From the oyster to the eagle, from the swine to the tiger, all animals are to be found in men and each of them exists in some man, sometimes several at the time. Animals are nothing but the portrayal of our virtues and vices made manifest to our eyes, the visible reflections of our souls. God displays them to us to give us food for thought.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
Mankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet; and amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog has made an alliance with us.
—Max De Pree (1924–2017) American Businessman
Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French Theologian, Musician, Philosopher, Physician
Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
There is something in the unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of mere Man.
—Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) American Poet
We know what the animals do, what are the needs of the beaver, the bear, the salmon, and other creatures, because long ago men married them and acquired this knowledge from their animal wives. Today the priests say we lie, but we know better.
—American Indian Proverb
At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
The lower animals, like man, manifestly feel pleasure and pain, happiness and misery. Happiness is never better exhibited than by young animals, such as puppies, kittens, lambs, &c., when playing together, like our own children. Even insects play together, as has been described by that excellent observer, P. Huber, who saw ants chasing and pretending to bite each other, like so many puppies.
—Charles Darwin (1809–82) English Naturalist
I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Shall we never have done with that cliche, so stupid that it could only be human, about the sympathy of animals for man when he is unhappy? Animals love happiness almost as much as we do. A fit of crying disturbs them, they’ll sometimes imitate sobbing, and for a moment they’ll reflect our sadness. But they flee unhappiness as they flee fever, and I believe that in the long run they are capable of boycotting it.
—Colette (1873–1954) French Novelist, Performer
Fierce and poisonous animals were created for terrifying man, in order that he might be made aware of the final judgment in hell.
—John Wesley (1703–91) British Methodist Religious Leader, Preacher, Theologian
Dogs look up to you, cats look down on you. Give me a pig. He just looks you in the eye and treats you as an equal.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
The toad beneath the harrow knows Exactly where each tooth point goes; The butterfly upon the road Preaches contentment to that toad.
—Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) British Children’s Books Writer, Short story, Novelist, Poet, Journalist
In seeking honey expect the sting of bees.
—Arabic Proverb
Animals, whom we have made our slaves, we do not like to consider our equal.
—Charles Darwin (1809–82) English Naturalist
The poor dog, in life the firmest friend. The first to welcome, foremost to defend.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
Elephants suffer from too much patience. Their exhibitions of it may seem superb-such power and such restraint, combined, are noble-but a quality carried to excess defeats itself.
—Clarence Day (1874–1935) American Author, Humorist
Before you beat the dog, find out the name of his master.
—Chinese Proverb
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
—Ask Ann Landers (1918–2002) American Advice Columnist
Nothing to be done really about animals. Anything you do looks foolish. The answer isn’t in us. It’s almost as if we’re put here on earth to show how silly they aren’t.
—Russell Hoban (1925–2011) American Novelist, Children’s Writer
If it wasn’t for dogs, some people would never go for a walk.
—Unknown
The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men.
—Alice Walker (b.1944) American Novelist, Activist
A fence should be horse high, hog tight and bull strong.
—Unknown
The dog was created especially for children. He is the god of frolic.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Cats and monkeys; monkeys and cats; all human life is there.
—Henry James (1843–1916) American-born British Novelist, Writer
The owl of ignorance lays the egg of pride.
—Common Proverb
Nature makes only dumb animals. We owe the fools to society.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing “Embraceable You” in spats.
—Woody Allen (b.1935) American Film Actor, Director
The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men.
—Emile Zola (1840–1902) French Novelist
All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it.
—Samuel Butler
Who can guess how much industry and providence and affection we have caught from the pantomime of brutes?
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
The better I know men the more I admire dogs.
—Unknown
I shoot the Hippopotamus
With bullets made of platinum,
Because if I use leaden ones
His hide is sure to flatten ’em.
—Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) British Historian, Poet, Critic
A peasant becomes fond of his pig and is glad to salt away its pork. What is significant, and is so difficult for the urban stranger to understand, is that the two statements are connected by an and not by a but.
—John Berger (1926–2017) English Art Critic, Novelist
Your rat tail is all the fashion now. I prefer a bushy plume, carried straight up. You are Siamese and your ancestors lived in trees. Mine lived in palaces. It has been suggested to me that I am a bit of a snob. How true! I prefer to be.
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959) American Novelist
The reason dogs have so many friends is because they wag their tails and not their tongues.
—Anonymous
The fatter the flea the leaner the dog.
—German Proverb
Mankind’s true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.
—Milan Kundera (b.1929) Czech Novelist
Man is the most intelligent of the animals—and the most silly.
—Diogenes Laertius (f.3rd Century CE) Biographer of the Greek Philosophers
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
My favorite animal is the mule. He has a lot more horse sense than a horse. He knows when to stop eating. And he knows when to stop working.
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) American Head of State
What is a country without rabbits and partridges? They are among the most simple and indigenous animal products; ancient and venerable families known to antiquity as to modern times; of the very hue and substance of Nature, nearest allied to leaves and to the ground.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
The cow is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other milk.
—Ogden Nash (1902–71) American Writer of Sophisticated Light Verse