World Animal Day
I have been taught that there are two types of animals on the planet.There are the "companion animals" which serve to provide comfort via their actions, being, and states of being for those humans who have include them in their lives. The status of who is owner "owner" and who is "owned" has been raised repeatedly by these individuals in my presence as well.
Then there is the "food animal" which is raised for slaughter without other considerations by and large.
The boundaries are sometimes blurry and the "food animal" becomes a de facto "companion animal" during the course of it's raising making that time it fulfills it's role as food more difficult for those left to handle the practical matters of preparation.
 |
Likewise, I understand that I rapidly assume the minority in this attitude and indeed, I fully understand the attachments of humans to animals at various levels and callousness and that cruelty which often accompanies it are not components of who I am.
I will go to great lengths to afford an animal passage or safety yet still become vehemently opposed to the neighborhood cats coming over to my yard to take a dump. Go figure.
Today is World Animal Day, an international observance of animal rights and welfare which comes around each fourth of October. This corresponds to the feast of Francis of Assisi who is the patron saint of animals.
The aim of this day is to raise the status of animals in order to improve their standards of welfare internationally. It is part and parcel of the animal welfare movement in an attempt to make the world a better place for the animals which dwell here.