Animals have a way of touching our hearts with their grace, loyalty, and spirit. They inspire us with their simplicity and instinctual wisdom. Throughout history, writers and thinkers have captured this magic in words, offering us quotes that reflect the beauty of the animal kingdom.
In this article, we’ve gathered the best quotes about animals that remind us of their importance in our lives. These quotes celebrate our deep connection with animals and honor their role in the world. Let’s take a moment to appreciate what these words have to say about the creatures we share our planet with.
Inspiring Quotes from Famous Animal Lovers
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” – George Eliot
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” – Charles de Gaulle
“The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different.” – Hippocrates
“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” – Martin Buber
“The greatness of a man is measured by his heart, and nothing shows the measure more than how he treats animals.” – My own words
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” – James Herriot
“I think I could turn and live with the animals, they are so placid and self-contained; I stand and look at them long and long.” – Walt Whitman
“Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky
“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.” – A.A. Milne
“I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Animals are my friends… and I don’t eat my friends.” – George Bernard Shaw
“The more boys I meet, the more I love my dog.” – Carrie Underwood
“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” – Immanuel Kant
“An animal’s eyes speak a powerful language of love, empathy, and deep understanding.” – My own words
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir
“He who saves a single life, saves the world entire.” – The Talmud
“Perhaps the greatest reason we love animals is because our spirits need connection to the wild, to nature.” – Edward Abbey
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” – Colette
“we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” – Baba Dioum
“To err is human, to forgive canine.” – My own words
“Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.” – Michael Morpurgo
Quotes That Reflect Our Bond with Animals
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” – George Eliot
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings
“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” – Charles de Gaulle
“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.” – A.A. Milne
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” – Charles Darwin
“Horses make a landscape look beautiful.” – Alice Walker
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir
“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” – Martin Buber
“I think having an animal in your life makes you a better human.” – Rachael Ray
“The purity of a person’s heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals.” – Anonymous
“Animals don’t hate, and we’re supposed to be better than them.” – Elvis Presley
“The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth will ever be.” – Konrad Lorenz
“Animals are born who they are, accept it, and that is that. They live with greater peace than people do.” – Gregory Maguire
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” – Roger Caras
“Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what’s missing in our lives, and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally.” – Trisha McCagh
“Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.” – James Herriot
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” – James Herriot
“Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” – Colette
“The more people I meet, the more I love my dog.” – Anonymous
“Animals are like little angels sent to earth to teach us how to love.” – Anonymous
“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time.” – Henry Beston
“Animals have hearts that feel, eyes that see, and families to care for, just like you and me.” – Anthony Douglas Williams
Powerful Conservation Quotes about Animals
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” – Martin Buber
“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” – Immanuel Kant
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” – Charles Darwin
“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time.” – Henry Beston
“Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.” – Irene M. Pepperberg
“The purity of a person’s heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals.” – Anonymous
“Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” – George Eliot
“To me, the best part of conservation is not being the hero of the story, but knowing that the hero of the story is an animal.” – Unknown
“It is much easier to show compassion to animals. They are never wicked.” – Haile Selassie
“When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.” – A.D. Williams
“The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.” – Johnny Depp
“He who feeds a hungry animal feeds his own soul.” – Charlie Chaplin
“If you want to see the world as it really is, look deep into the eyes of an animal.” – Yara Gharaibeh
“All creatures are deserving of a life free from fear and pain.” – Maura Cummings
“In wildlife conservation, the passion of the few can change the fortune of the many.” – Unknown
“The creatures that inhabit this earth—be they human beings or animals— are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.” – Dalai Lama
“The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different.” – Hippocrates
“We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man.” – Henry Beston
“The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
“There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery.” – Charles Darwin
“Every animal has his or her story, his or her thoughts, daydreams, and interests. All feel joy and love, pain and fear, as we now know beyond any shadow of a doubt.” – Ingrid Newkirk
“I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other, and it’s very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals.” – Barack Obama
Humorous Animal Quotes to Brighten Your Day
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” – Groucho Marx
“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.” – A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” – Sigmund Freud
“A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.” – Robert Benchley
“In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” – Terry Pratchett
“Dogs have masters; cats have staff.” – Unknown
“As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.” – Ellen Perry Berkeley
“I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.” – Rita Rudner
“My fashion philosophy is, if you’re not covered in dog hair, your life is empty.” – Elayne Boosler
“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” – Charles de Gaulle
“Dogs are the universe’s way of apologizing for your relatives.” – Unknown
“If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them.” – Phil Pastoret
“Humans: Dogs don’t understand our language. Also humans: *talks to dogs in complete sentences*” – Internet meme
“Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.” – Kinky Friedman
“Never trust a dog to watch your food.” – Patrick McManus
“Cats are inquisitive, but hate to admit it.” – Mason Cooley
“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” – Hippolyte Taine
“If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.” – Woodrow Wilson
“No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does.” – Christopher Morley
“Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.” – Mary Bly
“There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.” – Tay Hohoff
“Cats do not have to be shown how to have a good time, for they are unfailing ingenious in that respect.” – James Mason
“What greater gift than the love of a cat?” – Charles Dickens
“You know, sometimes the world seems like a pretty mean place. That’s why animals are so soft and huggy.” – Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes
“People who hate cats will come back as mice in their next life.” – Faith Resnick
Deep Animal Quotes that Make You Think
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Perhaps it is because no one loves us quite as deeply as a dog loves us.” – Jennifer Skiff
“Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” – George Eliot
“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” – Immanuel Kant
“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” – Martin Buber
“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” – Charles de Gaulle
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” – Charles M. Schulz
“Animals don’t hate, and we’re supposed to be better than them.” – Elvis Presley
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – George Orwell
“To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.” – A.A. Milne
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” – Charles Darwin
“Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what’s missing in our lives, and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally.” – Trisha McCagh
“An animal’s eyes have the ability to speak a full range of emotions that only a few understand.” – Original
“I am the only one responsible for my pets’ lives. They trust me with everything they are.” – Hannah McBride
“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals.” – Henry Beston
“Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky
“My little dog—a heartbeat at my feet.” – Edith Wharton
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” – James Herriot
“The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this Earth will ever be.” – Konrad Lorenz
“Animals have hearts that feel, eyes that see, and families to care for, just like us.” – Tony Robbins
“Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.” – George Bernard Shaw
“You think those dogs will not be in heaven! I tell you they will be there long before any of us.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” – Orhan Pamuk
Last Words
These quotes remind us of the special bond we share with animals. They highlight the joy, wisdom, and comfort that animals bring into our lives. From pets to wild creatures, every animal has a unique way of touching our hearts and teaching us valuable lessons.
As we reflect on these quotes, let’s appreciate the beauty and wonder of the animal kingdom. By valuing and respecting animals, we can find inspiration and connection in our daily lives. Whether through a thoughtful saying or a quiet moment with a furry friend, animals continue to enrich our experiences and spark our imaginations.