War is hell for animals too

But what is most poignant is the use of war mascots. When people dream of lost or vulnerable kittens, it can often symbolize their own tenderness and softness, which they may be disregarding in order to function pragmatically in the world. The kitten may be a vision of their need to be nurtured, or neglect of this. The war mascots were indisputably objects of love care and loyalty in a world gone mad.

Men who were themselves young and barely grown up, were confronted with impossible choices of kill or be killed. The animal mascot was one place where 'normal' care and love could reside and be expressed.

In an age where we increasingly understand the capacity of animals to experience emotion, pain and distress, we must confront the issue of animal rights in war. It is clear that in the service of mutual survival needs animals have been cared for in combat zones. But as is common we have assumed that they are there to serve us, as always, in what may be argued as our most bizarre uncivilized endeavour of all: modern war.

The increasing use of advanced technology, has massively reduced the use of animals in warfare. However dogs are still used in explosive detection in Afghanistan.

Seen as cute lifesavers, their use nevertheless raises an uncomfortable question. Do these animals, often saved from death in the pound, have any rights regarding being sent to a dangerous war zone? Just as occurs to many human combatants, dogs can be afflicted with post traumatic stress disorder, and exhibit similar symptoms.

These can include hyper vigilance, aggression, timidity and inability to perform former roles. Live animals are still being used in medical training of Medicos in the US Defence Forces. The Pentagon maintains that despite plans to phase them out goats and other animals are being used in cruel and painful procedures designed to equip medicos to deal with defence force injuries in the field. This is despite recommendations by experts that simulators were far more effective in medical training.

Animals have shown us the way in many situations. They have been used ruthlessly in medical experiments to save our lives and in unnecessary testing of products. Studies of animal bonding have contributed to our understanding of loss and mourning in humans .

We know animals become attached and therefore grieve.

Animals however have few rights. There has been a lot of hyperbole around the lessons of war, its terrible cost and the suffering of innocents, On the one day of the year, Anzac Day, when we remember the human suffering of war, that so called glorious war is hell, we might remember how unequivocally this is conveyed in the suffering of non human animals in war.