Animals in Times of War: How Human–Animal Relationships Have Evolved Through History

Introduction

Throughout history, animal work has been critical to the technological and economic growth of the world. From the very beginning, they have been used as physical labor, as hunting animals, companions, and have served so many other purposes. While they have been such crucial parts of the developing world, the impact of animals has been overlooked by historians, in schools, and by society in general. Specifically, they have played an important role during times of war with a variety of different purposes, whether it was in combat, as messengers, or on the homefront. Most of the history learned in school is about wars, however, the importance of animals during these times is rarely focused on. Not only have they served as companions, they were important messengers for major projects and were used as defense animals. While there were many positive uses of animals in war, these animals were often taken for granted, and there was little regulation placed on what purposes they served. During these times combat animals made great sacrifices for the human cause that are often overlooked. The shifts in societies overall views of animals has greatly changed from these times, leading to certain laws being implemented to protect them against being used for the same reasons today.

STS Connection

In times of war, animals were used for a variety of different purposes. While some served as messengers and became known as national heroes, others were used in combat and died for the human cause (Bulanda, 2023). Oftentimes, society only knew about the animals like dogs who were laying telephone wires or finding missing soldiers. When people found out some animals were being utilized unsafely, laws were quickly implemented to stop it . This illustrates the large impacts that society has on the way animals were used in combat. However, other animals being used for transport and in combat were overlooked, and still today, are being utilized inhumanely (Kellert, 1985). When animals are seen as supporting technological advancements, society sees them as more important, relating the ideas of science, technology, and society. Also, as people have become more aware of the inhumane animal use in war, several laws have been implemented to protect them. As people started to realize how carelessly animals were used to support the human cause, they started to work to make regulations and laws that kept animals safe. Although these regulations are in place now,  during major times of war like World War I and II, the Vietnam war, and so many others, animals served a wide variety of purposes without regulation. By demonstrating the large impact of society on the utilization of animals for technological advancement in war, it connects all three ideas of science, technology, and society.

Topic Information

The Different Roles of Animals during War

During war, animals played many different roles. Whether it was for drawing a chariot or battle in the civil war, there is no doubt they served a large part in human advancement (Shaw, 2013). During World War II, dogs played a large role in searching for injured men, detecting mines, carrying messages between units, or transporting supplies (Bulanda, 2023). They saved the lives of hundreds of humans, but in doing so, their lives were put at extreme risk. Another key role they played was as a morale booster. It gave soldiers a glimpse of reality,  and, in times of tragedy, gave them a sense of home when they were so far from it. The mercy dogs were a group of dogs during World War I that were highly trained to locate, aid, and comfort wounded soldiers in “no man’s land”, the vast area between trenches that was unclaimed and uninhabitable. They wore red cross symbols and carried medical supplies, saving the lives of thousands of wounded soldiers. These dogs were first used by the German troops in the 19th century, and the idea was later adopted by British and French troops (Bulanda, 2023). These groups of dogs became recognized as war heroes, and their work was symbolic of how animals were used in beneficial ways. Figure 1 depicts a man taking bandages from  a mercy dog that was searching for wounded soldiers in order to help them like shown below. These dogs saved thousands of lives during WWI.

Figure 1: This image shows a man using the bandages from a mercy dog during WWI

Horses, mules, and elephants have been used since the earliest wars to carry supplies and troops to battle. Figure 2 illustrates a British commander and his Indian crew  using elephants to transport supplies to Meiktila  from Burma during WWII in 1945. They played a large part in helping during the war by also transporting the troops. Troops moved on horse foot during the civil war while also carrying their supplies. Since 6 BC, elephants have been used in India and other wars in Asia to both transport materials and in combat (Nocella et. al., 2015). While mules and yaks were primarily used to move heavy loads, the horses and elephants were also used in battle. They doubled as combat and transportation animals (Lawrence, 1991). In colder areas reindeers and oxen would pull sleds and carts. Although these animals provided many benefits, they were put in extreme danger. Sadly, they were often used without care for whether they lived or died, especially animals in combat (Hribal, 2007).

