Evacuate the children, put up the blackout curtains, kill the cat

We've all heard stories of animals and their sacrifice in days of war, there is one not much told and almost completely forgotten, about all of those who didn’t get the chance.

On the eve of WW2 people knew that they would struggle to find food, water, and space to sleep for their family in the shelters, let alone for their pets. The government advised them to take their pets out of the cities or euthanize them.

Advice to Animal Owners Author:National Archives CC BY SA2.0

When King George VI informed the nation that the United Kingdom had officially declared war against Germany and Nazism, almost every street in London was suddenly filled with disoriented and scared people, among whom were many walking their pets before saying goobye to them for the last time. By the end of the week almost 750,000 animals were either put to sleep or killed by their owners.

There are two sentences carved on the Animals in War Memorial in London:

“This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and Allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time” says the first, speaking of their fearless acts, valor, and uncompromising devotion to humanity when it was needed the most.
And right beneath, in only a few words, the second one reads: “They had no choice.”

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