World War II was imminent in the year 1939, so governments around the world were already preparing for it. This was the case in the United Kingdom, whose authorities met and created a committee to decide the fate of animals during World War II.
So, to prevent pets from being more of an issue during the conflict, the recommendation was to transfer them. For this reason, posters were spread asking the owners to take their animals to the interior or to sacrifice them, so that they would not suffer in the war.
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After all, the war that would start in a few weeks would be responsible for taking the lives of millions of European citizens and the world. However, the circulated warnings did not prevent a massacre of pets in the UK.
Many people were willing to take their pets to a place that was safe, preferably in the interior of the country. However, many others, due to inability to move or for other reasons, had to sacrifice their pets. This has resulted in a wave of animal deaths at veterinary clinics as well as animal shelters. And then, within just one week, the country had already reached the number of 750 thousand animals sacrificed.
The great pet massacre happened just during the UK's first week in World War II. That is, the week of September 3, 1939, which certainly was never forgotten in the memory of those who lived through it. However, it is worth noting that the order to euthanize the pets was seen as cruelty by veterinarians and civilians alike. This is because many people considered animal sacrifice unnecessary.
That is why the NAPRAC (National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee), a body created to resolve the issue of animals, manifested itself shortly afterwards. So, in a new announcement, they emphasized that animals that could stay at home should not be killed, however, the massacre had already happened.