Figure 2: This image shows a British commander and his Indian troops with their tank brigade on the road to Meiktila, India on March 29, 1945

Societies Views and the Negative Implications of Animal Use

Although there were many outcomes that benefitted from animal use during war, unfortunately, there were even more negative effects. Until very recently, there were no regulations on how animals could be used in combat. It was not that people saw it as unethical, they were often just unaware of how animals were being taken advantage of in general. Specifically in combat, millions of animals have died, and in World War I alone over nine million animals died (Nocella et. al., 2015). This was due to the limited regulation of using animals in war and the minimal protest against it. During the civil war, primary accounts explain that they would look up at the hilltops and see thousands of dead cavalry (Lawrence, 1991). Military animals were subject to the same rules as military equipment in armed conflict (Alcala, 2026). Society typically knew little information about what was going on, and it was not until recently that any laws were made against it (Kellert, 1985).

The laws that are being made to help protect certain animals are very beneficial. Once people found out that animals, specifically dogs, were being used to detect mines, they fought to put an end to it. It was not long after that dogs were no longer used for this purpose (Bulanda, 2023). While animals are still used in modern warfare to detect threats and transport materials, there is much more regulation placed on how and when they can be deployed to be in active combat. As a result, the lives of animals are better protected. Laws like the International Humanitarian Law protect animals from being treated as objects and limit their military necessity so that they do not undergo unnecessary suffering (Sassòli, 2019). Another law that protects animals is the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act which prohibits the use of animals in live fire medical training exercises. Compared to wars in the past, animals today have many more protections and regulations placed on their use (Alcala, 2026). Fortunately, this both keeps them safe and prevents their abuse, while still allowing them to benefit the war effort in other aspects.

Conclusion

Overall, the use of animals in war has both positive and negative implications. As a result, there are differing societal views which have led to several laws being put in place to protect them against inhumane subjections. Throughout history, animals have been used in transportation, detecting threats, sending messages, and in combat. Today, they serve many positive purposes, but have more regulations to prevent unnecessary suffering. It is important that people are aware of the large role animals have played over decades of different wars and the sacrifices that were made for the human cause.

AI Disclosure Statement

I used Chat GPT to help me find information about the animal use during wars that fits the goals of this textbook chapter. It gave me sources from Google Scholar. I then used the other sources I had gathered to apply other elements to the chapter.

OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (March 25 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/

References

Alcala, R. (2026, February 20). Military animals in armed conflict. Lieber Institute West Point. https://lieber.westpoint.edu/military-animals-armed-conflict/

Bulanda, S. (2023). Military Dogs of World War II (First edition.). Casemate Publishers.

Hribal, J. C. (2007). Animals, Agency, and Class: Writing the History of Animals from Below. Human Ecology Review, 14(1), 101–112. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24707647

Kellert, S. R. (1985). Historical trends in perceptions and uses of animals in 20th century America. Environmental Review, 9(1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.2307/3984113

Lawrence, E. A. (1991). Animals in War: History and Implications for the Future. Anthrozoös, 4(3), 145–153. https://doi.org/10.2752/089279391787057189

Nocella, A. J., Salter, C., & Bentley, J. K. C. (2015). Animals and war: Confronting the military-animal industrial complex. Lexington Books.

Sassòli, M., & Edward Elgar Publishing publisher. (2019). International humanitarian law : rules, controversies, and solutions to problems arising in warfare. Edward Elgar Pub.

Shaw, D. G. (2013). A Way with Animals. History and Theory, 52(4), 1–12. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24542955

Image References

1,476 photographs from the Imperial War Museum Image: Picryl – public domain media search engine public domain search}. (n.d.-a). https://itoldya420.getarchive.net/amp/topics/photographs+from+the+imperial+war+museum?page=7

14 lot 10842 image: Picryl – public domain media search engine public domain search}. (n.d.-b). https://itoldya420.getarchive.net/amp/topics/lot+10842