Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 02:57 am
On Thursday 21 September, Naturewatch Foundation, the UK-based animal welfare charity, announced 14-year-old Ruby from Oxfordshire in England as the winner of their World Animal Day 2023 children’s mug design competition.
The annual celebration of animals on October 4 saw entries from countries around the globe, including Turkey and Sri Lanka, with a variety of species including wildlife, insects, birds, marine animals and pets featured. Ruby’s winning design of a colourful hedgehog holding a heart-shaped planet will feature on a mug sold by the charity.
Since the first World Animal Day was held in 1925, events have become increasingly creative and now range from drive-through church blessings for animals to spay-a-thons for cats and dogs to abseiling down cliffs. Sarah Carr, CEO of Naturewatch Foundation and coordinator of World Animal Day, said: “We were amazed to receive three times the number of entries to our mug design competition this year.”
“It was so difficult to choose a winner, but Ruby’s hedgehog will be perfect for our 2023 commemorative mug. The competition is just a small part of our phenomenal World Animal Day celebrations though. We aim to raise awareness of the plight of animals and encourage people to do something to help make the world a better place for them. It’s a day for everyone to speak up for the voiceless, regardless of nationality, religion, faith or political ideology.”
World Animal Day reaches over 50 million people online on October 4 and there are countless ways in which everyone who cares about animals can get involved, including on social media. For more information, and to get involved, visit the website today worldanimalday.org.uk.
