On October 4th 1931, the first World Animal Day was held as a way trying to highlight the plight of endangered species around the world. Not just focusing on the rarest of the world's animals though, World Animal Day is now an international day of recognition of the importance of sharing our planet with other species.
Held on the same day every year as the fourth of October is the Feast Day of the patron saint of animals, St Francis of Assisi, World Animal Day also marks the first day of World Animal Week which runs until October 10th and extends the need of increasing awareness about how much pressure we are putting on animal species in their natural habitats.
![Swallow-Tailed Hummingbirds - Click to Zoom Swallow-Tailed Hummingbirds](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/6/67404/do-something-special-for-world-animal-day-L-YMsrqN.jpeg)
In order to celebrate World Animal Day this year, A-Z Animals will be donating the remainder of the stock from the recently closed Sammy the Sheep's Shop, to a children's hospice in East Anglia. People are animals too and we strongly feel that our gorgeous animal toys will do so much more for these children than for us.
![Coral - Click to Zoom Coral](http://m5.paperblog.com/i/6/67404/do-something-special-for-world-animal-day-L-4MiD_z.jpeg)