FIRST ANNUAL WAR ANIMAL DAY TO BE MARKED ON 24 FEBRUARY

Throughout history, in war and in peacetime, animals and mankind have worked alongside each other. As beasts of burden, messengers, protectors, mascots, and friends, the war animals have demonstrated true valour and an enduring partnership with humans.

The most famous chapters of Australia’s military history are replete with the important contributions of war animals – from the famous triumphs of the Light Horsemen on their Waler mounts, to the prolonged desert patrols of the Imperial Camel Corps in the Middle East during WWI. However, their service encompasses so much more than carrying Australians into combat. At Gallipoli, and everywhere fighting took place, donkeys and mules ferried supplies towards the front line. They also carried our wounded back towards safety. Today, military working dogs perform a wide variety of dangerous tasks in modern combat situations.

On 24 February the service and sacrifice of Australian war animals will be commemorated for the first time. A very special commemoration service will be held at the Cockatoo Rise War Veterans Retreat in Bairnsdale, Victoria. Members of the public and their animals are invited. Military re-enactors and the Victoria Police Mounted Branch will also be in attendance.

If you can’t make it to the event, you can still commemorate this special day. Director of AWAMO, Nigel Allsopp, encourages all Australians to wear a purple poppy and lay a wreath at their nearest war animal memorial on 24 February.

We are proud to support AWAMO in the valuable work the organisation does in recognising the service of Australian war animals. We donate 5% of all Purple Poppy sales directly to AWAMO. So, your purchase will help to honour and commemorate the service of Australian war animals. Thanks to your support, we were able to donate more than $5,000 to AWAMO in 2018.