Events Update

World Animal Week

World Animal Day is held annually on the 4 October (World Animal Week for a week in October) and is dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of animals throughout the world. It is a global event, with charities, groups and individuals in various countries getting involved to highlight animal welfare issues that they feel most strongly about.

We at 7th Heaven played our small part in this worldwide campaign, by organising a week of information displays in a number of locations throughout the province and will continue to do so each year at this time. This year (2007) we held displays in Belfast Central Library, Castle Espie, the Wildfowl, Wetlands Trust reserve outside Comber, Shankill Library, Bank of Ireland mess room, Belfast and the Odyssey.

As well as our own newsletters, animal fact sheets and posters of animals that needed rehomed, we also invited other charities to send some of their literature to us. We were delighted with the responses, with charities and animal groups, in both Northern Ireland and mainland UK and worldwide, showing an interest. In doing this, we gave animal organisations the opportunity to promote themselves and the work they do to alleviate animal suffering as well as giving their expertise in their own particular fields.

In addition 2 of our trustees visited a vegetarian road show in Glasgow the week prior to World Animal Week and our newsletter was put on display. They brought back various leaflets relating to vegetarianism, vegan products and the cruelty associated with aspects of the farming community for to display at the World Animal Week events and ongoing promoting the theme of educating and preventing cruelty to animals.

The organisations involved were Dogs Trust, Cats Protection, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Happy Hedgehog Rescue Centre, Second Chance, The Bat Group, The Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust, People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, League Against Cruel Sports, Assisi Animal Sanctuary, Talnotry Avian Care Trust wildlife centre, Blue Cross, National Animal Welfare Trust, Nature Watch, VIVA, Honesty beauty products, ANVIL, Twinkle Trust Animal Aid, Beanies Health Foods, Avocates for Animals and The World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Useful Contacts

We would like to thank them all for taking part and would also like to thank everyone who let us use their venues for the displays. It is always hard to judge the success of these events, but if it has positively changed the way that even one person thinks about animals, then it is worth it.

We hope to organise displays at different venues each year and would also be interested in other opportunities to promote this event. If anyone would be interested in letting us do a presentation table at any of their venues or have any other ideas for us to consider, please contact us.

But please remember, although the event only lasted a week, animal suffering continues every day. That's why they need your understanding, kindness and help all year round.