World Animal Day is celebrated each year on October the 4th. It started in Florence, Italy in 1931 at a convention of ecologists. On this day, animal life in all its forms is celebrated, and special events are planned in locations all over the globe. The 4th of October was originally chosen for World Animal Day because it is the feast day of Francis of Assisi, a nature lover and patron saint of animals and the environment. Numerous churches throughout the world observe the Sunday closest to October the 4th with a Blessing of the Animals.
World Animal Day, however, has now gone beyond being the celebration of a Christian saint and is today observed by animal-lovers of all beliefs, nationalities and backgrounds. Animal blessings are held in churches, synagogues, and by independent animal chaplains in parks and fields. Animal rescue shelters hold fundraising events and open days, wildlife groups organize information displays, schools undertake animal-related project work and individuals and groups of friends or co-workers donate to animal charities or pledge to sponsor a shelter animal.
This holiday is celebrated in Russia as well.
WORLD ANIMAL DAY has become a day for remembering and paying tribute to all animals and the people who love and respect them. It's celebrated in different ways in every country, with no regard to nationality, religion, faith or political ideology.
ReplyDeleteThe aim of World Animal Day is to celebrate animal life in all its forms as well as humankind's relationship with the animal kingdom.
As for the Russian Federation, people are punished by a fine of up to 80 thousand roubles for cruelty to animals. However, there are the so-called clubs of dog and bird fighting and what is more.. dog hunters poisoned hundreds of dogs this year. According to statistics of American manufacturers of pet products, Russia ranks the third in the world in the number of domestic cats (18 million) and the sixth in the number of dogs (over 11 million)