According to NARPAC, there are between 6 and 7 million dogs and cats living in England as pets. The committee observed that the onset of war would probably result in significant food shortages and food rationing in addition to the possibility of air strikes. In order to avoid giving in to the temptation of sharing limited food supplies with their pets, NARPAC proclaimed that “to have a pet while the nation goes to war is an unaffordable luxury.”
The love British people have for their pets is matchless. But then, how and why did more than 750,000 dogs and cats die during the build up to the historic second World War? Moreover, why has this event gotten lost in the sands of time? Read on to find out.
The Holocaust (?)
During the first four days of World War II in early September 1939, more than 400,000 dogs and cats were murdered. At the time, this amount made up around 26% of all pets in London. It is a figure six times higher than the total number of civilian casualties caused by bombing in the United Kingdom during the war. Furthermore, this number would almost quadruple by the time the campaign concluded.
The Origin of the Issue
This tragic event occurred in the summer of 1939. Germany was proclaimed to be at war by Britain on September 3, 1939. But even at the start of the year, it was obvious that the battle was inevitable. Several defense committees were established as a result to have the country ready in case the British homeland was targeted. The National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee (NARPAC) was one such.
According to NARPAC, there are between 6 and 7 million dogs and cats living in England as pets. The committee observed that the onset of war would probably result in significant food shortages and food rationing in addition to the possibility of air strikes. In order to avoid giving in to the temptation of sharing limited food supplies with their pets, NARPAC proclaimed that “to have a pet while the nation goes to war is an unaffordable luxury.”
NARPAC released a leaflet titled “Advice to Animal Owners” with its recommendations. The leaflet suggested: “If at all possible, send or take your household animals into the country in advance of an emergency.” It stated that “If you cannot place them in the care of neighbors, it really is kindest to have them destroyed.”
This recommendation was taken very seriously, as seen by the full-page advertising for the Cash Captive Bolt Pistol on the pamphlet’s inner cover. It advertised the weapon as “the standard instrument for the humane destruction of domestic animals.” The committee’s recommendations were broadcast on the BBC and published in nearly all newspapers. Some NARPAC committee members mentioned in interviews that they may even rent out these kinds of massacre weapons.
The Counterpart
There was resistance to this genocide. Animal welfare organizations like the RSPCA and PDSA, together with veterinarians, objected that companion animal murder was needless, cruel, and a betrayal of British values. The Veterinary Corps of the Army expressed open concern that a significant number of the dogs slated for death could have fulfilled a valuable military role. Susan Day attempted to halt the trend in the Daily Mirror by writing, “Choosing to put your pets to sleep is a very tragic decision.” Never take it unless it is absolutely required.” However, the strain was too severe, and some animal shelters claimed that their hurriedly established euthanasia units were operating nonstop.
Opened in 1860, Battersea is one of the oldest animal shelters in Britain. It has withstood both world wars and is still operational today. It attempted to put an end to the carnage. Throughout the war, 145,000 dogs were fed and cared for at Battersea, despite the fact that there were only four full-time employees working there. Furthermore, it supplied an area in Ilford, East London, where around 500,000 animals were interred, many of them during the first week of hostilities.
This was an obvious case of official deceit. The abuse of animals by the Germans served as a focal point for British propaganda during the war. For instance, German ambassador Joachim von Ribbentrop left behind his personal dog, a Chow named Baerchen, as he and his colleagues hurriedly fled the British Embassy. Many people hailed this desertion as evidence of the Nazis’ inhumanity toward animals. The same day (September 7) when the Times reported that animal shelters were bursting at the seams with dogs brought in to be put to sleep on the government’s suggestion, an item in the Daily Mirror listed this occurrence as animal cruelty.
How did time engulf this Genocide?
During the war, there was a blatant attempt to erase this tragedy from history. There were no further official publications endorsing the original advise to slaughter pets as part of the war effort, even though it was never retracted. Rather, the media started to overflow with tales of people dying in bombs while hugging their cherished pets or dogs consoling injured individuals; these would be presented as emblems of England’s animal-loving nationalism. Images of military and civilian defense workers saving pups from destroyed buildings ran prominently, accompanied by commentary drawing a contrast between these acts of kindness and the ruthless cruelty of the German war machine.
Denial is the first line of protection against anything emotionally upsetting that is occurring right now, as Freud observed. Repression, or erasing the incident from memory, is the first line of defense against anything that causes shame and pain related to previous events. Even though he was speaking about people, it appears that nations employ the same techniques.
A Hushed Massacre
Many pet owners faithfully turned up to veterinarian offices and animal shelters to have their dogs put to death after Neville Chamberlain declared war in 1939. There have been accounts of half-mile lineups and shortages of chloroform, the most widely used euthanasia technique in veterinary medicine. There would be a second surge of pet owners lined up to have their animals slaughtered when London was first attacked in September 1940, a year later. A few of them said that they had memories of the starved and abandoned cats and dogs who roamed the streets of London during World War I, leaving them to endure agonizing deaths and hunger. They wanted to save their own animals from suffering like this.
With inputs from Psychology Today.
