Each year, the first week of October marks Be Kind to Animals Week, an uplifting campaign that invites us all to sign up for a kinder world.
Run by the team at Edgar’s Mission farm animal sanctuary in Victoria, the initiative invites people from all walks of life to take a free online kindness pledge at bekindtoanimalsweek.org.au. By signing up, participants commit – or recommit – to caring about all sentient beings, and discover new ways to put that care and compassion into action.
Here are four reasons to take part. Hint: there’s something for everyone!
1. It’s easy
Through a simple web-based form, you pledge your chosen level of kindness to animals to try out during the week of 1–7 October (and beyond), and can opt to receive kindness tips and plant-based recipes by email each day during the week.
Everyone who pledges also goes in the draw to win a hamper full of ethical goodies that prove how easy it is to live a happy, healthy life without harming others – as the Edgar’s Mission sanctuary’s famous motto goes.
“If we could live happy and healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn’t we?” Edgar’s Mission Founder Pam Ahern pictured with Red Baron rooster who was rescued from the egg industry at just two days old.
2. It’s inspiring
Pam Ahern, Founder and Director of Edgar’s Mission, set up Be Kind to Animals Week twelve years ago as a special week to focus on kindness to animals of all species.
“Every being who treads, swims or flies upon this earth wants, needs and responds to kindness,” she says – and is quick to point out that this includes humans, too.
There are so many ways to be kind, and the Be Kind to Animals Week resources are guaranteed to provide you with some new ideas and steps to take. Whether it’s a new plant-based recipe, a story of a rescued animal to melt your heart, or the words of one of the human ambassadors, this uplifting campaign is a celebration of the power of kindness.
The resources for kids include a collection of heartwarming virtual storytimes with Pam Ahern, from her book The Gift of Kindness, including this one about Vet Nurse Ruby, the ‘failed’ sheep dog.
3. It feels good
Just as our kindness heals others, it also heals us. “By focusing on kindness to all animals, we affirm our place on the right side of history – standing up for the world’s most vulnerable beings,” Pam says.
At the same time, expanding our circle of compassion to all beings honours our interconnection with the whole web of life, cultivating an inner sense of peace and wonder.
As Kindness Ambassador Tammy Fry puts it, “Making choices that reflect our deepest and truest values brings a deep sense of happiness, wellness and innate alignment.”
The warm glow we feel after an act of kindness is also proven to have physiological benefits, including the release of endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin, with powerful impacts from stress reduction and increased energy levels through to improved heart health and longevity.
4. It’s contagious
Studies show that kindness is teachable to others, and is contagious. So, by joining in with Be Kind to Animals Week, you become part of a kindness movement with the power to catch on and inspire others to follow suit.
There is a dedicated #BeKindToAnimalsWeek hashtag and a host of adorable animal images for social media among the website resources, making it easy to spread the kindness among your friends, family and wider networks.
Pledge today at bekindtoanimalsweek.org.au
Images: Courtesy of Edgar’s Mission
