Figure 1.-- Animals played an important role in World War II, but for much of the population, the major connection with animals was what to do with their cherished pets. Many Here we see a Germany boy before the War with his best friend. Europeans had beloved family pets, this was especially the case in countries like Britain, Germany, and France. Very few of the pets in these countries would survive the War. Some of the larger dogs were turned over to the military. Food rationing meant that the pets could not be fed. And some countries actually prohibited feeding pets with food that was suitabke for human consumtion. Another major problem was tht pets notpermitted in oublic bomb shelters. Pets owners were left wih little option, but eutenizing their pets, a heart-renching family decision.

The use of animals varied a great deal from country to country. The Germans made the greatest use of animals. The German Wehrmacht despite its mechanized reputation launched the War heavily dependent of horses as draft animals. German industry did not have the capacity to fully mechanize the Whermacht. A major problem for the Germans was the inability of German horses to withstand the rigors of the Russian winter. As winter set in at the end of Barbarossa (1941-42), huge numbers of German horses died. The Germans as in World War I also made extensive use of dogs, primarily for sentry duty. The Whermact bred large numbers of dogs. The Luftwaffe also had a breeding program as did the SS for its concentration camp system. Terrible attrocities were committed by the SS with their dogs in the camps. Herman Göring had a special intrerest in animals and hunting. He suppoted a breeding program to recreate the animals that ancient Germans once hunted in the forests of northern Europe. In essence this was a real life Jurasic Park story. And Göring and his associates had an atual park in mind, at thr time plans began still in Poland. The United States launched a K-9 Corps, albeit on a far smaller scale thn the Grman program. Working with dogs had been discontinued after World war I. And breeding animals takes time. Thus Americans were asked to volunteer their dogs for military service. Dogs saved a lot of Lives in the Pacific as the military had to clear die-hard Japanese soldiers from many remote Pacific islands. The U.S. Army has a long history with mules. Mules were used variouslocations, including Italy and various Pacific islands. The United States experimented with the use of bats in the strategic bombing campaign. The Soviets made use of dogs, but only a relatively small scale, in part because kepping a dog as a pet was fround on for ideological reasons. And feeding pets became a problem during the War. The NKVD had some dogs. And the Red rmy also had dogs during the War. Some were used against German tanks. The Japanese had a similar experience. Dogs were not very common as pets before the War. And during the War, the Japanese had trouble feeding its soldiers, let alone animals.

America

The United States launched a K-9 Corps, albeit on a far smaller scale than the Grman program. Working with dogs had been discontinued after World war I. And breeding animals takes time. Thus Americans were asked to volunteer their dogs for military service. Dogs saved a lot of Lives in the Pacific as the military had to clear die-hard Japanese soldiers from many remote Pacific islands. The U.S. Army has a long history with mules. Mules were used variouslocations, including Italy and various Pacific islands. The United States experimented with the use of bats in the strategic bombing campaign. American pets were largely unaffected by the War. A few dog owners turned their pets over to the military. The situation for pets in America was very different than what transpired in Europe.

