World Animal Day, also known as Animal Lover's Day, is observed annually on October 4th around the world to raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards. The first celebration of World Animal Day was observed in March 1925
Why October 4 ?
October 4 was chosen in honor of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. This international day of action for the welfare of animals falls on the feast day of Francis of Assisi.
Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity. Designated patron saint of Italy, he later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment. It became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on or near his feast day of 4 October.
The first World Animal Day was organised on March 24, 1925 at the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany. Heinrich Zimmermann, the writer and editor of the magazine Mensch und Hund (Man and Dog), was behind the first Animal Day celebration to address the plight of animals and initiate work towards their protection - both in the wild and domestic world. It was in May 1931 that the his proposal to celebrate October 4 as World Animal Day was accepted unanimously at a congress of the International Animal Protection Congress in Florence Italy.
Themes
The theme for this year 2021 is "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Plant"
Previous themes were:
2020 - "man and dog"
2019 - "Life below water bodies: for the people and the planet"
2018 - "Celebrating human relationship with the bigger and better animal kingdom"
For further reading