Beneath the main heading “Animals in War”, the memorial has two inscriptions:
“This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and Allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time.”
The second, smaller inscription simply reads:
“They had no choice.”
“I have a special interest in and knowledge of the appalling sufferings of horses in war time, up to and including the Second World War.. .The monument's design seems to me to be excellent in every way.”
“I consider this to be an excellent project, long overdue — so many animals served, suffered and died in the wars and this memorial will be a fitting tribute to them. David Backhouse has an outstanding talent and his design for this memorial will I am sure appeal to young and old generations alike”
“I think it an excellent idea to put up such a memorial, not just for historical and humane reasons but also at a time when man’s relationship to the animal world is undergoing radical adjustment’
“I am thrilled beyond measure by the overall concept, and visual, emotional and lasting impact for good which it is likely to have on all who visit and enter the monument. It could become one of London’s best loved and most visited memorials”
“Not only is the proposed sculpture extremely beautiful, but the ethos and thinking behind it are in tune with the thinking of the 21st century, and the sculpture provides for the kind of community involvement that is so important to us all.”
“Dogs Trust has a plethora of stories of the fantastic deeds that dogs performed on behalf of the Services during the war. We therefore believe that there should be a lasting tribute to their courage, intelligence and bravery”
The Daily Telegraph, containing an interview with HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of the Animals in War Memorial Fund