All posts tagged: Armistice Day

The animals do not want our medals and statues

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November 11, Armistice Day and we remember the many casualties of war. Animals have also been deployed in war times and millions of dogs, horses , donkeys, camels, elephants, pigeons and other animals have lost their lives and are commemerated. Using animals in war times is not a thing of a distant past. Recently is was reported that ISIS has used hundreds of dogs to detonate bombs. The United States use dolfins to detect mines and even rats are put to service to detect explosives. Dogs and horses are routinely used by police forces in search operations and law enforcement.

Armistice Day, but not for the animals

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Armistice Day (or Remembrance Day) and we remember the millions of victims of the Great War and other wars. On some occasions, due attention is given to the millions of animals employed during wartimes and who were killed by bullets, shells, gas attacks or who died of deprivation or starvation. Horses and dogs were used for transport, cats to control the abundance of mice and rats in the trenches and pigeons used as messengers. Animals were also used as experimental subjects for munition, gas masks or bullet proof clothing. Animals as cannon fodder. Probably the most forgotten victims are the millions of wild animals who were exterminated as pests (the rats in the trenches) or the animals whose habitat was totally destroyed by the violence of war (at least those who survived the bombings). How it must have confused and bewildered the migratory birds flying over the thundering frontline. And as many soldiers returned home shell shocked or with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) I suspect millions of animals were similarly traumatised by the violence of war. And then also the …