the direction of our voluntary Ambassador programme in case they’d like to apply.
- Browse our toolkits and other resources to get ideas, or check out previous events to be inspired.
- Let us know in plenty of time if you’d like a translation of the World Animal Day logo in your language. Just email info@worldanimalday.org.uk with an accurate translation.
- Tell everyone you know about World Animal Day, including local veterinary practices and your favourite animal charity, as well as your family and friends.
- Follow us on social media – you’ll find our accounts at the bottom of this page!
October 4 was a busy day at World Animal Day HQ, but office dogs Neville and Lucas found time to enjoy their special ‘pup’cakes!