Animal love or animal friendship is the feeling of affection that people have towards animals.

Can you remember when this feeling was awakened in you?

Did your love for animals evolve out of a general respect for nature and the environment?  Perhaps the sight of a brilliant butterfly emerging from its cocoon was all that was needed to spark your love.  As your feelings deepened, you might have even evolved into a vegetarian or conservationist.

 Perhaps you might have realized that you have a desire to care for any animal which is weaker or smaller than you. There isn't a more gratifying feeling than "mothering" a puppy after he/she has been removed from their natural mother.  The look in their eyes tells you that they are counting on you to be their new caregiver. They in return will shower you with endless puppy licks. 

 Maybe your first love was a newborn kitten who needed their crusted eyes bathed open so they could see the world again.  Their "thank you" was a never-ending supply of "meows" as you cuddled them after.

 If you were lucky enough to grow up on a farm, as a small child you might have awakened your "animal love" in your early years.  If you had the opportunity to run alongside a newborn calf in the pasture,  you will remember the joy a summer's day can bring.  The sounds of an eager pony or horse tamping their hooves on the barn floor in anticipation of your visit and subsequent ride would melt even the hardest of hearts. Their loving nuzzle would tell you that they had been waiting for this moment all day.

Some people might have memories as a youngster of catching tiny tadpoles in a stream and your amazement when they evolved into long- legged frogs.  Others might have realized they loved birds at an early age, so they scrounged up a hammer and some leftover wood to build some type of a rugged birdhouse or a custom bird feeder that might or might not have held seed. :)

 Whenever your love for animals began and however it appeared,  you can be sure that your animal love is demonstrating an act of compassion, kindness and inspiration to others and also to our children. In addition, you are also leaving behind a wonderful legacy of working towards a better world.

Tell us your memories below. I’d love to read it.