The performances of animals in the Great War were often overlooked on the premise that animals were tools just like guns, helmets, and uniforms. Animals were worked hard, which often caused death from exhaustion.

The two main animals put to service in the Great War were horses and pigeons.

Horses were initially utilized for the cavalry, but trench warfare neutralized its effectiveness. However, horses remained essential for moving equipment to the front lines, as well as for a major method of transportation. Many horses suffered terribly during the Great War, and more than eight million died during the conflict.

The military used pigeons as a reliable method of communication from the front lines to headquarters in the rear. More than one hundred thousand pigeons were used as messengers during the First World War. The killing, wounding, or molesting of a homing pigeon was punishable by law, with sentences ranging from a £100 fine to six months’ imprisonment. Pigeons were valued for their impeccable homing instinct as well as their speed, which made it very difficult for enemy marksmen to shoot them down. In fact, the biggest threat to pigeons would have been the introduction of birds of prey, such as falcons.

The military also employed dogs and cats during the war, but not to the same extent as horses or pigeons. Approximately twenty-thousand dogs worked for the allies in a variety of roles, including as sentries, scouts, messengers or mascots. As for cats, they were common in the trenches, highly valued as both companions, and for their rat-snatching abilities.

While conditions for most animals in the war were grim, the First World War also witnessed the first glimmers of animal-rights sentiment. Some military personnel, particularly veterinarians and horse drivers, encouraged their fellow soldiers to treat war animals humanely.

It’s also important to note that for many soldiers, having an animal companion helped ease the burden of serving in the trenches, providing comfort and friendship for lonely, exhausted soldiers.

In 2004 a cenotaph was unveiled in Hyde Park, in London, England and on November 3, 2012, the Animals in War Memorial was unveiled in Ottawa. These monuments honour the role animals played, and the sacrifices they made, during a war they didn’t choose.

— Text by Jessica Knapp