Britain

Unlike Germany, little attention was given to animals by the British militry. A factor here was that the British Army was entirely mechanized at the time the time Hitler and Stalin launched the War in Europe. And as in World War I there was less intrest in dogs among military circles. There was some limited use of animals as the War spread into fr-flug localitie, especially in the fifficult cinditions of the CBI, but basically the British military used relatively few animals in the War. The stort of animals in Britain was largely a matter of family pets during the War. The fate of pets during World war II is one of the least reported aspect of World War II. Here there were two major impacts. Food rationing meant that it became very difficult to feed pets. Strategic bombing meant that it became difficult to protect pets as they were not permitted in public shelters. Here the Government's pre-War effort to promye the construction of home sheters, saved some Brirish pets. The exact situation and time-line varied from country to country as did the time line. We know a good bit about what happend in Britain. Little thought was given to pets before the outbreak of the War. Thus at the start of the War, many pet owners paniced. It is believed that some 0.75 million domestic pets (primarily cats and dogs), were euthenized in various ways at the outbreak of the War. This asonishly happened in the course of 1 week with the out break of the War Seotember 1939). This seems almost unbelievable in a country remounded to be populated with animal lovers. Government agencies as Britain move toward War, suddenly realized that pets woulf be a pronlem. The National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee (NARPAC) was hastily formed. It drafted a short broadside, 'Advice to Animal Owners'. The NARPAC did not order the edestrucyion of family pets, they dis advise pet owners, "If at all possible, send or take your household animals into the country in advance of an emergency." Finally the NARPAC advised petowners "If you cannot place them in the care of neighbours, it really is kindest to have them destroyed." The NARPAC instructions was printed in almost every newspaper as well as announced on the BBC. One author describes it as a "a national tragedy in the making". A few dogs were saved by turnig them over to the militry. Given the danger and length of the War, many of these nimals never returned to their families. This was one of the few ways to save larger dogs because of rationing. The only exception was working dogs, especially those involved with agriculture and live stock. Not only were pets euthenized, but also were many zoo animals.

Germany

The Germans made the greatest use of animals during World War II. The German Wehrmacht despite its mechanized reputation launched the War heavily dependent of horses as draft animals. The horses als had the advantage thatg they did not use gas/petrol--something which the German military had troublr obtaining in the quantity needed. German industry did not have the capacity to fully mechanize the Wehrmacht. A major problem for the Germans was the inability of German horses to withstand the rigors of the Russian winter. As winter set in at the end of Barbarossa (1941-42), huge numbers of German horses died. The Germans were still using horses in the Stalingrad campaign. There the horses were some of the last food available tgo the 6th Army. The Germans as in World War I also made extensive use of dogs, primarily for sentry duty. The Wehrmacht bred large numbers of dogs. The Luftwaffe also had a breeding program as did the SS for its concentration camp system. Terrible attrocities were committed by the SS with their dogs in the camps. Herman Göring had a special intrerest in animals and hunting. He suppoted a breeding program to recreate the animals that ancient Germans once hunted in the forests of northern Europe. In essence this was a real life Jurasic Park story. And Göring and his associates had an actual park in mind, at the time the Germans began planning, still in pre-War eastern Poland far from the German border.

Italy

Japan

The Japanese had a problem using animals similar to the Soviet experience. Dogs were not very common as pets before the War. And during the War, the Japanese had trouble feeding its soldiers in far-flung garrison across the Pacific as well as at home. If Japan had not surrendered (August 1945), people would have begun srarving on the Home Islands. As a result, tghere was no food avilable for pets.

Soviet Union

The Soviets made use of dogs, but only a relatively small scale, in part because kepping a dog as a pet was fround on for ideological reasons. And feeding pets became a problem during the War. The NKVD had some dogs. And the Red rmy also had dogs during the War. Some were used against German tanks with some limited success. Pets were not such a pronlem in the Soviet Union as far fewer people had pets--the were considered a bourgeois daliance. And in the terrifying atmpshere of the Great Terror, people did not want to be labeled bourgeois. Dogs were not very common, but cats which could be kept in apartments did exist. Another problem was Stalin's attack on he pesantry, collectivization and the Ukranian famine. This severely damged Soviet agriculture. A far as we know, pet food was not even produved in the Soviet Union. Thecsoviet Union entered the War as a NAZI ally. Thus the food situation did not a first change. The NAZI invasion (June 1941) dramtically altered the food situation. The Grmans seized much of the prime agricultural land of the Soviet Union. Food became a major issue, bith feeding the Red Army as well as the population. Much of the Soviet population survived the War on near starvation rations. Some actually died of starvation or health complications associated with mal nytrition. In such conditions, few pets survived the War.

Created: 3:09 AM 7/16/2014
Last updated: 1:02 PM 4/9/2015