Throughout history, animals have worked alongside their human counterparts during times of war under difficult conditions and continued to demonstrate loyalty and dedication to their handlers.
While browsing the internet, Alma area animal lover Jenni Spies stumbled upon a campaign that honours animals in war.
During wartime, animals played many different roles. Elephants were used as beasts of burden carrying soldiers and materials for bridge and road building. Horses moved field guns and equipment in the First World War. Glow worms kept in bottles were used to light dark trenches. Wild animals became companions for soldiers. Dogs and pigeons carried messages over great distances.
Today animals are used in the battlefield to detect explosives and in laboratories for warfare experiments.
After viewing the movie War Horse, Spies, who has connections to Britain, discovered the website British Animal Aid Poppy Campaign.
“I find it completely amazing what animals will do for us with all their hearts,” said Spies. “I am grateful to all the animals of war and thankful for their essential contribution to the cause.”
She added she is “sorrowful for the animals used to test biological and chemical weapons on who, like so many other beings did not get to choose their fate but were essential to the outcome.”
To commemorate animals of war, Animal Aid in Britain has issued a purple poppy as a reminder that both humans and animals have been – and continue to be – victims of war.
The agency encourages everyone to wear a purple poppy to commemorate the animal victims of war.
The Royal British Legion represents men and women who are in service and have served and their families. The organization has stated it sees no conflict in wearing of the purple poppy along side the traditional red poppy in celebrating the contributions made to the war effort by each group.
“I wear the purple poppy to commemorate the millions of animals throughout the history of human conflict that have served. From the pigeons used to deliver messages to the dogs that today are trained to detect explosives on the battlefield. These animals were and are amazing,” said Spies.
The Animal War Memorial in London, England holds a remembrance service each year in honour of the thousands of horses and other animals that perished in WWI and continue to do so in all war zones. Wreathes or bunches of flowers are lain at the memorial site. Similarly in Australia, the Australian War Animal Memorial Organization commemorates animal’s deeds and sacrifices in war.
Memorial in Ottawa
At Ottawa’s Animals in War Memorial, animals used by the Canadian military in conflicts since the Boer War are honoured. Three plaques mounted on a stone and a bronze sculpture of a dog carrying a first aid kit are dedicated to animals at war including mules, horses and dogs.
Lloyd Swick, a Second World War and Korean War veteran and his supporters presented the idea for a memorial to the National Capital Commission in 2010. Inspiration for this memorial came from a horse at war painting hung on the wall of Swick’s high school in 1939.
On Nov. 3, 2012 the memorial created by Ottawa artist David Clendining was unveiled.
“I purchased a large number of purple poppies for my friends and family to wear in remembrance of those dedicated animals. Unfortunately purple poppies are no longer available for purchase but other commemorative animal items are,” Spies said.
To combat the perception their organization is honoring animals as “valiant servants of people” in violent conflict, Animal Aid has discontinued use of the purple poppy.
The Animal Aid website explains the group has replaced it with the purple paw, “a badge that will commemorate all animal victims of human exploitation. It can be worn all year round – at special events or day to day.”
More information on the purple poppy and can be found at www.animalaidshop.org.uk.
