On November 11th, 2019 the fifth annual Animal Victims of War (AVoW) ceremony took place in Victoria, B.C. It has since taken place in other cities like Toronto and Ottawa. The event was started in 2015 after learning of the purple poppy campaign started in the UK by Animal Aid UK.
Why did we bring the purple poppy campaign to Canada?
We brought the AVoW purple poppy campaign to Canada to ensure that the tens of millions of animal lives lost to war are recognized as victims and not heroes. In World War I, 8 million horses and another 8 million other animals were killed. That is one for every two human soldiers killed. This number also does not include all the wildlife that would have died and not been accounted for. Animals continue to be used in war for transport, experimentation, reconnaissance, and other activities.
Why are animals not heroes?
It is important that as we consider the loss of animal life in war that we do not recognize animals as “heroes” of war. It is tempting to anthropomorphize their actions as acts of bravery or courage, but they had no choice in being there and had no comprehension of what they were being used for. Humans can make a conscious decision to partake in war and we fully recognize that many soldiers were forced into war themselves. Animals cannot ever consciously decide to engage or abstain from war. They are thrust into it and have no control over how they will be used or when. They are victims and it important we condemn their use in war as part of our opposition to the suffering and violence caused by war itself.
The Purple Poppy
The purple poppy campaign is a complimentary or alternative poppy to the red poppy of the Royal Canadian Legion. It is not meant in any way to undermine or reject the red poppy and its symbolism of the human lives who served and died in war. It is a way for people to recognize the significant loss of animal life that is not represented in symbol or ceremony of the red poppy. It also makes an important distinction between animals as “heroes,” which is sometimes perpetrated by military culture, and animal as “victims.” Ideally, we will someday see the purple poppy be as synonymous with Remembrance Day as the red poppy, but in its own context.
How can I get a purple poppy?
You can order them using our order form below. We ship them from our office in Toronto.
Please note: Packages are mailed via Canada Post. We cannot guarantee a delivery date.
If you would like to further donate to support our work raising awareness of the Animal Victims of War, please do so here.