Think of the animal closest to your heart.
Think of the most beautiful animal you’ve ever seen.
Think of the smallest animal you can imagine.
Think of the largest animal you know of.
Think of the strangest-looking animal.
Each of these, in its own way, contributes to that strange mystery of what we call life on planet earth. We are – in some way – attached to all of these animals with whom we share our planet. With some we even share our lives and our homes. Animals teach us to care. They are our companions. They teach us responsibility. Through the care and kindness we show to animals –through every way we are gentle and good to animals— all animals – indeed all sentient beings, we affirm our respect for the interdependent web of all existence. (Maria Kempner)

Gandhi - "I want to realize brotherhood or identity not merely with the beings called human, but I want to realize identity with all life, even with such things as crawl upon earth."

Henry Beston, The Outermost House – "For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complex than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth."

“Our very being on this planet is supported by the myriad of species that live on this planet. From the smallest microscopic virus and amoeba to the largest animal, the Blue Whale in the ocean, all creatures are linked together. And the myriad of species of plants also supports life, not only for other plants but also for other creatures. The Rain Forests of the Amazon have developed a complex interweaving of support for life there. There are plants, insects, animals we have not even yet discovered because their homes are located in the high canopy of these trees. And like the tapestry woven by the sea otter, kelp, and sea urchin, if we pull to remove one these threads, the whole of the tapestry will come undone. And not only the tapestry but everything that uses the tapestry for its own support and survival will vanish. So it becomes an important act for us to acknowledge the animals in our lives. To honor the gifts they offer us. From the songbirds that sing outside our windows regardless of the weather to the comfort we receive from our dogs and cats.” (Fred Hammond)